Project Title & Location
SR 539 - Ten Mile Road to Badger Road Widening
MP 6.13 to MP 12.54

Project Description
Widening Guide Meridian Road to four 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 design consultant

Recent Progress

This section of SR 539 is being designed for 2 lanes in each direction with cable barrier in the median. Roundabouts will be constructed at Tenmile Rd, SR 544 (Pole Road), Wiser Lake Rd, River Rd and SR 546 (Badger Road). New structures will be constructed at Wiser Lake, South Overflow, Nooksack River, North Overflow and Fishtrap Creek.

The 90% project plans, specifications and estimate were submitted in May 2007. Obtaining the environmental permits continues to be the most significant schedule risk. Submittal of the permit application was delayed until April of 2007 due to difficulties in identifying and acquiring mitigation site property.

The recently available geotechnical recommendations indicate very poor soils; WSDOT’s Bridge Office is working closely with the Design Office and the consultant to refine the Nooksack Bridge foundation configuration in order to provide a final design which clear-spans the river, to protect environmentally sensitive areas, while minimizing settlement issues stemming from poor soils.

A second Cost Risk Assessment (CRA)/Value Engineering (VE) Study was done at the 60% design phase, March of 2007. The objectives of this second workshop were to validate the construction estimate and take a critical look at the project risks. Rising material costs continue to be the most significant risk to the construction estimate. The VE Team was comfortable with the construction estimate and didn’t identify any major risks that weren’t already being monitored by the Project Office. A major cost saving recommendation made during the workshop that has been implemented, is substituting asphalt for concrete panels at the roundabouts.

The results of an August 2005 CRA estimated that the project was $25 million short of being able to construct the entire corridor (Ten Mile Rd to SR 546). This shortfall required the project be broken into two stages. Stage 1 extends from Ten Mile Rd to Bay-Lyn Drive and is fully funded. Stage 2 extends from Bay-Lyn Drive to SR 546. The design for this stage was stopped at the 60% level. There is currently no funding to complete final design, right-of-way, or construction.

Right-of-way (ROW) acquisition for Stage 1 is 80% complete. ROW acquisitions for the northern section (Stage 2) are waiting additional funding.

Design Construction Impacts

While funding has been transferred to allow Stage 1 ROW acquisition to continue without further delay, it will still be a challenge to acquire all of the project ROW for Stage 1. The Department's Real Estate Office is projecting a completion date of November 2007 for the acquisition of all needed property for the construction of Stage 1, Tenmile Road to Lynden.

With the lack of funding for Stage 2 the earliest any construction could start on this section is Spring of 2010 due to the time needed to acquire right of way and relocate utilities.

Environmental Impacts / Compliance

Environmental Permit Applications submitted in April 2007. Typical review periods will delay the Advertisement Date.

NEPA Re-evaluation signed by FHWA in May 2007.

We continue to work closely with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and National Parks Service regarding the 6(f) conversion.

Environmental documents obtained to date: EA w/4(f) (9/98), FONSI (4/99), SEPA adoption (5/99), BA concurrence (10/06), SEPA DNS (12/06).

Impacts to Traffic
We are currently developing alternative ways to stage construction so that there will be fewer lane closures and smaller delays on traffic during construction. It is planned that at minimum one lane in each direction will be provided during daylight hours.

Nighttime closures of SR 539 are being investigated with traffic being rerouted to county roads.

Planned vs. Actual Expenditures
(Total Project Cost)

Nickel funds included in above costs

2005 Transportation Partnership Account