SR 539 - Horton Road to Ten Mile Road Widening

Quarterly Project Report Update for Quarter Ending December 2006

Project Title & Location
SR 539: Horton Road to Ten Mile Road Widening
MP 1.67 to MP 6.26

Project Description
Widening Guide Meridian Road to five lanes will increase safety and traffic capacity along this heavily-traveled traffic corridor. This widening work will also provide an additional lane of traffic in each direction along a major freight corridor between Bellingham and Aldergrove, British Columbia.

Contractor/Consultant
KPFF is the primary design consultant

Recent Progress

Necessary property acquisition is complete.  Minor relocations still remain and should be completed shortly.  

This project was originally scheduled to be constructed in two phases.  Delays in acquiring a wetland mitigation site has pushed this project back into one contract.  Restoration and replacement of impacted environmental elements are a permitting requirement of this project.  Recent updates have caused us to seek a new site(s) where this restoration can occur.

The plans for this contract are being finalized and is scheduled to be advertised for bidding in January of 2007.

A Value Engineering Study/Cost Risk Assesment was completed in May 2006 for this project.  This study assisted in incorporating changes so that the scope of the work would meet the allocated budget for this project.

Design Construction Impacts

Recent inflationary trends in the construction industry and prices being seen in this area indicate that it is critical that we meet our target dates in order to be within the budget allocation for this project.

Environmental Impacts / Compliance

This project will provide storm water detention and treatment ponds.  New wetlands will also be constructed to mitigate for impacts during construction.

Environmental permitting for the entire project is complete.  Environmental issues and new wetlands discovered in the wetland redelineation completed in late 2004 have pushed the projected advertisement date out from the originally scheduled April 2005.

Impacts to Traffic

Staged construction will minimize traffic impacts.  During construction, one lane of traffic in each direction will be open at all times. Detour routes will be provided when side roads are closed. 

Lowering the speed limit to 35 mph during construction is being investigated in order to provide for the safety of the traveling public and the work crews in the narrow corridor.
Project Milestones Scheduled Attained Milestone Outlook
Begin PE   June 1999
Right of Way Certification  January 2007    
Environmental Documentation February 1995 June 2006  The wetland delineation done in 1998 was updated in fall 2004, with the number of wetlands within the project limits approximately doubling.  This required reworking environmental permit applications, delaying submittal of the applications until January 2006.
Contract Advertisement December 2006

The Value Engineering Study recommended a December 18, 2006 advertisement rather than February of 2007.  Inability to finalize uitility relcocations have moved this to January 8, 2007.
Open to Traffic Fall 2008 Planning for two construction seasons to build this project.
Project Cost Summary: Dollars in
millions 		Percent
of Total

Planned vs. Actual Expenditures
(Total Project Cost)
Project Expenditure Chart

Preliminary Engineering $6.96 13.2%
Right-of-Way $12.59 23.9%
Construction $33.09 62.9%
Funded Project Costs $52.64 100%

Nickel funds included in above costs

 $0.00 0%

2005 Transportation Partnership Account

  For more information, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects

Chris Damitio P.E., WSDOT Project Engineer @ (360) 788-7400 or E-mail: damitic@wsdot.wa.gov

Project Cost Summary reflects the March 2006 Approved Legislative Supplemental Budget