SR 26 - Sand Hollow Culvert Repair

View entire map  This project was located on SR 26 at Mile Post 1.8 in Grant County. A safe detour route was utilized during construction.  It provided a route around the three mile closure zone from the SR 243 interchange east to Road "S"-SW, 14 miles west of Royal City.      Click to view entire photo  By the end of the week of March 20, the wasteway was flowing through the new pipe. Click to view entire photo During the week of March 13th, the new culvert was placed and the wastewater bypass was removed. Click to view entire photo  During excavation the week of February 27th, these large rocks delayed installation of the new pipe for a few days. Click to view entire photo  Installation of the wastewater bypass was a major accomplishment the first week. View entire photo The sinkhole that has closed the truck climbing lane on SR 26 two miles south of I-90.   View entire photo The cracked and failing culvert that is being replaced. Project Facts • The culvert carries irrigation water runoff from fields above SR 26 to the Sand Hollow Wasteway, below the highway. • The existing 48" culvert was in service for over 50 years since the highway was built. • Addition of the truck climbing lane in 1999 was the only North Central Washington project built with Referendum 49 funding before passage of I-695 cut off the funding and the rest of the scheduled projects.

Complete Paving was complete and the road opened to traffic  6 p.m. on April 1, 2006.

This facilities preservation project replaced a failing culvert under SR 26 in Grant County between Vantage and Royal City.

Why did WSDOT replace the Sand Hollow Culvert?
In the fall of 2005, about a mile south of the I-90 Vantage bridge, a deep, 15-foot diameter sinkhole from the fog line to beyond the guardrail undermined the outside truck-climbing lane.  WSDOT Geologists and engineers determined the sinkhole was caused by failure of a deep culvert below the roadway.  They investigated several alternatives and formulated a repair plan. Necessary emergency funding and permits were acquired for the culvert replacement. 

This section of SR 26 was constructed in 1954. The four-foot diameter culvert that failed is located at the bottom of a 35-foot embankment. Replacing that culvert required reconstructing approximately 250-feet of roadway.  The new replacement pipe is a high-flow six-foot diameter culvert that meets the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s current flow requirements.  A five-foot diameter overflow culvert was also replaced. During construction, water flowing from above SR 26 under the highway down to Sand Hollow was re-routed, utilizing a temporary stream bypass system.  Water quality testing was ongoing throughout the operation to insure minimal water quality degradation as Sand Hollow is a fish spawning area.

The End Result
The end result is a new, more hydraulically efficient culvert, a rebuilt roadbed and a stable road surface.

Project Benefits

• Re-established the eastbound truck climbing lane.
• A more efficient and more easily maintainable culvert.

What was the project timeline?
Crews began work on February 15th and finished on Saturday, April 1, 2006.

Public Involvement
There were several meetings with local, state agency, county offices and federal agencies over several months, to come up with a final repair plan.

While the work was underway, an extensive media contact effort, this project web page, as well as weekly newspaper and radio construction updates kept users of this route informed of the detour and the progress of the work.

Environmental Protection
WSDOT is committed to protecting the environment.  All environmental laws and guidelines were strictly followed.

The following were permits and/or documentation required for this project:

• Environmental Project Documentation:
  • NEPA (CE) - National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
  • SEPA (CE) - State Environmental Policy Act of 1971.
  • BA - Biological Assessment.
  • TESC - Temporary Erosion Control Plan.
  • Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA)

Increasing safety is a priority
A successful work zone safety plan for the crews on site was included as part of the contract. For travelers, a safe detour, that separated passenger vehicles and trucks utilizing narrower county roads, was maintained by WSDOT during the closure.

Did this project impact tribal resources?
No impacts were identified. WSDOT seeks to address the concerns of tribal nations using the process outlined in section 106 of The National Historical Preservation Act and the WSDOT Tribal Consultation Policy adopted in 2003 by the Transportation Commission as part of the WSDOT Centennial Accord Plan. 

Financial Information
The project was advertised for bids on January 9.  Nine contractor bids were opened January 26th and a contract was awarded to N.A. Degerstrom, Inc. of Spokane, WA. for $385,000.

This project is funded through the following source:

• Pre-Existing Gas Tax - $593,000
• Total funding from all sources - $593,000

How can I get more information?
Contact:
Bob Romine, Project Engineer
WSDOT - North Central Region
PO Box 98
Wenatchee, WA 98807
Phone: 509-667-2880 or toll free 1-888-461-8816
Email: RomineR@wsdot.wa.gov

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