Overview
This project will replace the current signalized intersection at State Route 500 and St. Johns Boulevard in Vancouver with a freeway-style interchange. Crews will raise the St. Johns roadway by 25 feet, build a new bridge to take traffic up and over SR 500, and connect SR 500 to St. Johns with interchange ramps.
The new interchange will be built in three stages:
Stage 1: Crews begin construction and build a temporary detour, or “shoofly,” route along St. Johns.
Stage 2: Traffic on St. Johns is shifted to the shoofly route. Crews build the new bridge over SR 500 and begin constructing new interchange ramps.
Stage 3: Crews connect SR 500 and St. Johns with interchange ramps and complete construction.
C-TRAN busses will remain on regular routes during construction. A portion of the Burnt Bridge Creek/Discovery Trail System will be closed for realignment during construction. Trail users will follow a signed detour to access the trail system during the closure period.
Traffic impacts
Traffic impacts are estimated to last for up to a year and a half. Drivers can expect to see narrowed lanes and reduced speeds on SR 500 and St. Johns, and restrictions on left and right turns throughout the project. WSDOT will keep St. Johns and SR 500 open to through traffic and pedestrians during construction. There will be occasional short-term weekend or nighttime closures for girder setting or traffic shifts.
Why is WSDOT
building this project?
This is one of several projects to make travel on SR 500 safer and more efficient. The first of these projects, the Andresen Road interchange, was completed in 1996. The second project, the Thurston Way interchange, was completed in October 2002. The most recent project, the NE 112th Avenue/Gher Road interchange, was opened to traffic in October 2004 and complete in June 2005.
The St. Johns Boulevard intersection is one of several intersections on SR 500 between I-5 and Andresen Road where collision rates are approximately 30 to 50 percent above the statewide average for intersections. In the next 20 years, the average daily traffic volumes on SR 500 and intersecting roads are expected to increase by up to 30 percent. The current configuration of this intersection cannot accommodate these volumes of traffic.
The End Result
The completed interchange will allow traffic to flow freely on SR 500, and reduce the wait time for drivers at the St. Johns signal.
The project will allow St. Johns traffic to travel up and over SR 500 on a new bridge, and remove the traffic signal from SR 500. Drivers will navigate the interchange using on and off ramps.
Project Benefits
- Safety: Collisions caused by vehicles changing lanes and merging at the current intersection will be reduced, including rear-end type collisions that occur at the current signalized intersection.
- Congestion Relief: This project will reduce existing congestion at the signalized intersection by allowing through traffic on SR 500 to proceed without stopping at a signal, and by allowing access to and from St. Johns Boulevard using on and off ramps.
What is the project timeline?
- 1999: Preliminary design and environmental work began.
- 2002: Environmental assessment completed, and preliminary design work stops due to lack of funding.
- 2006: Design of the St. Johns Boulevard intersection resumes after the state Legislature passes the 2005 Transportation Partnership Funding Package.
- Spring 2010: Design completed.
- January 10, 2011: Project advertised to contractors.
- Spring 2011: Construction began.
- Summer 2012: Interchange opened to drivers.
- 2013: Construction anticipated to be complete.
Financial Information
Project signage will reflect the cost of construction engineering, project bid award and sales tax.
| Financial Data for PIN 450000A |
| Funding Source |
Amount ($ in thousands) |
| 2003 Gas Tax (Nickel Funding) |
$0 |
| 2005 Gas Tax (TPA) |
$16,594 |
| Pre-Existing Funds (PEF) |
$30,435 |
| Total |
$47,029 |
|
How can I get more information?
Contact:
Area Engineer Leon Winger
WSDOT Vancouver Area Office
P.O. Box 1709
Vancouver, WA 98668-1709
Phone: 360-905-1500
E-mail: swVanc@wsdot.wa.gov
or
Heidi Sause
WSDOT Communications
PO Box 1709
Vancouver, WA 98668-1709
Phone: 360-905-2057
E-mail: Sauseh@wsdot.wa.gov
or access our project feedback form.
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