•  2003 Project Highlights
•  Evaluation Criteria

I-405 - SR 167, Interchange Modification

King County

Design: Construction Management: Schedule: Cost: Engineers Estimate: $5,245,199 Contract Award Amount: $5,200,000 Estimated cost for completion: $7,100,000 Numerous design errors left the project over budget and behind schedule. These types of errors could be avoided in the future with more thorough investigation and better plan review. The project opened to traffic eight months late.

The project is located in Renton, at the junction of Interstate 405 and State Route 167. A new bridge was constructed to take southbound I-405 traffic directly to southbound SR 167. Before the new bridge was built, drivers moving from southbound I-405 to southbound SR 167 had to weave through traffic moving from northbound SR 167 to southbound I-405. This created significant traffic delays and increased accident risk. There are fewer traffic delays in this area since the new bridge opened to traffic in April 2003. In addition to building the new bridge, construction crews built an innovative, state-of-the-art pond to treat storm water before it's returned to a nearby stream.

Construction Summary

This project proceeded as planned with a significant exception: the project was revised to separate southbound I-405 off ramps to SR 167. The original design included one exit from southbound I-405 to both northbound and southbound SR 167. Southbound I-405 drivers used separate northbound and southbound ramps to connect to SR 167 during construction. This change improved the flow of traffic on southbound
I-405 significantly, so the final design was revised to make the change permanent.

This project opened to traffic in April 2003, eight months later than planned, and exceeded the original $5.2 million budget by $1.9 million. Delays and cost increases resulted from design errors, extensive efforts to manage storm water runoff during construction, the decision to realign the off-ramps, and change orders required to address construction issues.

Design errors resulted from uncertainty about whether or not this project would move forward. Between 1998 and 2001 funding for this project was uncertain. A more comprehensive interchange at this site was proposed and may be built, but remains unscheduled and unfunded. Meanwhile, this project was repeatedly started and delayed, with the design being reworked by many different staff teams and, when funding was finally available, review time was cut short to get work started on the project quickly. These led to significant design errors and cost increases, including construction conflicts with existing drainage facilities and utilities, an omitted bid item for rock excavation, and ambiguous specifications.

Teamwork between WSDOT and contractor Max J. Kuney Company was good. While public communications on this project were largely timely and accurate, in October 2001 the first major lane realignment wasn't adequately publicized. Traffic remained heavy until drivers adjusted to the new alignment.

Contractor:
Max J. Kuney Company, Spokane

WSDOT Contact:
Ingo Goller, Project Engineer
Phone: 253-872-2958
E-mail: goller@wsdot.wa.gov

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