Project Facts
- The Washington state Legislature allocated funding for this project in 2003.
- 4.4 miles of State Route 539 will be widened to four lanes between Ten Mile Road and Bay-Lyn Drive.
- Construction will be complete in 2009.
May 2008
- Crews are currently installing high-visibility fencing, constructing access driveways and driving pilings for the new Nooksack River bridge.
- We awarded this project to Max J. Kuney Company for their bid of $53.9 million. Construction has already begun.
- Would you like Whatcom County highway information sent directly to your inbox? Sign up for e-mail updates and we'll keep you posted on upcoming lane closures, delays and construction projects that may affect your commute or neighborhood.
Overview
We will transform Guide Meridian (SR 539) from a narrow two-lane roadway to a wider and safer four-lane highway between Ten Mile Road and Lynden. We also will divide the highway with a median and cable barrier, and we will build four roundabouts at key intersections to further improve safety.
Why is WSDOT
widening and dividing Guide Meridian?
Approximately 20,000 drivers use Guide Meridian on a daily basis south of Lynden. The highway is a popular freight route for semitrucks, too. When it first was built, the two-lane Guide Meridian adequately served the needs of drivers. But traffic has exceeded the limits of the highway. Drivers routinely experience congestion and delay. We will widen the highway and incorporate safety features to help improve safety and mobility for drivers.
The End Result
The highway will be significantly different and vastly improved when we're finished with construction. There will be two lanes in each direction, providing more room for drivers. Four key intersections will have new roundabouts to help foster a safe and continuous flow of traffic, and the northbound and southbound lanes will be divided by a median with cable barrier to help prevent deadly crossover collisions. In all, more than four miles of Guide Meridian will be transformed from a narrow two-lane roadway with minimal shoulders to a wider and safer four-lane highway.
Project Benefits
- Roundabouts - Roundabouts are an innovative, efficient and cost effective solution for improving safety and traffic flow at highway intersections. The four roundabouts will allow traffic to flow more freely on both county roads and Guide Meridian, helping relieve congestion and improve safety. Roundabouts dramatically reduce serious crashes.
- Bridges - we will build a new bridge over the Nooksack River, next to the existing bridge, and we will widen or replace the Wiser Lake, Fishtrap Creek and Floodway bridges.
- Environment - we will create new wetlands to replace those lost during construction. We also will install new stormwater collection and treatment systems to clean up and filter water that runs off the highway.
What is the project timeline?
- Spring 2008 - start construction.
- Feb. 19, 2008 - We awarded this project to Max J. Kuney Company.
- Dec. 17, 2007 - We advertised this project to contractors.
- Summer 2007 - move utilities away from the roadway (i.e., water, sewer, power)
- August 2006 - Commercial drivers tried out a temporary roundabout built to the exact measurements of the future Guide Meridian roundabout. They drove large trucks, buses and farm equipment through the roundabout. Their reactions and the results were surprising.
- April 2006 - awarded Phase 1 of this project to American Construction. Last summer, we worked with the company to drive test pilings into the banks of the Nooksack River. The test pilings will help us accurately design and estimate the cost of the new Nooksack River Bridge.
- Spring 2003 - funding became available for this project.
Public Involvement
Your thoughts and opinions are important to us. Multiple open houses have previously been held for the public to attend on April 4, 1997, December 11, 1997, Jan. 29, 1998, Oct. 29, 1998, Sept. 14, 2004, Feb. 16, 2005, July 20, 2005, and July 21, 2005. As the construction date draws near, additional informational open houses will be held. Contact the project design office for more details on project involvement.
Environmental Protection
WSDOT makes every effort to assess and minimize environmental impact from our projects. During project design, WSDOT will work to reduce the impact to wetlands, creeks and rivers in the project area. A detailed analysis of the project's environmental impacts will be completed and, if necessary, an appropriate plan for mitigation of impacts will be developed and documented as part of the environmental documentation and environmental permitting processes.
This project will provide a stormwater collection and treatment system, roadside planting, and new wetlands. Water quality and detention ponds will be constructed to clean up the stormwater runoff.
Please visit the WSDOT Environmental
Services Web site for more information.
Increasing safety is one of our priorities
When construction is complete the highway will be safer. Motorists will be able to see further ahead at hills and dips, and wider shoulders will provide room for emergency stops and allow mail delivery to occur out of the way of traffic.
Roundabouts will reduce the number and severity of accidents at intersections, provide an easy and safe way for drivers to turn around, and improve the flow of traffic.
Will this project impact tribal resources?
At WSDOT we seek to address the concerns of the tribal nations using the process outlined in Section 106 of The National Historic Preservation Act and the WSDOT Tribal Consultation Policy adopted in 2003 by the Transportation Commission as part of the WSDOT Centennial Accord Plan.
Formal consultation with the tribes has not started yet. The Lummi and Nooksack tribes will be consulted when the cultural resource survey is updated.
Financial Information
This project is funded through the following fund sources:
- 2003 gas tax (Nickel Funding) - $105.2 million
- Existing funds - $1.5 million
- Total funding available from all sources - $106.7 million
For project schedule and updates, please see the
Quarterly Project Report.
How can I get more information?
Contact:
Project Engineer Chris Damitio
WSDOT Bellingham Project Office
460 Stuart Road
Bellingham, WA 98226
Phone: 360-788-7400
E-mail: DamitiC@wsdot.wa.gov
Communications Dustin Terpening
WSDOT Mt. Baker Headquarters
1043 Goldenrod Road, Suite 101
Burlington, WA 98233
Phone: 360-757-5997
E-mail: TerpeniD@wsdot.wa.gov
Whatcom County highway e-mail updates
Sign up to receive e-mail updates directly to your inbox - www.wsdot.wa.gov/northwest/emailupdates.
back to top