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SR 500, NE 124th Avenue Intersection - Safety Improvements

Schedule: Good The contractor was given 15 working days to complete construction and finished in 14.5 days. Cost: Good Engineer's estimate: $86,664 Contractor's bid amount: $100,429 Final payment: $86,523 The variance in the engineer’s estimate can be attributed to a higher than anticipated cost for the illumination system. The difference between the bid amount and the final payment can be attributed to an underrun in the amount of curbing installed and traffic control needed.

The SR 500 and NE 124th Avenue intersection east of Vancouver is on WSDOT's list of high accident locations. An investigation revealed that the majority of collisions at the intersection were related to left-turn movements to and from SR 500 and NE 124th Avenue, and rear-end type collisions with vehicles on eastbound SR 500. Originally the project was designed for a $250,000 traffic signal installation, but was re-evaluated after engineers realized that few vehicles made left turns at the intersection in comparison to the number of vehicles that traveled straight through.

Three public meetings were held to develop alternative solutions that created as little adverse impact to the neighborhood as possible. This project was the first of two stages and included installation of a raised curb to prevent left turns to and from eastbound SR 500 and NE 124th Avenue, installation of a left-turn lane from westbound SR 500 onto NE 123rd Avenue, and installation of additional lighting. The revised project design reduced the total estimated project cost by $150,000, addressed the serious safety concerns at the intersection and maintained mobility on the SR 500 corridor.

Stage 2 improvements will be constructed by Clark County and will provide a more direct alternate route for those who used to make left turns at the intersection.

Contractor: Mill Plain Electric, Inc

Contact: Chuck Ruhsenberger, Project Engineer
Phone: 360-759-1310

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