WSDOT worked closely with communities in Kitsap, Jefferson and Clallam counties to ensure residents, businesses and services would continue to thrive during the six-week closure that began May 1, 2009.
Getting information to residents and businesses
News
To stay up-to-date on project information, public events, maintenance closures and construction milestones, community members can sign up for the Hood Canal Bridge e-mail updates list.
The News section on the Web site provides the latest press releases and fact sheets with specific project information.
Construction Progress
Communicating the project's construction progress helps everyone involved understand the project. We regularly hand out printed materials and bring displays with project information to community venues.
Monthly Reports
The communications team of the Hood Canal Bridge Project office prepares and distributes a Monthly Status Report. This report contains:
- Feature article about construction methods or materials
- Timeline of the project including updates on each work area
- Project schedule with the percent of work completed
- Budget/expenditure information
- Feature article about a Hood Canal Bridge Project Team member
Upcoming Community Presentations
Hood Canal Bridge Project staff are available to give presentations to public and private organizations. To schedule a WSDOT project update for your group or organization, contact the Hood Canal Bridge Project Office at 253-305-6425.
2009 Closure Mitigation
When WSDOT determined that the Hood Canal Bridge east-half would need to be replaced, we also decided that a complete plan to help drivers during the resulting six-week closure would be necessary.
In 1997, community outreach began to determine public opinion about how to lessen the effects of the six-week closure in 2009. This data is being used to plan and prepare drivers for the closure – to learn more, check out the Closure Mitigation Plan.
WSDOT is working with local elected officials, transit agencies, Washington State Ferries, local health care and emergency services organizations and economic development groups on the design phase of closure mitigation. In addition, valuable information is being shared in these groups for public outreach opportunities. Currently the Hood Canal Bridge team is sharing closure mitigation information at presentations, tours and through 2009 Closure pages on this Web site.
Gathering public input
Hearing from community members and drivers help the project team address the needs of citizens for the project. Periodic opinion surveys are a useful, accurate way to determine how bridges users and communities feel about the work on the bridge and how they want to be informed.
Public Opinion Research
Public opinion research is an important component of any effective public outreach program. With a baseline survey of public opinion, the best strategies can be determined for targeting community needs. Regular updates to the survey will serve as a road map for communication efforts.
- In 2001, WSDOT conducted a survey to determine public demand for four alternate transportation options that could be used during the Hood Canal Bridge six-week closure. Approximately 22,000 surveys were mailed to bridge users and an on-line survey was posted on the WSDOT Web page. Here are the results of that survey. (PDF 233 KB).
- A 2003 public opinion survey (PDF 189 KB) was conducted to understand attitudes and knowledge about the bridge project and the best way to communicate to drivers about the bridge.
- Two, three-day bridge closures were required to replace the approach spans at both ends of the bridge in the summer of 2005.
- In the spring, we asked bridge users when the closures would best work for their schedule. Here are the results of that survey. (PDF 868 KB).
- In 2008, WSDOT surveyed nearly 4,000 respondents to determine which water shuttle route they prefered during the bridge's May-June 2009 closure. Here are the results of that survey. (PDF 158 KB).
Contact Us
For more information about 2009 Closure public outreach contact:
orfeedback@wsdot.wa.gov or 253-305-6400.