Below you will find information about state highway planning projects for Whatcom, Island and Skagit counties. The documents are in Adobe Acrobat portable document format (.pdf). You can download a free copy of Adobe Reader at the Adobe Web site.
SR 525
Clinton: Issue identification analysis - We worked with the Clinton community to identify and prioritize transportation issues along the portion of SR 525 stretching from milepost 9.38 through Clinton to the ferry dock at milepost 8.48. We initiated the report at the request of community members, who expressed concern about speed, traffic circulation at the ferry terminal, and other issues in the corridor.
SR 531
43rd to 67th, Arlington: Corridor Pre-Design - Together with the city of Arlington, we are studying safety and mobility issues on SR 531 through Arlington. We will conduct a corridor pre-design analysis to identify congestion and safety problems on the corridor between 43rd Ave NE and 67th Ave NE and develop potential solutions.
SR 530
Sauk River Corridor Study - WSDOT is working on several projects to address problems at specific, high-priority locations where conflicts between SR 530 and the Sauk River threaten the highway. Together with project partners, we have identified the need to review the corridor more broadly to take a longer-term view of how the highway and river may coexist in the future. We will complete a corridor analysis in coming months to address this long-term vision.
I-5
Interstate 5 Master Plan: Fairhaven to Slater - We analyzed current and future traffic conditions on I-5 and will make recommendations for improvements to the interstate, including interchanges and connected local roads from Fairhaven Parkway (exit 250) to Slater Road (exit 260) in Whatcom County. The plan will include a list of short- and long-term improvements to address safety problems, help relieve congestion, and increase freight mobility through the year 2035. Improvements will be implemented as funding becomes available.
Interstate 5 Master Plan: Conway to Cook - We analyzed current and future traffic conditions on I-5 and will make recommendations for improvements to the interstate, including interchanges and connected local roads from SR 534 in Conway (exit 221) to the Cook Road Interchange (exit 232), in Skagit County. The Plan will include a list of short- and long-term improvements to address safety problems, help relieve congestion, and increase freight mobility through the year 2035. Improvement projects will be implemented as funding becomes available.
SR 20
SR 20/Swantown Road to Cabot Drive: Corridor Pre-Design Analysis - We partnered with the City of Oak Harbor to review corridor needs and develop a detailed plan that will facilitate design and construction of future highway improvements.
SR 542
Whatcom County: Mount Baker Highway scenic byway management plan - The Mt. Baker Highway Scenic Byway Management Plan was established to identify the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. Forest Service and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) in the coordination of transportation activities along State Route 542 within the National Forest Service Boundary.
Scenic Byway Management Plan overview
Introduction
Management Plans
Coordination
Appendices
Skagit County
Skagit River: System flooding and transportation infrastructure - Regional or localized flooding could adversely impact I-5, disrupting services and interrupting the movement of people and goods between Western Washington and British Columbia. For this reason, WSDOT is an active partner in the evaulation of flood impacts on the management of our state transportation system.
Regionwide
Non-motorized transportation planning - We work with numerous local and regional partners to plan for non-motorized transportation on state highways.
Planning Program
The planning office evaluates safety and mobility needs for our highways and anticipates challenges and opportunities likely to affect project delivery. Our objective is to clearly identify needs and develop improvement concepts that can ultimately be constructed on time and on budget. To accomplish this, we analyze data to quantify transportation problems and we work with cities, counties, regional planning organizations and community members to understand local concerns. We also serve as liasons, incorporating local and regional highway needs into statewide transportation plans.
Our work includes the following activities:
- Identify short-, mid- and long-term improvement needs for the region’s state highway corridors.
- Develop reliable preliminary designs and cost estimates.
- Anticipate risks and opportunities likely to affect project implementation.
- Incorporate multi-modal considerations into planning efforts.
- Pursue planning goals set by legislature: safety, preservation, mobility, environment, stewardship.
- Respond to inquiries from tribes, local governments and members of the public.
- Provide technical assistance on planning issues related to state transportation facilities.
- Support development of local comprehensive plans and regional transportation plans.
- Provide expertise in transportation specialty areas such as non-motorized, transit, freight, climate change and the Growth Management Act.
Contact
For more information about planning projects in Whatcom, Island or Skagit county, please contact:
Kerri Woehler, planning manager, at 360-757-5981
Tom Stacey, transportation planner, at 360-757-5982
Elizabeth Sjostrom, highway systems planner, at 360-757-5984