Date:  Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Contact: Mike Murphy, WSDOT Communications, 206.440.4699 (Seattle);
Aleta Borschowa, WSDOT Project Engineer, 206.768.5862 (Seattle)

New ramps to help commuters, freight and crosstown travelers

FEDERAL WAY – The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), along with local, state and national leaders, broke ground today on an interchange project in Federal Way that will cut traffic delays and collisions.

The triangle project – named for its intersection of three major routes – will completely revamp the interchange of I-5, SR 18 and SR 161. The project has been in planning for years, and with construction beginning, it is expected to be complete in 2½ years at a cost of $112.5 million.

State Sen. Tracey Eide (D-Federal Way) and Rep. Judy Clibborn (D-Mercer Island), who chairs the House Transportation Committee, supported the 2003 Nickel and 2005 Transportation Partnership Act funding packages, which provided $103 million to begin construction on phase one of a multi-phase project.

“When this phase is complete in 2013, commuters and freight haulers will have two new flyover ramps connecting I-5 and Highway 18 and new ramps to and from Federal Way’s business hub near 348th Street,” Eide said. “This will radically cut traffic delays and improve safety.”

The project has also garnered national support. For nearly a decade, the city of Federal Way has worked closely with its congressional delegation to secure funding for the triangle.

“We knew from day one that a partnership was going to be the only way to solve this,” said Federal Way Mayor Linda Kochmar. “Our congressman and senators have been wonderful to work with. They really understand the needs of this particular area.”

“I recognized this as a need more than a decade ago,” said U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-9th Congressional District). “I have put in requests for money every year and was able to get the seed money of $6.5 million by 2005.”

“This is the first phase of a multiphase project to change the way traffic moves through this area,” said Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond. The cloverleaf ramps at Highway 18 and I-5 were built in the 1960’s, and they haven’t been updated significantly for more than 45 years.

Triangle project saves valuable time
I-5, Highway 18 (S. 348th Street) and Highway 161 (Enchanted Parkway) nearly come together in the triangle. Currently, drivers use loop ramps to transition from one freeway to the other. This is especially difficult for the 3,500 trucks that travel eastbound Highway 18 to I-5 every day.

“Like clockwork every afternoon, freight haulers come to a stop and crawl from one freeway to another,” said Jim Tutton, vice president of the Washington State Trucking Association. “Time is money, and the freight on our trucks keeps this economy moving.”

It’s no picnic for everyday commuters, either.

“I wait two or three light cycles to get onto I-5 or across I-5 to Enchanted Parkway,” said Kelly Robertson, a swim coach at King County Aquatic Center. “Because this is a big business hub, it can be very frustrating.”

Project details

The triangle project addresses congestion from all angles:

• Crews will build a new flyover ramp from Highway 18 to I-5, the Auburn-to-Tacoma connection
• They will also build a new flyover ramp from Highway 18 to I-5, the Federal Way-to-Seattle connection and add a new exit ramp from Highway 18 to Enchanted Parkway, the Auburn-to-Federal Way connection south of current exits.
• Truck drivers will be able to roll through without stopping to weigh in with a new electronic weigh-in-motion station on southbound I-5 in Federal Way.
• New retaining walls, stormwater-detention ponds and other work will protect 22 wetland sites and make the project possible without upsetting the natural environment. 
• By developing an additional 3.5-acre wetland-mitigation site southwest of the project zone, WSDOT is reducing the affect of transportation on the triangle-area’s natural surroundings.

Traffic information

WSDOT and contractor Mowat Construction Co. will work together to keep traffic moving during construction. To minimize traffic congestion, most of the work will occur behind barriers and out of travel lanes. Crews will build and shift traffic when work is complete.

A project hotline at 206-440-4900 is available for community members and drivers to hear the latest construction and traffic information or to leave a message for a timely response.

For more information about the project visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/i5/sr18sr161ic/  

< Go Back