From the Regional Administrator

Welcome to our April 2010 newsletter. Here’s some information on a couple of our projects and some work on I-90 by our Idaho neighbors.

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 .

Keith Metcalf
Regional Administrator


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US 195/Idaho to Colton Paving Project

Work will get underway on a paving project in southern Whitman County. The job consists of resurfacing work on US 195 from the Idaho border near Lewiston to the Town of Colton, about eight miles north. Poe Asphalt Paving, Inc. of Post Falls, Idaho is the prime contractor on the job with a construction bid of $2,014,005. The work should take about two months to complete. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided the funding for pavement improvements on this section of US 195. The work was made possible through savings on other ARRA construction projects built in 2009.

This paving project is a part of the Department’s pavement preservation program. The current road surface is deteriorating as a result of routine wear and tear. The existing surface will be ground out and replaced with a new layer of Hot Mix Asphalt. In Uniontown the entire roadway surface will be removed down to the subgrade gravel and be fully rebuilt.

Work in Uniontown should begin in early May and take about 10 days. During the Uniontown work, traffic will be one lane directed by flaggers 24 hours per day. Pavement grinding operations in rural areas should get underway later in May. After the grinding, drivers should be alert for grooved pavement. During grinding and paving operations, motorists should expect single lane traffic directed by flaggers and pilot cars with possible delays up to 15 minutes at times.

The project should be fully completed by late June. As always, paving work is dependent on the weather. Wet, cool conditions may cause delays to the paving operations on this project.

For more information on the project, along with weekly traffic and construction details, you can check the web site at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/i90/spokanepoe .

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Interstate 90/New Port of Entry Facility

Work also started on a new Washington State Patrol Port of Entry facility on Interstate 90 at the Washington/Idaho border. This new facility will be built about one half mile west of the current port of entry. The new facility includes a new weigh station building and scales, a fully enclosed vehicle inspection building, and new “weigh in motion” scales on the Interstate 90 westbound lanes.

The weigh in motion system is a new addition to the port of entry. Trucks equipped with special transponders, and registered with the state, will be weighed by scales installed under the freeway pavement. If given the “green light” these trucks won’t have to slow down or stop at the stationary scales at the port building. This feature will help keep traffic moving more efficiently by reducing the number of slow moving trucks entering the freeway from the scale. Trucks without transponders or overweight trucks will be directed to exit to the weigh station. The relocation of the scale facility to the west also will remove the truck traffic from the Idaho Road interchange area.

Most of the work will not affect freeway through traffic, although motorists should be alert for trucks entering and exiting the roadway to and from the construction site. However, later this summer, construction of the weigh in motion system in the westbound through lanes will require westbound I-90 to be reduced to one through lane for several days. That work will cause some congestion on westbound I-90.

Selland Construction of Wenatchee is the prime contractor on the job with a construction bid of $6,704,332. The work should take about 18 months to complete. The Washington State Department of Transportation builds the weigh station facilities for the Washington State Patrol.

For more information on the project, along with weekly traffic and construction details, you can go to the web site at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/i90/spokanepoe .

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I-90/Idaho Bridge Work

A major project on Interstate 90 by our Idaho neighbors will also affect traffic in Washington State. The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has a bridge resurfacing job on several bridges just across the border including the Spokane River Bridges at the state line. Night lane restrictions should already be in place at some locations with 24 hour per day, single lane traffic starting on May 3.

With around 46,000 vehicles crossing the Idaho/Washington on Interstate 90, drivers should expect slow traffic, congestion, and delays in both directions, especially during the morning and afternoon commute periods for about a month. Again, this is an ITD project. For detailed information on the work, call them at (208) 772-1200.