Date:  Saturday, August 21, 2010

Contact: Jeff Switzer, SR 520 Communications, 206-770-3547, 206-819-7230 (cell)
What’s happening in the next 24 hours: www.wsdot.wa.gov/construction/2010/today.htm

Smarter Highways, construction and tolls coming for drivers

SEATTLE – Drivers who use the State Route 520 floating bridge will see major changes this fall as the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) takes key steps to make the highway safer and more reliable.

This fall, new high-tech Smarter Highways signs will alert drivers when collisions occur and congestion starts to build in the SR 520 corridor. Next year, WSDOT starts highway construction on the Eastside and toll collections on the floating bridge. Electronic tolling will further smooth out traffic and help fund a replacement for the aging bridge.

WSDOT leaders and state legislators today discussed the coming changes as they toured the SR 520 floating bridge. The bridge is closed until 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 23, for annual maintenance and inspections to make sure it is ready for winter weather.

“Our maintenance crews work to continue to keep this bridge safe for traffic until the new SR 520 floating bridge opens in 2014,” Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said. “We are making great strides to meet that goal, and construction is just around the corner.”

Next year, WSDOT is scheduled to begin building pontoons in Grays Harbor for the new bridge, start construction on Eastside highway, interchange and HOV improvements, and hire a contractor to build a new floating bridge across Lake Washington.

“These projects are funded and will help make this highway safer and more reliable,” Hammond said.

Also during today’s tour, WSDOT leaders and state legislators honored transportation leader Aubrey Davis for his past efforts on SR 520 improvements, as well as his work with the state Transportation Commission and regional mass transit improvements spanning several decades.

“We’re here today, preparing for construction of a new floating bridge, because of Aubrey Davis’ leadership,” Hammond said. “Aubrey guided years of debate over the future of the 520 corridor, and this spring we marked a 13-year milestone by announcing our preferred alternative. He deserves our praise and our thanks for his commitment to improving transportation in the Puget Sound region.”

Photos from the bridge tour are posted on the WSDOT Flickr site.

Upcoming milestones on SR 520

Smarter Highways

High-tech Smarter Highways signs are scheduled to be activated in the SR 520 corridor this fall. The electronic signs will provide real-time traffic information, variable speed limits and lane status indicators to alert drivers of approaching congestion, collisions and blocked lanes. The technology is proven to reduce the number of rear-end collisions that cause at least 25 percent of traffic congestion on busy highways. Similar signs were activated for the first time in Washington state Aug. 10 on northbound I-5 in south Seattle.

Construction

Construction is just around the corner for three projects to improve SR 520.

• Pontoon Construction Project: 33 floating bridge pontoons are planned to be built in Grays Harbor as part of a $367 million contract.
• Eastside Transit and HOV Project: WSDOT plans to hire a team of designers and contractors by the end of the year to build the transit and HOV project that will improve trips for carpools and bus riders from Medina to Bellevue. The Eastside project is estimated to be valued at $325 million to $425 million.
• Floating bridge project: WSDOT has launched its search for a team of designers and contractors to design and build the new SR 520 floating bridge, a project estimated to be valued at $700 million to $900 million.

Toll collections

Automatic tolling starts on the SR 520 floating bridge in spring 2011, and now is the time for drivers to sign up to receive information online at www.wsdot.wa.gov/goodtogo.

The Legislature set the SR 520 program budget at $4.65 billion for improvements from I-5 in Seattle to SR 202 in Redmond. Toll revenue and state and federal funds provide about $2.37 billion for the SR 520 improvements. WSDOT will continue working with the state Legislature to identify additional funding for other improvements in the corridor. For more information about the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program, visit the program website at www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR520Bridge.

More information also is available online about Good To Go! electronic tolling and Smarter Highways signs planned in the SR 520 corridor.

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