From the Regional Administrator
Welcome to our December newsletter.
I am very proud of our team here in the WSDOT Eastern Region. In this month’s newsletter, I’d like to highlight their duties and some of their recent accomplishments.
As always, if you have any questions on items in this newsletter, or other transportation issues, please let me know. Give me a call at (509) 324-6010 or drop me an e-mail at metcalk@wsdot.wa.gov .
All of us at the WSDOT wish you and yours a happy holiday season, and please drive safely.
Keith Metcalf
Regional Administrator
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WSDOT maintenance team ready for action
The last two winter seasons were a challenge to our maintenance forces. Record snowfalls, high winds, and icy conditions were the norm for several months. It’s important to note that our crews change over to a winter shift every year. That means they operate two shifts per day, seven days a week to provide around the clock service when needed. This means a lot of late nights and early mornings handling plowing, anti-icing, sanding, and checking for trouble spots. It adds up to a lot of time away from families and friends during the winter months trying to keep the roads clear and as safe as possible.
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Engineer milestones
An organization is only as good as its people, and I am pleased to say that our team members are always trying to advance their knowledge and skills to provide the best service to the Department.
Three of our engineers, Christa Olson, Travis Foster, and Jeremy Schmidt, received their Professional Engineer certification during 2009. This professional license from Washington State requires an extensive regimen of study and experience and is awarded only after the applicant passes a rigorous examination.
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Project Awards
I am always happy to report on award-winning performance and I have some news to share this month. Chad Simonson’s project engineering team picked up a couple of major awards recently.
First off, a national award sponsored by Roads and Bridges Magazine and the Asphalt Recycling and Reclaiming Association went to Chad’s team for their innovative use of asphalt recycling on the US 2/SR 211 to Newport project this past summer. The top layer of the existing highway was ground off, mixed with asphalt oil and placed back on the roadway surface as a base layer. This recycle process saved about $1.5 million and reduced the amount of new pavement needed for the project.
Simonson’s project office was also awarded the “Partnership for Excellence in Contract Administration” for the North Spokane Corridor/BNSF Tunnel project. This job required extensive coordination with the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railroad and the contractor, Scarsella Brothers, in building this structure over an operating rail line.
These aren’t the only awards our project teams have received. Construction projects handled by Bob Hilmes, Darrel McCallum, and Ken Olson’s crews have also won recognition over the past couple years.
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Region employees come together for charity drive
Each year, the WSDOT Eastern Region team holds a fundraiser/food drive to benefit local food banks and other needy causes. This year I am pleased to note that our employees donated a total of $12,671, with $11,471 going to nine area food banks and $1,200 donated to the Neal Richards Family Memorial Fund. Neal was a WSDOT employee in Forks, WA who was killed while working to clear a slide on US 101 near Port Angeles.