Date:  Friday, September 09, 2011

Contact: Meagan McFadden, WSDOT communications, 509-577-1618
Will Smith, WSDOT project engineer, 509-577-1840

HYAK – For the last year, construction crews have been transforming a 50-year-old stretch of Interstate 90, east of Snoqualmie Pass, into a modern, wider and safer transportation corridor. And now, even more improvements are set to begin this month that will improve an additional two miles of I-90.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) awarded Guy F. Atkinson, LLC (Renton) the contract for the $236 million I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East – Snowshed to Keechelus Dam Project.

“We’re expanding upon improvements we started last year, and are improving the most vital east-west transportation corridor in the state,” said Don Whitehouse, WSDOT regional administrator. “These improvements will make I-90 much more reliable, and that’s crucial to our economy.”

For this portion of the project, which improves the highway between the Keechelus Lake Snowshed (milepost 58) and Keechelus Dam (milepost 60), crews will:
• Construct six new lanes, three lanes in each direction
• Replace bridges and culverts
• Stabilize rock slopes
• Demolish and replace the snowshed

On Wednesday night, Sept. 14 and Thursday night, Sept. 15, from 8 p.m. to 11 a.m., drivers may experience minor delays associated with single lane eastbound closures from milepost 58 to milepost 60. Crews are moving barrier to start work on the new lanes and bridges near Resort Creek.

This construction work will take six years to complete because of the short construction seasons on Snoqualmie Pass. The estimated completion date is summer 2017.

Atkinson’s contract continues the work that WSDOT and Max J. Kuney Co. (Spokane) began in spring 2010 between Hyak (milepost 55) and the snowshed (milepost 58).

WSDOT received funding from the 2005 gas tax to design and construct the first five miles of the 15-mile I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Corridor project. Total current funding is $551 million. Improvements to the I-90 corridor continue as WSDOT uses project savings to begin design of the next two miles, as directed in the 2011 Transportation Budget.

For more information on other projects on I-90 east of Snoqualmie pass please visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/i90/whatshappening.

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