2007 Award of Excellence Winners

Outstanding local projects chosen for awards by FHWA and WSDOT
OLYMPIA – The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Washington State Department of Transportation announced the 2007 Awards of Excellence. Projects completed by the cities of Seattle and Tacoma, the Town of Odessa, and Grays Harbor County were recognized as the “best of the best” of local agency transportation projects funded by FHWA. The award categories were Best City Project, Best County Project, Best Special Project, and the Director’s Award.

• Best City Project:

  City of Seattle Northgate Revitalization
  
  The 5th Avenue NE Streetscape project is located along 5th Avenue NE, between NE Northgate Way and NE 105th Street. The Public/Private Partnership had three goals in creating this urban center: 1. Create a pedestrian friendly street, 2. Provide a safe, attractive public environment, and 3. Balance the use of the street among pedestrians, vehicles, and transit. All three were accomplished.
  
  Transforming 5th Avenue NE into a safe, pedestrian friendly street that accommodates all modes of transportation is part of the grand plan for revitalizing Northgate. Citizens and local agencies came together for the success of the effort and are proof of the value of long-term planning. Improvements included a pedestrian promenade with enhanced crosswalks connecting the library and community center to Northgate Mall and bus stops; landscaped street medians; wider sidewalks with trees, curb, gutter, and driveway improvements; traffic signal and street lighting improvements; and art installation that includes glass inserts in the sidewalk near the library, three birdhouse sculptures, and one human perch (bench).
  
  Funding for this project was administered by WSDOT and came from federal grants, the City of Seattle, Seattle Public Library, Seattle Parks & Recreation, King County Metro, and private donations totaling over $2.7 million. For more information about the project, visit: www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/Northgate_Revitalization/Overview/
  
  Contact: Ed Conyers, WSDOT Local Programs Engineer, (206) 440-4706    Back to top

   

• Best County Project:

  Grays Harbor County Cougar Smith Road Satsop River Bridge Replacement
  
  The Cougar Smith Road project replaced a narrow, deteriorating, wood and steel, weight limit posted bridge with a new bridge on an improved alignment across the Middle Satsop River. The project straightened out two tight curves, widened the roadway adding paved shoulders and clear zone, and removed the substandard intersection that crossed Boundary Road. In addition, debris and log jams that frequently developed under the bridge during a flood will be eliminated, greatly reducing maintenance costs and concerns.
  
  Road users have expressed great satisfaction with this project as it provides a much safer and efficient roadway for their use. The road can now be safely driven at 40 mph, as compared to 25 mph for the old alignment. The logging industry can now move heavy overloads on this route, eliminating an 80-mile detour roundtrip. The cost of the project provided by the Federal Bridge Replacement and Hazard Elimination Safety Funds together with local government contributions totaled $3,270,000.
  
  Contact: Neal Campbell, Olympic Region Local Programs Engineer, (360) 357-2666    Back to top

   

• Best Special Project:

  City of Tacoma Downtown Redevelopment
  
  The Tacoma Downtown Redeployment was designed to improve safety for vehicles and drivers and pedestrians in downtown Tacoma. In order to create the safest and most efficient solution, vehicular traffic off of Jackson Street was diverted down South 17th Street, rather than be allowed to cross the light rail tracks. Jefferson Street between Pacific Avenue and Commerce Street was closed to vehicular traffic, which provided the opportunity to create a pedestrian hill-climb with large stairs and ADA accessible ramps. The intersection at South 17th and Commerce was significantly improved by creating a standard “T” intersection, allowing pedestrians to flow freely to the center of the UW Tacoma campus. A key element of this project included construction of a public plaza surrounding the light rail transition from Pacific Avenue to Commerce Street.
  
  Construction was challenging due to the confined spaces, continual operation of light rail, and maintaining safe vehicular and pedestrian flows around the project site. The project team did an excellent job of communicating and coordinating efforts to resolve project issues and maintain a high level of quality. The team was able to complete the project on time and on budget. Funding partners for this project included WSDOT, the City of Tacoma, Federal Highway Administration, and Sound Transit for a total of $3,751,000
  
  Contact: Neal Campbell, Olympic Region Local Programs Engineer, (360) 357-2666    Back to top

   

• Director’s Award:

  Town of Odessa State Route 21 Realignment Project
  
  Odessa was seeking a north-south truck route to ease the congestion of State Route 21 through town. The highway followed a course along six streets from the northern to southern town limits. Along that route, there were also five right angle turns and intersections. Lampposts in the heart of the downtown business section were knocked out three times by trailer tractors that couldn’t make the turns. Although adequate for horse and buggies when the Odessa street system was established more than a hundred years ago, a dramatic change was needed.
  
  While working as a team during the last ten years, the Town of Odessa, its officials, and the community universally agreed on one of ten alternative designs. The project features wider lanes accommodating truck traffic, a five-foot-wide sidewalk encouraging pedestrian use, and a redesigned and realigned curve enabling much improved traffic flow. Also included were the new railroad crossings providing four new concrete pedestrian crossings separated from vehicles, as well as two new signals with vehicle gates.
  
  Despite an extensive, last-minute change order, this project remained on time and under the budget established ten years previously. Local and Federal funding administered for this project totaled $2.5 million.
  
  Contact: Keith Martin, Eastern Region Local Programs Engineer, (509) 324-6080    Back to top

   

For more information about the Awards of Excellence Program, contact:

Highways & Local Programs

360-705-7372