Date:  Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Contact: Dave Chesson, WSDOT Communications, 360-661-7829 (Burlington)
Robyn Boyd, Project Engineer, 425-225-8754 (Everett)

Drivers and pedestrians enjoy new lanes, bridge, sidewalks and sculptures on SR 532.

STANWOOD –It might not come with a giant red bow, but Stanwood-Camano residents will get a big present just in time for the holidays. The last of the major construction work in downtown Stanwood will wrap up this week.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) have completed the final sections of new sidewalk in downtown Stanwood and installed four sculptures on the new bridge between Stanwood and Camano Island. Paving was completed in late October, between fall showers that often left crews hustling to reschedule work. The project will help improve traffic flow, while providing a safer bridge and highway, benefiting both drivers and the local economy.

“We would like to thank the community for their support and patience during the past two years, and for helping to keep this a safe work zone, for themselves and our crews,” said WSDOT project engineer Robyn Boyd. “With their help, we were able to complete the project safely, ahead of schedule and on budget.”

As part of this $84 million 2005-gas tax funded project, crews:

• added three truck climbing lanes,
• improved intersections,
• added sidewalks and curbing in downtown Stanwood,
• built a new bridge over the Stillaguamish River to Camano Island.

The new, wider bridge was built within three feet of the old bridge, a method that reduced delays for the 20,000 daily drivers who used the old bridge during construction.

Now that major construction is complete, crews will turn their attention to minor cleanup and planting tasks during the winter and possibly into next spring. Crews will mainly work off the road, but drivers should still use caution through the construction zone.

Construction of this $84 million safety-improvement project began in June 2009 and was funded primarily by the 2005 Transportation Partnership Program (TPA) gas tax. Pictures of the bridge construction and sculpture installation can be found at: www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157622044469081/with/4688029957/.

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