This photo is looking north at Military Road - the northbound I-5 bridge is at the top right. Crews are pouring concrete for one of the supports for the additional bridge width.
In the foreground, workers are forming grout pads on top of the median S. 317th bridge support (you can see the other bridge support in the background). The bridge girders will rest on the grout pads. Crews will set the bridge girders in February.
Last month we began steps to rehabilitate the northbound I-5 pavement near S. 320th Street. The technique, called dowel bar retrofit, involves placing dowel bars in slots between the concrete pavement panels. The bars help transfer the weight of vehicles more efficiently from one concrete panel to the next and reduce wear and tear on the pavement.
Crews lay down the first layer of new pavement on southbound I-5 near S. 320th Street as traffic flows by on the temporary roadway to the right.
We're widening the I-5 bridge over Military Road so we can extend the I-5 carpool lanes further south. This photo looks south at the excavation area - that's Military Road at the bottom. In the foreground is the shaft for one of the four new bridge supports.
This is the sensor on the paving machine that follows the grade lines (see photo and caption below).
Grade lines on southbound I-5. Workers set lengths of string at an appropriate elevation and pull them taut, and a sensor on the paving machine uses these lines to control the grade of the asphalt. The sensor accounts for any dips or bumps on the ground so the pavement surface comes out nice and smooth.
On the right side of this photo is the west abutment for the new S. 317th Street bridge. Crews have finished the walls running north and south of the abutment, and are now working on the adjoining walls that will support the approach to the bridge from the new Federal Way Transit Center.
A crew member works on the foundation for one of the walls behind the S. 317th bridge’s west abutment. After the walls are in place, we’ll backfill this area and construct the bridge approach.
Crews are excavating to build a retaining wall on the left side of the southbound I-5 exit ramp to S. 320th Street. You can see traffic using the ramp beyond the piles and plates that shore up the side of the excavation.
Crews are installing components of the temporary lighting system along the southbound I-5 exit ramp to S. 320th Street. The temporary lights are mounted on wooden poles (like the one next to the truck in this photo) instead of metal poles.
A worker unpacks and assembles a light for the temporary lighting system. It takes many weeks to order and fabricate the permanent fixtures to the exact specifications required, so we're using temporary fixtures in the meantime.
Last month we started building the retaining wall north of the median bridge support at South 317th. Now we've started on the retaining wall south of this bridge support. This photo shows the excavation and forms for the south retaining wall foundation.
Crews working for Sound Transit are building the second level of the new five-level Federal Way Transit Center. The new transit center will have 1200 parking stalls and is scheduled to open in February 2006.
We're using various methods to protect the environment during construction. Here workers have placed jute matting - a sort of blanket made from strong, coarse fiber that prevents the slope from eroding.
Another way we're protecting the environment while we're building this project is by using check dams. These are foam devices that contain runoff and allow sediment to settle out.
We've installed inserts in catch basins in the project area. The insert is like a sock - it allows water to pass through, but keeps other material from getting into the environment.