Date:  Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Contact: Jamie Holter, WSDOT Communications, 206-719-7535 (Seattle)

SEATTLE – Washington State Department of Transportation contractors began work today, Tuesday, Nov. 3, shoring up a small section of State Route 167 to ensure the route stays open to traffic if the Green River tops its banks in South King County.

In January 2009, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discovered problems with the Howard Hanson Dam. In response, the Corps of Engineers will release more water into the Green River this winter, increasing the chances of downstream flooding in the Green River Valley to a one in four chance. Green River Valley flooding could affect state highways in Tukwila, Renton, Kent and Auburn.

“We are preparing just like residents and our agency neighbors in King and Pierce counties, Tukwila, Renton, Kent and Auburn,” said Lorena Eng, WSDOT Regional Administrator. “We’re taking a series of steps now to be as prepared as possible when and if the floodwaters rise.”

WSDOT and contractor crews have three projects on their to-do list: sandbag a short section of SR 167 in Kent, apply additional material to protect a vulnerable bridge pier on SR 18 and protect signal cabinets that keep electrical systems like the HOT lanes, traffic cameras and overhead signs running during a flood.

Sandbags on SR 167
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, under an emergency declaration, WSDOT contractor, Northwest Construction, will fill and place hundreds of sand-filled supersacks provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along a one-third mile section of road just north of S. 277th Street in Kent. Concrete barrier will protect the sacks. Each sack holds one and a half tons of sand.  

“If we do have flooding, our goal is to keep the state highways open for the public and emergency vehicles as long as possible,” said Dave McCormick, WSDOT Assistant Regional Administrator for Maintenance and Operations. “After consulting with the Corps and reviewing elevations and inundation maps, we determined this small section may be the first under water. If we can keep this section dry for even a few hours, we can get more people to safety.”   

Drivers should be alert for lane closures on SR 167 near S. 277th  Street. for the week of Nov. 2. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Northwest/King/Construction/

Bridge repairs on SR 18
On Saturday, Nov. 7, WSDOT bridge and maintenance crews will close eastbound SR 18 over the Green River near Hatchery Park from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. to reinforce a bridge pier. While the bridge is in no immediate danger, a large flow of water and debris could jeopardize the pier’s stability. During the closure, crews will install 50 yards of rock to strengthen the pier footing. A preliminary estimate puts the cost at less than $100,000.

Protecting signal cabinets
In the coming weeks, WSDOT signals crews start work on a plan to protect signals cabinets against possible flooding. The cabinets contain the power supply and electronics for everything that make our highways smart, such as traffic cameras, ramp meters, overhead freeway signs, signals, HOT lanes, and the in-road sensors that show freeway congestion on our colored online traffic maps. www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/

There are more than two dozen cabinets in the Green River Valley that could be damaged and crews will spend the next several weeks working to protect these boxes. Drivers will likely notice the work when this happens.

WSDOT continues to support our neighbor agencies in many other ways, though most are not visible by drivers on the state highways. WSDOT is coordinating with multiple agencies on evacuation plans, life-safety plans, traffic control plans, freight mobility plans and communications plans.

For more information about WSDOT’s Green River plan, go to: www.wsdot.wa.gov/northwest/greenriver/

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