From the Regional Administrator
Welcome to our June 2010 newsletter. This month we highlight the Keller Ferry and some of our construction projects.
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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Keller Ferry
The Keller Ferry vessel, Martha S., is out of service for inspections and repairs. The ferry shuttles drivers across Lake Roosevelt on State Route 21.
The Washington State Department of Transportation removed the ferry from service on June 14th for its routine Coast Guard inspection, which happens once every five years. In addition, a repair contractor is performing more extensive repairs on the boat’s hull, auto deck and access hatches. Crews also will upgrade some of the electronic equipment on the vessel.
Dakota Creek Industries of Anacortes, Washington is the prime contractor on the repairs and upgrades, with a construction bid of $607,259. Marine engineers from the WSDOT Ferries Division will oversee the project. Work should be completed no later than July 16.
Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes across the Columbia River. The nearest crossings are downstream at Grand Coulee Dam or upstream via the Gifford/Inchelium Ferry.
North Spokane Corridor/US 2 Lowering project
The US 2 Lowering project is now into the second season of construction. Over the last year and a half of the three year project, approximately $27 Million out of $47 Million has been paid to the Contractor to complete the first phase of the US 2 Interchange. Significant progress has been made with the grading, drainage, and structural items during this first phase of construction. At the end of June, the second phase of construction will begin which moves traffic onto the new roadway surface to complete the culvert, the bridges, and the excavation for the new roadway which is currently under traffic.
To date, approximately one million cubic yards of material has been excavated to lower US 2 about 30 feet under the new North Spokane Corridor alignment and to construct the ramps and roadways for the new interchange.
Also, the first half (approx. 60 feet in length) of the 15 foot high by 30 foot diameter steel arch over Deadman Creek has been constructed. Two 70 foot high temporary shoring walls were built to hold up the existing US 2 roadway and the new roadway over the installed culvert. During the next phase of the construction, after traffic has been moved to the new roadway over the culvert, the temporary wall will be removed as the second half of the culvert and new roadway is constructed. The new culvert replaces existing 8 foot by 8 foot box culvert.
Along with the roadway and drainage work, the foundations and superstructures have been completed for the northbound and southbound bridges over the newly lowered US 2 roadway. The superstructure for the northbound on-ramp bridge over US 2 is approximately 90% complete. The girders for the northbound NSC to northbound US 2 directional ramp and the pedestrian bridge over Farwell have been set. Approximately half of the steel girders that make up the 980 foot-long, southbound US 2 to southbound NSC flyover bridge, have been set. After the US 2 traffic is moved from the detour to the newly lowered and paved US 2 roadway, the remaining girders will be set and the bridge superstructure completed.
Along with the bridges and roadway construction is the installation of retaining walls. There are over 30 retaining walls on the project and most of them have been completed.
The project is scheduled to open to traffic in late 2011.
Transportation Management Center and the Incident Response Team
The WSDOT Incident Response Team (IRT) in the Spokane metro area consists of two vehicles and two operators to assist drivers in need and provide traffic control assistance along Interstate 90 in the Spokane metro area. The service is scheduled to coincide with the heavy commute periods with at least one of the IRT units on duty weekdays from 5:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
IRT crew members can assist with disabled vehicles by providing a jump start, change a tire, or maybe provide a small amount of fuel to get the vehicle off the freeway to the nearest gas station. The team assists an average of 300 to 400 motorists a month.
The Spokane Regional Transportation Management Center (SRTMC) works closely with the Incident Response Team members. TMC operators monitor dozens of cameras along the freeway and can alert the IRT when and where incidents occur. Since 4 to 10 minutes of traffic congestion can result from every minute a lane remains blocked, incidents must be detected and cleared as fast as possible to minimize the impact on congestion, especially during peak periods.
The average Washington motorist spends two weeks of every year stuck in traffic, so it's easy to see why the Incident Response Team (IRT) serves a crucial role in keeping Washington moving.
You can check traffic in the Spokane metro area on the Spokane Regional Transportation Management Center website at: http://www.srtmc.org/ . Also, WSDOT web cameras are available statewide at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic .
“E-Learning” on-line training earns award
WSDOT and its consultant, MediaPro, Inc., were recently honored by the Puget Sound Chapter of Society for Technical Communication. The “Excellence” award was given for the Department’s new “Inspector Daily Reports” training, an online E-Learning training program for WSDOT construction inspectors and local agency staff.
Eastern Region Construction Trainer Vicki Frucci was a key member of the team that developed the curriculum. The on-line course includes interactive, narrated video segments that were produced in-house on actual construction sites.
Eastern Region ARRA Update
The Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 provided funding for 12 projects in the Eastern Region totaling over $70 million. Seven of those projects have already been completed with three currently under construction, one starting construction later this summer, and one in design. These projects provided a needed boost in our pavement preservation program, enabling us to resurface sections of US 195, US 395, and SR 206. We were also able to add guardrail and rumble strip safety features on several highways, plus we installed three new Highway Advisory Radio stations.
Our big ARRA construction job starting shortly is the North Spokane Corridor/Francis to Farwell, Southbound Lanes.
In addition, a paving project on US 395 south of Ritzville is currently in design with expected construction next year.