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Project Title & Location
SR 539 - Ten Mile Road to Badger Road Widening
MP 6.13 to MP 12.54
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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.
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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. Due to funding constraints the actual limits of this improvement will be Tenmile Road to the southerly limits of the City of Lynden, MP 10.45.
This contract was awarded to Max J Kuney Const. on February 19, 2008 in the amount of $53,986,541.95, 2.3% under the engineers estimate.
Most substructure work has been completed and bridge deck pours have commenced. Erection of the truss structure at the Nooksack River should start in late April, 2009.
Construction of the new lanes has been ongoing. Roundabout construction started in early April of 2009 and the first two of the four roundabouts should be open by late May.
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.
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Environmental Impacts / Compliance
All Environmental Permits were obtained by December 2007.
NEPA Re-evaluation signed by FHWA in May 2007.
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).
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Impacts to Traffic
One lane of traffic will be maintained during daytime hours. During nighttime work short duration lane closures may be required.
Closure of County Road intersections has commenced. These will last up to 20 days and are to facilitate the construction of the new intersections.
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