A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
This is our last report for 2008. We will resume our weekly summary on January 2, 2009. WSDOT wishes you safe travel during this holiday season.
Project of the Week - North Spokane Corridor/US 2 interchange project is under way
The next phase of work for the North Spokane Corridor will lower US 2 and build six new bridges. The drawing above illustrates how the US 395 and US 2 interchange may look when completed. |
Work on the next major component of the North Spokane Freeway is now under way. The project—US 395-NSC/US 2 Lowering, will complete the North Spokane Corridor/US 2 interchange. Graham Construction and Management, Inc. of Spokane is the prime contractor on this project with a construction bid of $42.85 million. The job is expected to be completed in 2011.
“We’re excited to get this project under way,” said WSDOT Regional Administrator Keith Metcalf. "This job is a major component in the North Spokane Corridor and key to getting this route connected to US 2 and US 395.”
This project will lower US 2 between Farwell Rd and Peone Creek, creating the clearance needed for the highway to pass underneath the North Spokane Corridor freeway. The project includes building six bridges totaling over 77,000 square feet of bridge deck, plus multiple retaining walls along US 2. For now, drivers will see minimal traffic interruptions since most of the work is focused on the new bridges. However, in about June, 2009, major excavation work on US 2 will restrict traffic to three narrow lanes—one southbound and two northbound.
This project is the seventh of eight jobs for the US 395/North Spokane Corridor freeway project that were funded by 2003 funding package. The first stretch, from Francis to Farwell Road, should open to traffic in 2009. When all eight projects are complete in about 2011, a drivable link will be available to motorists between Francis Avenue and the existing US 395 near the Wandermere Golf Course.
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Maintenance & Operations feature - WSDOT Maintenance ready to get out of jams
WSDOT maintenance crews use an early warning system and a crane to keep logs from jamming up at the US 2 trestle in Everett. |
Almost every year, tree logs and other debris drift from the Skykomish, Snoqualmie and other rivers into the Snohomish River and create log jams underneath the US 2 trestle in Everett. Clearing jams as large as 180 feet deep and 180 feet wide may seem daunting, but our experienced WSDOT maintenance crews have mastered an early warning system that helps them remove the debris before it damages the trestle or causes flooding.
Maintenance Supervisor, Ken Higdon and his crew have been clearing the logs since the mid 1990’s. When water levels rise, Cecil Rench, another area maintenance supervisor, warns Higdon about six hours before the debris starts jamming up underneath the trestle.
“Each year and each storm is different,” Rench said. “But I’ve been doing this for a long time and every time the water levels are getting high, I just give Ken a ring.”
With ample lead time, Higdon and his crew work to assemble a crane and several excavators to steer the logs down the river. Even with the unpredictable weather, Higdon is confident in his crew.
“You can be right on top of it and pretty soon you’re saying, ‘Oh no, this isn’t good. We need more help.’ But we have always cleared things successfully which helps keep the bridge from severe damage”, he says.
Crews monitor the bridge 24-hours a day, working 12-hour shifts during large storm events. Thanks to their dedication, crews prevent costly damage to the dikes. Higdon says that if the pressure was too much, the dikes would break down before the bridge collapsed, but he doesn’t plan to see a situation like that.
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Update of projects under way
The 288-foot long, east transition truss for the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge replacement is ready for finish work. |
SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge - Progress on the Hood Canal Bridge Project rolled forward Dec. 16 when the second of two transition trusses were moved out of the construction hangar at Oregon Iron Works in Vancouver, WA. The completed east truss is 288-feet long, 71-feet wide and 40-feet tall. Oregon Iron Works crews will place concrete for the roadway and reinforce the structure before the truss is transported to Port Gamble Bay in 2009. Both the east and west trusses are 30 feet wider than the existing structures that currently connect the Hood Canal Bridge pontoons to the approach spans in Jefferson and Kitsap counties. The trusses will be transported by barge to Port Gamble Bay next February and March in preparation for the May-June 2009 Hood Canal Bridge replacement.
SR 169, Black Diamond - Work to repair the 80-year-old SR 169 Green River bridge is proceeding ahead of schedule. The Green River bridge (Kummer Bridge), which connects Black Diamond and Enumclaw, has been closed since Nov. 18. Construction crews have finished excavating 20,000 truck loads of material from an area just south of the bridge six days early. Geotechnical engineers are working to stabilize a large ancient landslide that has been pushing the bridge slowly to the southwest for years. To alleviate pressure on the bridge piers, crews excavated a large piece of land 20-feet deep by 80-feet wide by 200 feet long. Removing the wet soil solved the first part of the problem. In the next phase of work, crews will drill a series of 55 shafts deep into the bedrock. They will fill these shafts with varying strengths of concrete. These shafts will then tie together to create a retaining wall measuring 160 feet long. It is this wall that will protect the pier. Crews will be on site in February and will work around the clock to build this retaining wall. Traffic is being detoured around the bridge.
I-405 Bellevue - On Dec. 16, WSDOT opened a new freeway bridge to drivers heading south on I-405 over I-90. Traffic will transition to the new 900-foot-long southbound bridge in phases. Initially the new bridge will carry two of three southbound I-405 lanes. The carpool lane will remain on the existing southbound bridge. The phased opening and lane separation are necessary to create a safe work zone for more construction near the bridge. By next summer crews expect to wrap up bridge improvements and then shift the southbound carpool lane to the new bridge. That will free up the existing bridge to carry an additional northbound lane. The work is part of the I-405, South Bellevue Widening project that adds one northbound lane between 112th Avenue SE and SE Eighth Street and two southbound lanes from SE Eighth to I-90.
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Announcements
WSDOT closes three scenic Cascades routes for the season
WSDOT on Dec. 15 closed Chinook Pass, Cayuse Pass and the North Cascades Highway for the season. After reviewing the past weekend’s snowfall accumulations and the forecast for more snow later in the week, WSDOT maintenance crews and avalanche forecasters agreed that the avalanche risk is too great to keep these seasonal highways open.
Every year, WSDOT closes each pass for the winter due to high avalanche risk and hazardous driving conditions. All three passes have numerous slide areas that pose significant danger to travelers, WSDOT maintenance crews and park staff. The combination of avalanche danger, mountainous terrain, lack of cell phone service, inclement weather, and the low number of vehicles, make driving these passes in the winter a potentially hazardous endeavor. If drivers get stranded, it could be many hours, before anyone could find them, which could be dangerous in winter conditions.
On Dec. 12, WSDOT closed SR 504 at Hummocks Trail east of Coldwater Lake for the season. Chinook Pass, Cayuse Pass and the North Cascades Highway were temporarily closed on Dec. 12 before crews decided to close them for the season. Access to the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort from SR 410 remains open.
WSDOT completes six projects on US 2 between Monroe and Stevens Pass in 2008
Following through on a commitment to make US 2 safer, in 2008 WSDOT crews finished six safety and preservation projects on US 2 between Monroe and Stevens Pass. On Dec. 11, crews working for WSDOT finished permanent repairs to stabilize a section of hillside under US 2 just east of Index.
Drivers on US 2 this summer saw crews working on projects from Monroe to Stevens Pass. In addition to the slide repair project, crews:
- installed more than 40 miles of rumble strips and high-visibility striping between Monroe and the pass
- repaved three miles of the highway west of Skykomish
- stabilized the hillside beneath the highway near Sunset Falls
- relocated a Community Transit bus stop in Sultan to improve pedestrian safety
- removed potential hazards from the side of the highway and installed guardrail near Skykomish
WSDOT engineers are designing a $10 million safety improvement project scheduled for construction in 2010. Engineers are working with the community to develop potential improvements, such as two-way left-turn lanes and changes to key intersections.
In October 2007, Gov. Chris Gregoire, Secretary Hammond and local officials announced a US 2 Traffic Safety Corridor partnership with local communities to raise awareness for drivers, improve critical safety needs and increase enforcement.
Port Townsend/Keystone route served by passenger only ferry for four weeks beginning in January
Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division (WSF) will contract with a private operator to provide passenger-only ferry service on the Port Townsend/Keystone ferry route beginning Monday, Jan. 5. The service will run for approximately four weeks while the Steilacoom II is out of service for maintenance and its U.S. Coast Guard required annual inspection. The Steilacoom II, leased from Pierce County, is the only vehicle ferry that will work for Keystone Harbor’s challenging conditions.
WSF will install barges in the vessel slips at both the Port Townsend and Keystone terminals in order to allow the passenger vessel to land safely and to make it easier for customers to load and unload. The barges meet Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards and provide direct access to the Port Townsend and Keystone terminals.
WSF will offer the same number of daily trips as the current sailing schedule, but sailing times have been adjusted to improve transit connections on both sides of the route. Crossing times are approximately 25 minutes each way.
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Gray Notebook Highlight - State supported Amtrak Cascades
State-supported Amtrak Cascades service demonstrated record growth in ridership for the quarter ending Sept. 30. There were 154,315 riders in the third quarter, an all-time high that represents a 21.9 percent increase over the same period in 2007. Although high gasoline prices have helped contribute to some ridership growth, customer feedback indicates that riders perceive the service to be a great value and appreciate the fact that they are avoiding traffic. Many also indicate they view the service as an environmentally responsible travel option. WSDOT is one of 13 states to provide operating funds to Amtrak for intercity passenger rail service. Amtrak Cascades train operations span 466 miles of rail between Eugene, OR, and Vancouver, BC. More details on this and other key transportation issues can be found in the September 2008 Gray Notebook at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
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January open houses, meetings and events
5, Monday, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Public Hearing, Ferries Long-range plan - Port Townsend: WSDOT's Ferries Division will hold a series of public hearings around Puget Sound to get comments on the draft long-range plan for services and investments through 2030. Public comments received will help inform the final plan scheduled to be released on Jan. 30, 2009. Location: Pope Marine Building, 100 Madison St., Port Townsend.
6, Tuesday, 6 - 8 p.m., Public Hearing, Ferries Long-range plan - Langley: WSDOT's Ferries Division will hold a series of public hearings around Puget Sound to get comments on the draft long-range plan for services and investments through 2030. Public comments received will help inform the final plan scheduled to be released on Jan. 30, 2009. Location: Useless Bay Golf Club, 5725 South Country Club Drive, Langley.
7, Wednesday, 10 - 11 a.m., Groundbreaking, I-5 - SR 16 Westbound Nalley Valley - Tacoma: An event is being held to kick off construction of a project to increase safety, improve mobility and reduce congestion by rebuilding the I-5/SR 16 Nalley Valley interchange. Location: Under the Nalley Valley viaduct, between South Tacoma Way and Center Street.
7, Wednesday, 6 - 8 p.m., Public Hearing, Ferries Long-range plan - Vashon Island: WSDOT's Ferries Division will hold a series of public hearings around Puget Sound to get comments on the draft long-range plan for services and investments through 2030. Public comments received will help inform the final plan scheduled to be released on Jan. 30, 2009. Location: McMurray Middle School, 9329 SW Cemetery Rd., Vashon Island.
8, Thursday, 6 - 8 p.m., Public Hearing, Ferries Long-range plan - Bremerton: WSDOT's Ferries Division will hold a series of public hearings around Puget Sound to get comments on the draft long-range plan for services and investments through 2030. Public comments received will help inform the final plan scheduled to be released on Jan. 30, 2009. Location: Kitsap Conference Center, Harborside, 100 Washington Avenue, Bremerton.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Express Lane Archive
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