Date:  Monday, March 29, 2010

Contact: Jamie Holter, WSDOT Communications 206-440-4698

Crews replace bridges, widen roads, fix interchanges, put people to work in tight economy

MARYSVILLE – WSDOT officially kicked off the 2010 Puget Sound construction season near Marysville today in a park next to an 85-year-old, two-lane swing span bridge that will be replaced by a new taller, four-lane fixed bridge with bike and pedestrian lanes. The new bridge will be tall enough to allow boats to move below the bridge without disrupting traffic flowing above.

“A successful economy comes in many forms,” said Lorena Eng, Northwest Region Regional Administrator. “It means quicker and more consistent trips between home and work. It means alternatives for commuters who want to bike or walk. It means jobs for the hundreds of people who will build all our projects.”

The new $47 million State Route 529 Ebey Slough bridge is one of more than 65 projects under construction in the Puget Sound region this summer. Work begins this summer on the southern mile of the SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct. Also, WSDOT puts its anti-congestion Moving Washington program into high gear with the introduction of a variable speed limit and lane status sign traffic management system, Smarter Highways, on SR 520 and northbound I-5 in south Seattle.

Dozens of projects this year

Other projects expected to generate interest with drivers this summer include work on the new $183 million westbound SR 16 Nalley Valley interchange project in Tacoma; a $ 112 million reconstruction of the I-5 to SR 18/SR 161 Triangle interchange in Federal Way, and the start of construction on the SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project. Crews are expected to break ground later this summer on the $483 million project that replaces the southernmost mile of the Alaskan Way Viaduct corridor – South Holgate to King Street.

Drivers also will notice new speed limit signs on high-volume sections of I-5 south of Seattle and the SR 520 bridge. Crews have been installing high-tech overhead signs since last fall. When activated later this year, the signs will display variable speed limits, lane status and real-time traffic information so drivers know what's happening ahead. This smarter highway technology will increase roadway efficiency and help drivers travel safer and smarter.

Communication with drivers continues to be an important piece of the WSDOT construction puzzle. The latest information on traffic conditions and construction impacts can be found on-line at www.wsdot.wa.gov/.  

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