November 2009
- The US 395 north and southbound lanes have been rebuilt and the new concrete lanes are open to traffic. Crews will complete remaining minor items of work by the end of November.
- The roundabouts on Columbia Drive are complete and opened to traffic. See our roundabout handout (pdf 448 kb) for information on how to drive the roundabouts.
- WSDOT refined the project design and eliminated the need for right of way. A low bid of $11.52 million from KLB Construction Inc. reduced the cost of construction below WSDOT's estimate. The new total project cost of $16.0 million is 29% less than the original budgeted cost.
This project will reconfigure the US 395 / SR 240 interchange south of the "Blue Bridge" in Kennewick. The improvements include adding a second through-lane for southbound US 395 to improve traffic flow and reduce the risk of collisions.
Why is WSDOT
improving the interchange?
Currently, the interchange merges two heavily traveled state highways, US 395 and SR 240. Congestion and merge conflicts south of the bridge result in traffic accidents and potentially dangerous driving conditions.
The End Result
US 395 will continue south as a two lane highway and one lane will exit to SR 240. The revised interchange will allow smoother travel for motorists continuing south on US 395, and decrease conflicts in the interchange area. Improving this interchange will increase traffic mobility, efficiency, and will likely reduce the number of accidents. These improvements provide safer driving conditions for the public. Check out our design visualization in the project folio (pdf 819 kb).
Project Benefits
- Safety. Conflicts and backups south of the Blue Bridge at the exit for US 395 have resulted in hundreds of accidents during the past several years. Reconfiguring this interchange will help reduce accidents.
- Congestion relief. The "Blue Bridge" originally was designed to carry traffic to SR 240 but now the majority of southbound traffic continues on US 395. Merging and exiting on to US 395 creates conflicts at both ends of the bridge.
- Traffic Efficiency. The "Blue Bridge" is the primary travel route for traffic commuting from Pasco to Kennewick. As traffic volumes on the bridge increase annually, accidents and back-ups increase as well. The interchange must be reconfigured to improve travel efficiency and avoid long back-ups and unsafe conditions.
What is the project timeline?
WSDOT awarded the project to KLB Construction in November 2008. Work is underway and the project completion date is currently scheduled for winter 2009.
Financial Information
This project is funded through the following sources*:
- 2005 Transportation Partnership Package - $16 million
- Total Funding Available from all sources - $16 million
*WSDOT refined the project design and eliminated the need for right of way. A low bid of $11.52 million from KLB Construction Inc. reduced the cost of construction below WSDOT's estimate. The new total project cost of $16.0 million is 29% less than the original budgeted cost.
For project schedules and updates, please see the Quarterly Project Report.
How can I get more information?
Contact:
Project Engineer, Moe Davari
WSDOT South Central Project Office
1655 Fowler Street
Richland, WA 99352
Phone: 509.222.2402
E-mail:DavariM@wsdot.wa.gov
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