A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Project of the week: SR 4, East of County Line Park - Rockfall Work Begins July 7
SR 4 unstable slope in Cowlitz County. |
Contractor crews will soon be removing loose rock, soil, trees and other debris from an unstable slope above SR 4, just East of County Line Park beginning July 7. The slope was identified by geotechnical experts as unstable and in need of rock fall prevention work.
The SR 4, East of County Line Park – Rockfall Project will stabilize this slope and install rock anchors to hold large rocks in place to further steady the slope above the highway. Crews will also install a cable fence along the slope to reduce the risk of rocks falling onto the highway. This $600,000 project was awarded to Hi-Tech Rockfall Construction, Inc. of Eugene, Oregon in late May.
During rock scaling operations, motorists will encounter timed, full closures of SR 4 each hour between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday for approximately three weeks, weather permitting. At the top of every hour, crews will re-open SR 4 to traffic for 15-minute durations to allow traffic to pass through the work zone. This type of closure is necessary to ensure the safety of motorists and workers alike. Due to the extreme nature of this work, WSDOT has decided to accelerate construction of this project to minimize the length of closures necessary during rock scaling activities. After the timed, full closures, motorists can expect single lane traffic, alternating directions on SR 4 for project completion activities. This project is scheduled for completion fall 2008.
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Maintenance & Operations Feature - JOPS 2008: A Joint Operations Policy Statement
WSDOT and WSP work together to clear collisions quickly and get traffic moving again. |
The WSDOT and WSP have long recognized their joint responsibilities for enhancing the safety and security of our transportation systems. In 2002, management in the agencies jointly developed the JOPS Policy Agreement to define responsibilities and state policy as guidance for future collaboration. JOPS in Washington is the only agreement of its kind in the nation. Other states routinely request information on the program, and both WSDOT and WSP personnel are often asked to share highlights from the program at conferences.
The agencies have successfully used the JOPS Agreement to enhance their relationship. Traffic incidents are one of the main causes of roadway congestion. Roads are cleared faster and traffic gets moving again because roles and responsibilities in JOPS are clearly defined and agreed upon.
WSP’s Field Operations Division is responsible for traffic law enforcement, collision investigation, commercial vehicle regulations and motorist assistance. WSDOT supports WSP with these operations through a wide range of activities and facilities varying from Traffic Incident Management (TIM) to disaster response, winter operations and transportation and ferry security, among others.
WSDOT’s maintenance and Incident Response Teams make up a large portion of JOPS. At a traffic incident or during a major emergency, WSDOT crews and their WSP trooper counterparts work together. There are many programs we can point to that may not exist without the relationships formed through JOPS. These programs include towing services to get cars and semi trucks off the road quickly and agreements with coroners to expedite fatal collision investigations.
On July 9, Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond and WSP Chief John Batiste will sign the 2008 JOPS document. The 2008 revision of the JOPS agreement updates best practices and incorporates “lessons learned” from six years of an intense collaborative process designed to increase the performance of both agencies.
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Update of projects under way
I-5 Seattle - During the week of June 30, construction crews working for WSDOT took the first steps toward building new noise walls along southbound I-5 in the Green Lake and Licton Springs neighborhoods of Seattle. Residents along this stretch of I-5 experience high noise levels. When we built I-5 in the 1960s, there was less traffic and less noise. Since then, noise levels increased along with traffic growth putting these neighborhoods on a high priority for the state’s noise retrofit efforts. When this $6.1 million project is complete, the closest homes will benefit from as much as a 50 percent reduction in noise from I-5.
SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge - WSDOT and Kiewit-General crews reached their biggest milestone since Hood Canal Bridge pontoon construction began three years ago – they completed the final concrete pour on the last of the 14 new Hood Canal Bridge pontoons. The 430 cubic yards placed for the top slab on pontoon W brought the total concrete used in pontoon construction to more than 29,000 cubic yards. That’s enough to pave one lane of highway 12.3 miles, roughly from Seattle to Renton, in one foot of concrete. After post-tensioning work – or high-strength reinforcement – is conducted, pontoons U and W will be floated from Concrete Technology Corporation to Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle in early August. There they will be outfitted with columns, roadway, electrical equipment and mechanical parts. Construction of pontoons U and W marks the end of the fourth and final pontoon cycle. It is also another milestone reached on the way to the east-half bridge replacement process scheduled to occur during the six-week Hood Canal Bridge closure in May-June 2009.
SR 105 Grays Harbor - For the next three months, crews will be out cleaning and painting the metal structures on the SR 105 Johns River Bridge, nine miles west of Aberdeen. New paint protects the metal surfaces from corrosion. Part of the project includes building a temporary work platform beneath the span. This $600,000 project, awarded to Purcell Painting & Coatings of Seattle, is scheduled for completion by the end of September. The Johns River Bridge was built in 1952 and averages 6,550 vehicles daily.
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Announcements
Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement program moving forward; Environmental assessment for removing one mile of Viaduct made public
WSDOT and FHWA took another step toward replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct by releasing the environmental assessment for the South Holgate Street to South King Street Viaduct Replacement Project. This project is adjacent to and south of the stadiums and will replace one mile, or approximately 40 percent, of the vulnerable Alaskan Way Viaduct. Construction on the south end of the Alaskan Way Viaduct will begin in 2009 and the new road will be open to traffic in 2012.
The report further describes how the project will be built and the construction schedule. It also outlines the anticipated effects of south end viaduct construction on the environment, traffic and surrounding neighborhoods. The public is invited to submit comments via e-mail, mail, and at the upcoming public hearings where a court reporter will also be available. Public comments must be received or postmarked by August 11, 2008.
Tolls on Tacoma Narrows Bridge increased July 1
Toll rates on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge increased to $4.00 for cash toll payers and $2.75 for electronic toll payers, effective July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009.
The Washington State Transportation Commission approved the toll rate increases at its May 27, 2008 meeting. When the bridge opened last summer, a $3.00 toll rate for all customers was anticipated to begin July 1, 2008. However, both the Citizen Advisory Committee and the Commission want to continue offering a discount for those using the Good To Go! electronic transponders. Given that the state must collect enough toll revenue to meet debt payments related to construction of the bridge, the $1.00 increase over current toll rates was determined necessary to raise sufficient funds, while still maintaining a discount for Good To Go! customers.
The Citizen Advisory Committee and the Commission will be reviewing traffic and revenue data on a regular basis to determine the appropriate toll rate for the following year. Their goal is to maintain the lowest possible toll rates, while ensuring there is sufficient toll revenue to meet the financial obligations.
Last of 2005 gas tax phases took effect July 1
The final 1.5-cent gas tax increase from the 2005 transportation revenue package took effect July 1.
Meanwhile, the Washington State Department of Transportation is more than half-way to completing the nearly 400 projects funded with 2003 and 2005 transportation revenue increases.
“We take seriously our responsibility to build, maintain and manage the state’s transportation system and that includes delivering on the expectations from the 2003 and 2005 transportation revenue packages,” said Paula Hammond, Secretary of Transportation. “The last step from the 2005 legislation is a good time to check in on how the projects already delivered are making a difference for drivers.”
As of June 30, WSDOT has successfully delivered 148 of the 391 projects funded by the 2003 and 2005 revenue increases. WSDOT completed 19 projects in the three months from March to June 2008. The projects built by WSDOT have made highways safer, eliminated bottlenecks and chokepoints and preserved an aging transportation infrastructure. Just a few of the projects completed from the 2003 and 2005 revenue increases include:
- Up to six miles of new HOV lanes on I-5 through Everett
- Ten miles of new HOV lanes on SR 16 from Gig Harbor to Tacoma
- A mile-long collector distributor roadway on I-5 through Tacoma
- Widening I-5 from Salmon Creek to I-205 in Vancouver
- A 10-mile truck climbing lane on I-90 near Vantage
- Widening six miles of SR 270 east of Pullman
- Eliminated a 40-mile detour for trucks by replacing the Potato Hill Bridge over I-90 near Moses Lake
- Widening I-405 through Kirkland
The 129 projects completed as of March 2008 were collectively delivered for almost $6 million less than the $1.3 billion legislative budget expectation.
WSDOT provides four new portable cameras to keep an eye on I-90 traffic near Snoqualmie Pass during the summer months
WSDOT has placed four new portable trailer mounted electronic signs and cameras along I-90 between Denny Creek (5 miles west of the summit) and Elk Heights (18 miles west of Ellensburg) to help traffic managers and travelers keep an eye on traffic. These cameras are placed in areas where back-ups and delays typically occur on weekends and holidays. The new camera locations are: I-90 Denny Creek Road (milepost MP 47), I-90 Golf Course Road (milepost 77), I-90 Cle Elum (milepost 85), and Elk Heights (milepost 93).
WSDOT traffic cameras across the state feed information to our Traffic Management Centers (TMCs). WSDOT's seven Traffic Management Centers are located in Shoreline, Tacoma, Bellingham, Vancouver, Yakima, Wenatchee and Spokane. Current information is gathered at the TMCs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from many sources including 574 CCTV cameras. WSDOT uses this information to coordinate responses to clear accidents and notify the public and the media.
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Gray Notebook Highlight - Safety Rest Areas Program
Currently, WSDOT owns, operates and maintains 46 safety rest areas. All facilities comply with the American Disability Act (ADA) and have permanent restroom buildings, separate truck/RV and passenger car parking, and picnic areas. WSDOT has calculated that 20.8 million people visited Washington State rest areas in 2007, a decrease of about three percent from last year. This is the first documented decrease in many years and may be attributed to higher fuel prices. WSDOT measures the Safety Rest Areas Program effectiveness through user surveys, information submitted by users on comment cards, and through site and facility condition evaluations. In 2007, nearly 1,000 visitors to the rest areas filled out comment cards, providing valuable feedback to WSDOT regarding their experience at the facility. Sixty-one percent of the cards returned indicated an overall experience of “good” to “excellent,” an improvement over 2006 comments. Accolades for the "Free Coffee Program" and cleanliness of the restrooms topped the list of comments. Twenty-five percent of the cards were in the “average” range, citing appreciation for the facility, but indicating a need for additional restrooms, vending at those sites with none, and improved WiFi service. The remaining 14 percent of the comments indicated dissatisfaction with restrooms cleanliness, lack of traveler information, inadequate pet areas, and facility closures. More details on this topic can be found in the March 2008 Gray Notebook at: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability
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July open houses, meeting, and events
10, Thursday, 4 - 7 p.m., Public hearing, Alaskan Way Viaduct - Seattle: Join FHWA and WSDOT at an Environmental Assessment (EA) public hearing about replacing the southern mile of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The EA report details the environmental effects of the project, how it will be built and the construction schedule. Location: Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle.
10, Thursday, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Organizational meeting, 520 Implementation Committee - Seattle: This is the second organizational meeting of the 520 Implementation Committee. The meeting will include briefings on tolling technology (how "no tollbooths" work); active traffic management and smart highways; and partnerships with businesses to reduce commuter trips. Location: Sound Transit Board Room, 401 S. Jackson, Seattle.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Express Lane Archive
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