Date:  Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Contact: Leon Winger, WSDOT Area Engineer, (360) 905-1500 (Vancouver)
Heidi Sause, WSDOT Communications, (360) 905-2057 (Vancouver)

Construction on wider roadway wraps up on time and on budget

BATTLE GROUND – Ever get caught behind an RV struggling up a hill on SR 503? A project completed today should make that experience a distant memory.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) wrapped up the $6.5 million project to improve safety and keep more than 16,000 vehicles moving smoothly each day on SR 503. WSDOT and its contractor, Rotschy Inc. of Yacolt, began construction on April 19, and they delivered the project on time and on budget.

The SR 503 Lewisville Climbing Lanes project added new lanes in both directions of SR 503 between 244th Street and 269th Street (mileposts 9.4 to 10.8). They’re called climbing lanes because they reduce collisions and backups by providing slower, heavier vehicles, such as large trucks and recreational vehicles, an additional, safe lane to travel up steep grades that can reduce their speed to less than normal traffic flow.

“This project brings an important safety improvement to the area, and construction went very smoothly,” said project engineer Leon Winger. “Our contractor executed an excellent plan of attack that allowed them to safely complete a quality job with very minimal traffic impacts.”

In addition to building climbing lanes, the project improved traffic signals and signage on SR 503, and resurfaced and restriped the highway between 244th Street and 269th Street and at Gabriel Road. The new surface provides drivers with a safer and smoother drive, preserves the road’s surface and reduces maintenance costs.

This project was funded primarily through the 2005 gas tax package. For more information, please visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR503/LewisvilleClimbingLane/.

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WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic or by dialing 5-1-1.

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