A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Project of the Week - Heads up, night owls: I-90 closures at I-405; Work part of $124 million south Bellevue widening project
A new southbound I-405 bridge will open to traffic in Bellevue this month. Over the next few weeks, crews will remove the temporary construction material attached to the new I-405 bridge shown here. |
Monday, Dec. 8, crews will launch two weeks of overnight closures of I-90 at I-405 as they prepare to shift traffic onto a new southbound freeway bridge. Crews will remove temporary construction materials from the bridge and close several area ramps for the work. The weeknight work will wrap up on Thursday, Dec. 18.
All lanes of eastbound I-90 at I-405 are slated to close Monday through Thursday beginning Dec. 8, and all lanes of westbound I-90 will close the same nights during the following week. Due to the significant height of the new I-405 bridge over I-90, WSDOT is taking precautions to protect drivers from falling construction debris by completely closing one direction of the freeway each week. Traffic will be detoured during the closures.
When the new bridge opens this winter, it will carry two southbound lanes. The southbound carpool lane will remain on the existing freeway bridge. All southbound lanes of I-405 will use the new bridge by the summer of 2009 once paving is complete.
The project, also known as the 112th Avenue SE to SE 8th Street Project, helps relieve congestion at one of the worst I-405 bottlenecks - the drive in and out of Bellevue. Earlier this year, crews removed the Wilburton Tunnel to make way for two new southbound lanes from SE 8th to I-90. Besides increasing freeway capacity, the new lanes are expected to significantly improve traffic flow – a welcome relief to drivers headed south out of Bellevue during heavy commute times.
top
Maintenance & Operations feature - WSDOT helps holiday travelers reach their destinations
A surge of holiday travelers made their way home on Sunday, Nov. 30, the busiest travel day of the long Thanksgiving weekend for both I-90 and I-5. |
Thanksgiving holiday travelers were on the move this past weekend. On I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass, close to 180,000 made the trip Wednesday through Sunday, an increase of 2,150 vehicles (1.2 percent) compared to 2007. Westbound I-90 saw its busiest travel day on Sunday, up 25,200 (13 percent) from 2007. Another busy spot was Washington’s only section of I-5 with just two lanes in each direction - the area just south of Olympia through Lewis County. Over the entire weekend, close to 350,000 vehicles traveled this section, up four percent from 2007.
While most of us were enjoying time with family and friends, WSDOT's Incident Response (IR) and Maintenance crews were out helping travelers get to their destinations safely and with minimal delays. Statewide, IR operators reported 238 incidents from Wednesday through Sunday - including 125 disabled vehicles, 40 abandoned vehicles, and 26 collisions. For example, on Thanksgiving Day, WSDOT Maintenance crew member Jack Knox was called out at 7:35 a.m. to assist with traffic control on SR 410 near Naches. A semi-truck had rolled, blocking both lanes. Knox and a Washington State Patrol trooper stayed at the scene until the truck was cleared, just after 9 a.m.
In a more unusual incident, "over the river and through the woods," took on new meaning. IR member Jeff Spencer was called out from Leavenworth to help round up four horses that had made their way onto US 2/97 near Monitor, just west of Wenatchee. Spencer used his truck lights to warn motorists of the road hazard. With the help of an owner, Chelan County Sheriff's deputy and an animal control officer, the horses were eventually caught and led back home. Across the state, animals on the highway (mostly deer and elk) account for an estimated 3,000 collisions annually.
Overall, traffic flowed smoothly with relatively few collisions, thanks to drivers who exercised patience and safe driving behavior.
top
Update of projects under way
US 101 Mason County - On Dec. 1, crews began setting girders for the new US 101 Purdy Creek Bridge. Moving the large girders into place required alternating, one-way traffic and two full closures of the highway for several hours. The 15 girders, ranging in length from 90 feet to 135 feet, provide the structural foundation for the new bridge deck. This $9.75 million project replaces the existing timber-trestle bridge with a concrete structure. The new span is approximately 12.5 feet higher than the existing span. Raising and lengthening the bridge allows floodwaters to pass beneath, keeping the highway open and traffic moving. About 7,000 vehicles a day cross the bridge.
SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge - The countdown to the Hood Canal Bridge's May-June 2009 closure officially began on Dec. 1. WSDOT and contractor Kiewit-General installed an electronic countdown clock along SR 104 on the Kitsap County side of the bridge. As the sign read, in 150 days, 8 hours, 6 minutes and 33 seconds, the way people get to and from the Olympic Peninsula will change for approximately six weeks. Travel options during the closure include crossing Hood Canal by using a water shuttle, transit connections and park and rides, driving around, taking a near-by car ferry or flying from Port Angeles. The sign is a visual reminder to help drivers get ready for the closure. WSDOT will reset the clock on May 1, 2009 and start its official six-week closure countdown, providing drivers a look at when they can cross the Hood Canal Bridge again.
top
Announcements
Report finds little change to regional economy with Alaskan Way Viaduct scenarios
WSDOT, King County, and the City of Seattle released information on the final set of evaluation results for the eight scenarios under consideration for the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall along the central waterfront. The newly-released results factor how each scenario and its construction might affect the local and regional economy.
Results showed no significant economic differences among the scenarios after construction. All scenarios replace some of the viaduct’s capacity and where travel times increase, the number of trips affected represents a small percent of the total regional trips. The economic model found that industries such as professional services and tourism are unlikely to move outside the four-county region due to the viaduct scenarios.
The agencies will use this information to create two to three hybrid scenarios which they will announce on Dec. 11. A final recommendation is expected by the end of the year from Governor Gregoire, King County Executive Ron Sims, and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels.
Construction begins on Swift Bus Rapid Transit
On Dec. 3, bus rapid transit took a step closer to reality in the Puget Sound region. Groundbreaking took place on the Community Transit’s Swift line, which will run hybrid buses every 10 minutes most of the day on a 17-mile corridor of Highway 99 in Snohomish County. Swift will cross the boundary between Community Transit and Everett Transit service districts, where passengers now must exit one agency’s buses to transfer to another bus. The two agencies signed a partnership agreement that allows Community Transit to run the service in Everett while Everett Transit will pay for stations in the city limits.
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray joined other dignitaries in turning dirt on the first of 24 Swift stations at the corner of Highway 99 and Airport Road in Everett. Community Transit is paying for half the $32 million project cost, with other funding coming from Everett, WSDOT and the Federal Transit Administration.
New ferry on the way for Port Townsend/Keystone Route
WSDOT Ferries Division announced Dec. 1 that it is awarding a contract to Todd Pacific Shipyards to build one 64-auto ferry. With the $65.5 million contract award, the new ferry is on an 18-month construction timeline.
The ferry will serve the Port Townsend to Keystone route that has been without a state-owned auto ferry since the Steel Electric Class ferries were taken out of service in November 2007. Since then, various temporary solutions have been in place, including a leased auto ferry, the Steilacoom II, from Pierce County. The new 64-auto ferry will hold up to 750 passengers.
“It's important for the long-term health of the ferry system that we get on with the business of building new vessels and replacing our aging ferry fleet," said Paula Hammond, Secretary of Transportation. "These vessels fit with our plan that includes identifying a sustainable long-term funding source to support the ferry system into the future."
top
Gray Notebook highlight - Annual Congestion Update
The Gray Notebook's congestion annual report shows that increases in peak-period travel times leveled off slightly in 2007 compared to 2005, and that nine key commute routes in central Puget Sound saw improved travel times. The report also updates WSDOT’s work on Moving Washington—the agency’s three-part strategy of adding capacity strategically, operating the system more efficiently, and managing demand. “Before and after” analysis for selected congestion-relief projects show they are helping to reduce congestion statewide. A study of 21 mobility projects funded by the 2003 and 2005 transportation funding packages shows they save drivers an estimated 6,400 hours in combined travel time per day—a 10 percent improvement following construction. More details on this topic can be found in the September 2008 edition of the Gray Notebook at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
top
December open houses, meetings and events
8, Monday, 5:30 – 8 p.m., Stakeholder Advisory Committee briefing, Alaskan Way Viaduct - Seattle: The briefing is to answer questions from Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) members about central waterfront evaluation results related to economic impacts, open space and pedestrian connectivity, which were presented at the Dec. 4 SAC meeting. The briefing is open to the public; however, there will not be a public comment period. Written or e-mail comments are accepted. Location: Seattle City Hall, Bertha Landes Room.
11, Thursday, 4 – 8 p.m., Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting, Alaskan Way Viaduct - Seattle: The committee will meet to discuss new hybrid scenarios for the central waterfront project. The meetings are open to the public; however, there will not be a public comment period. Written or e-mail comments are accepted. Location: Seattle City Hall, Bertha Landes Room.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Express Lane Archive
top