Project Facts
- This project will improve safety and congestion in this area and around the freeway exits.
- This project is a joint effort between WSDOT and the Clark County Public Works Department.
- Project construction will likely be completed in several phases, possibly beginning in 2010 if all funding is secured and environmental approvals are obtained.
September 2008
- The project team is proceeding with design of final construction plans for the preferred alternative.
- Right of Way acquisition is scheduled to start in December 2008 when the environmental documentation is complete.
- Construction is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2010.
Overview
The Salmon Creek Interchange Project will reduce traffic congestion and improve safety in the fast growing Salmon Creek area by constructing a new I-5 interchange at NE 139th Street, improving the I-205 northbound off-ramp to NE 134th Street, and constructing other local road improvements.
Why is WSDOT
collaborating with Clark County on this project?
The population in Salmon Creek has increased significantly with housing, retail, office space, a hospital, and a college campus replacing what used to be farms and open space. Today, NE 134th Street is used by all local east-west traffic across I-5 and I-205, and provides access to both freeways from the Salmon Creek area. The close proximity of traffic signals on NE 134th Street and high traffic volumes in the area create gridlock, long delays, traffic back-ups, and a high rate of automobile accidents.The Salmon Creek Interchange Project will help address these problems.
Our Partners
The project is a joint effort between WSDOT and the Clark County Public Works Department.
The End Result
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Construct a new interchange at I-5 and NE 139th Street that connects NE 10th Ave. with NE 20th Ave.
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Reconstruct I-5 bridges over I-205 to accommodate future I-5 widening.
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Construct a new lane on I-5 northbound between NE 139th Street and NE 179th Street.
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Relocate the C-Tran Park-and-Ride lot from NE 134th Street to a new location near the corner of NE 139th Street and NE 10th Avenue.
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Add an exit-only lane to NE 134th Street from I-205 NB resulting in a two-lane off-ramp.
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Widen NE 10th Avenue from NE 134th Street to NE 141st Street.
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Realign northbound I-205 to the west at NE 139th Street to accommodate vertical clearance requirements with NE 139th Street.
The Salmon Creek Interchange Project will provide motorists with more, and better, options to safely reach their destinations.
Project Benefits
- Congestion Relief: This project will reduce congestion and travel time at this interchange by preventing vehicles on the I-5 and I-205 off ramps at NE 134th Street from backing up on to the interstates.
- Safety: The project will provide safety benefits to motorists and pedestrians. Without the project, it is anticipated that the traffic back up on the northbound off-ramps to NE 134th Street from both I-5 and I-205 would be about 1,000 feet. This prevents traffic from clearing the I-5 and I-205 off ramps. When the project is constructed, these back-ups should be reduced to about 300 feet. In turn, this will reduce the accident rates on the northbound off-ramp from I-5 by keeping stopped vehicles from backing up onto the freeway at the exit areas.
What is the project timeline?
WSDOT and Clark County are now preparing an environmental assessment and an Interchange Justification Report for the project that will be complete in 2008. Final design is expected to begin at the completion of that report. Project construction will likely be completed in several phases, possibly beginning in 2010 and ending in 2015.
Public Involvement
Your thoughts and opinions are important to us. The major improvements that comprise the Salmon Creek Interchange Project, the new freeway access and the NE 139th Street connection, have been considered in other planning processes such as the Salmon Creek/Fairgrounds Regional Road System Plan and WSDOT's I-5/I-205 North Corridor Strategy Report (pdf 5.0 mb). The proposed improvements were shared with community members during those processes as well as the during the Access Point Decision Report process in 2002 that considered changes to freeway access. Since 2002, WSDOT and Clark County have held two additional community open houses to share progress and gather feedback as the designs evolved. Additional public involvement opportunities will occur throughout the environmental assessment process, project design and construction.
The project team hosted a public open house about the Salmon Creek Interchange project on June 22, 2005 at WSU Vancouver. A project newsletter (pdf 312 kb) detailing information about the project and the June 22 open house was mailed out to local residents, businesses and property owners during the week of June 6, 2005. A second newsletter (pdf 297 kb) was mailed out during the week of June 25, 2006, which reflected the updated design.
For more public involvement information in WSDOT's Southwest Region, visit the Southwest Region's Public Involvement page.
Environmental Protection
WSDOT makes every effort to assess and minimize negative impacts from highway improvement projects. An environmental assessment for the project is currently underway, which will look at how construction of this project might affect the natural and built environment. The environmental assessment will also determine how best to minimize these potential impacts. The public is encouraged to participate in the creation and review of the environmental assessment by attending public open houses or contacting the project team. Please see the "Public Involvement" and "How can I get more information?" sections of this Web page for more information.
For environmental information specific to this project, please contact Erin Gardner at (360) 905-2185, or e-mail GARDNEE@wsdot.wa.gov.
Please visit the WSDOT Environmental
Services Web site for more information.
Increasing safety is one of our priorities
This project will help keep traffic moving on I-5 and I-205 and freeway off ramps and surface streets in the NE 134th Street vicinity. Improved mobility and decreased congestion contributes to safer roads and appropriate travel speeds and reduced accident rates.
Will this project impact tribal resources?
At WSDOT we seek to address the concerns of the tribal nations using the process outlined in Section 106 of The National Historic Preservation Act and the WSDOT Tribal Consultation Policy adopted in 2003 by the Transportation Commission as part of the WSDOT Centennial Accord Plan.
This project lies within the usual and accustomed areas of the Cowlitz Tribe. Since this project is so early in the design stage, the tribal consultative process has not yet begun. WSDOT will initiate consultation with the Cowlitz Tribe as appropriate.
For more information visit our WSDOT Tribal Liaison website.
Financial Information
2003 Legislative Funding Package (Nickel Funding): $81.9 million
Other funds: $25 million (Clark County and Federal Funds)
Additional funding needed: $34 million
Total Funding Available: $140 million
How can I get more information?
Contact:
Area Engineer Casey B. Liles
WSDOT Vancouver Area Office
P.O. Box 1709
Vancouver, WA 98668-1709
Phone: 1-877-624-7196
E-mail: swVanc@wsdot.wa.gov
or
Communications Manager Sylvia Ross
WSDOT Southwest Region
PO Box 1709
Vancouver, WA 98668-1709
Phone: 360-905-2058
E-mail: RossSy@wsdot.wa.gov
or access our project feedback form.
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