Project Facts
- The US Highway 12 Coalition has secured $11.2 million in Federal funding for this corridor.
- This phase builds approximately eight miles of four lane highway.
- This project includes constructing an overpass and ramps at the Pine Street/Myra Road/SR 125 Interchange.
August 2008
• Visit our booth at the fairs shown below to find out more about WSDOT projects.
Benton County Fair (August 19 - August 23)
Kittitas County Fair (August 28 - Sept. 1)
Central Washington State fair (Sept. 26 - Oct. 5)
• The detour for US 12 at Pine Street is complete and work has began on the
new interchange. The contractor has hauled over 900,000 cubic yards of material to build up the road for the new interchange. Culvert pipes are being installed throughout the eight mile project so the rest of the material for the roadway can be placed.
• A Celebration of Progress was held June 3rd.
• Construction began in March 2008 and should be completed in fall 2009.
Why is WSDOT
widening US 12?
This project is part of a corridor plan to widen US 12 from the Snake River Bridge (SR 124) to the City of Walla Walla. This project will improve safety, decrease congestion, and enhance economic vitality.
The End Result
US 12 will be constructed as a four-lane divided highway. This section of the US 12 corridor improvement will construct approximately eight miles of new highway. WSDOT will construct four channelized intersections and an overpass with ramps at Pine Street. The project includes roundabouts for the intersections of the US 12 ramps and the crossroad at the Pine Street overpass.
Project Benefits
- Safety. By constructing a divided four-lane highway, WSDOT is providing a safer roadway for travelers. The new highway will provide channelized intersections at Vintage Loop Road, Frenchtown Road, Spaulding Road, Sudbury Road, and an interchange at Pine Street, eliminating private driveways.
- Economic Vitality. This project will decrease congestion and improve mobility, encouraging economic development.
What is the project timeline?
The construction will start in March 2008. The project is expected to be open to traffic in fall of 2009.
Public Involvement
This project was featured at Open Houses in 2001, March 2004, May 2005, and June 2006. The latest open house was held on January 9, 2008 at the Touchet School. Approximately 125 people attended the function to find out more information about this and other area projects.
Environmental Protection
In cooperation with Federal Highway Administration, WSDOT completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) for this project. Three environmental impacts were identified within the project limits: a spring in the vicinity of Pine Street Intersection, a gravesite and battle location at the Frenchtown Monument, and socio-economic impacts to wineries. Each issue was mitigated.
Please visit the WSDOT Environmental
Services Web site for more information.
Increasing safety is one of our priorities
The new four-lane divided highway limits cross traffic by reducing the number of intersections and eliminates private access points. Currently, this section of highway experiences approximately 35 accidents annually. The number of accidents is expected to decrease as a result of this project.
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.
The only identified impact to tribal resources is at the Frenchtown Monument. This monument contains both native and euro-american gravesites. WSDOT conducted studies and adjusted the project to avoid the monument and the cemetery.
WSDOT has consulted with the Yakama Nation Tribe, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) during the project design.
Financial Information
This project is funded through the following sources*:
- 2005 Transportation Partnership Package - $42.1 million
- 2003 Nickel Funding Package - $1.4 million
- Existing Funds - $13.1 million
- Total Funding Available from all sources - $56.6 million
*As approved in the 2008 Supplemental Transportation Budget.
For project schedule and updates, please see the Quarterly Project Report.
How can I get more information?
Contact:
Project Engineer, Moe Davari
WSDOT South Central Region Project Office
1655 Fowler Street
Richland, WA 99352
Phone: 509.222.2402
E-mail: DavariM@wsdot.wa.gov
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