Project Facts
- The Port of Walla Walla and the U.S. Highway 12 Coalition have lobbied actively for the four-laning of US 12.
- This project consolidated highway accesses to provide a safer roadway.
- Approximately 10,000 trucks enter and leave Boise Cascade's paper mill each year.
• WSDOT and the U.S. 12 Coalition celebrated the completion of this project with a ribbon cutting on October 18, 2007.
• This project was completed on budget and ahead of schedule.
• WSDOT and Apollo Inc. phased the project work to minimize impacts to US 12 travelers. They also worked closely with Boise Cascade to minimize impacts to their facility.
This project is the third of four projects that will widen US 12 from two to four lanes from SR 124 to Wallula. This particular project widened and added lanes from Dodd Road to the vicinity of Boise Cascade's paper mill.
Why is WSDOT
widening US 12?
Constructing a four-lane divided highway will reduce congestion and intersection related accidents. The average daily traffic on this route ranges from 7,000 to 13,000 vehicles. As many as 33% of the vehicles are heavy trucks. Over ten million tons of cargo travel this section of US 12 each year. Slow moving trucks and recreational vehicles impede the flow of traffic on this two-lane facility.
The End Result
This phase three project provided a four-lane divided highway from near Dodd Road through the Boise Cascade paper mill, just past Boise's truck center. WSDOT improved safety by consolidating access within the project limits to two channelized intersections.
Project Benefits
- Safety. Providing a four-lane divided highway greatly enhances safety for this corridor. Opposite direction traffic will be separated by a median or concrete barrier. Access to US 12 will be limited to channelized intersections.
- Congestion Relief. WSDOT’s computer modeling estimates there will be at least one hour each day of heavily congested conditions between Tri-Cities and Wallula by the year 2020. By comparison, if the project were built, we would see no measurable congestion through 2020. To learn more about WSDOT's congestion relief efforts visit the WSDOT Congestion Relief site.
- Environment. WSDOT completed an environmental assessment for the SR 124 to Wallula corridor to identify the potential impacts to the natural and human communities. Several strong partnerships were developed with state and federal agencies in order to address the substantial environmental challenges of this corridor improvement project.
What is the project timeline?
Design of this project was completed in December 2005. Construction began in July 2006 and the new lanes were opened to traffic in September 2007.
Public Involvement
Two informational open houses were held in Burbank and Walla Walla on March 29 and 30 2004, with record public turn-out. Displays of preliminary designs and other information were shared.
• WSDOT and the US Highway 12 Coalition hosted an Open House to celebrate progress on the US 12 corridor projects on May 11, 2005 in Burbank and May 12, 2005 in Walla Walla.
Your thoughts and opinions are important to us. Contact the project construction office for more details on project involvement.
Environmental Protection
WSDOT makes every effort to assess and minimize environmental impacts from our projects. Best Management Practices will be used to keep impacts from construction to a minimum. Environmental mitigation for the four phases of the four-laning was constructed on McNary to Attalia. Cultural resources and noise will be re-evaluated as part of the project level environmental analysis.
Please visit the WSDOT Environmental
Services Web site for more information.
Increasing safety is one of our priorities
Improving US 12 to provide a four-lane divided highway with controlled access will greatly increase safety for the corridor. The additional lanes improve maneuverability, and separating opposing traffic greatly reduces possible conflicts.
Will this project impact tribal resources?
WSDOT works closely with tribal officials to identify and minimize adverse impacts to areas of cultural, archeological or anthropological significance. When applicable, we address any 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.
For this twelve mile US 12 corridor, WSDOT consulted with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, the Yakama Nation, the Wanapum Tribe, and the Nez Perce Tribe, through the formal consultation process of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. For more information visit our WSDOT Tribal Liaison Web site.
Financial Information
This project is funded through the following sources:
- 2003 Nickel Funding Package - $16.2 million
- Existing Funds - $0.8 million
- Total Funding Available from all sources - $17.0 million
For project schedule and updates, please see the Quarterly Project Report.
How can I get more information?
Contact:
Project Engineer, Will Smith
WSDOT South Central Project Office
PO Box 12560
Yakima, WA 98909
Phone: 509.577.1844
E-mail:SmithW@wsdot.wa.gov
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