A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Project of the Week - WSDOT and two Seattle neighborhoods celebrated completion of new I-5 noise walls
Crews install noise wall panels along I-5 in the Green Lake neighborhood in November 2008. Neighbors will celebrate the project's completion on April 18. |
Crews are just days from wrapping up construction of three new noise walls along I-5 in Seattle’s Green Lake and Licton Springs neighborhoods. WSDOT invited some 250 neighbors living along the new noise walls to celebrate on April 18. We put the noise barriers to the test by gathering near one of the newly completed walls to have conversations, something that you couldn’t do before without shouting above the traffic noise coming from I-5.
Crews working for WSDOT's contractor, Granite Northwest Construction Co., completed Stage 1 of the I-5 – 5th Avenue NE to NE 92nd Street Noise Wall Project on time and on budget. Construction lasted about 10 months, but our efforts to engage our neighbors in planning and design began two years ago. When we conducted a community poll in 2007, the neighborhood overwhelming voted in favor of building the noise walls. In 2008, community members also helped us confirm how the walls would look, where and how tall they would be, and even helped find ways to preserve more trees during construction.
The new walls reduce the decibel levels by up to 50 percent for the homes and yards closest to the walls on the west side of the freeway. Stage 2 of the project is currently in design for a noise wall on the east side of I-5 and will be advertised to contractors in June 2009. Both stages of this project were funded by the 2005 Transportation Partnership Program.
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Washington Jobs Now - US 101/SR 103 improvements coming to Southwest Washington
Crews will be at work on US 101 in Pacific County, fixing damaged pavement similar to what's seen in the photo above. The US 101/SR 103 - Fort Columbia to Long Beach project will improve safety and preserve these vital coastal highways. |
WSDOT awarded a contract for the first of six American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) projects to be constructed in Southwest Washington. Crews will start work in June repaving a section of US 101 near Fort Columbia and chip sealing SR 103 between Long Beach and Ocean Park. The pavement on these sections of highways is deteriorating due to age and normal wear. Paving US 101 and chip sealing SR 103 will protect the existing pavement from further damage, rejuvenate the road surface, and extend the life of the roadway. The $1.8 million project will support an estimated 18 construction-related jobs.
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Maintenance & Operations feature - WSDOT works with local agencies to fight graffiti and save taxpayer dollars
This fence, along I-5 in Olympia will get a fresh coat of paint, thanks to the work of volunteer clean-up crews. |
If you drive on I-5 in Olympia or Lacey, you may have noticed that a fence running alongside a bike trail, adjacent to the northbound lanes, is riddled with graffiti. This fence is an eyesore for the cities and a headache for WSDOT's Olympic Region maintenance supervisor, John Davis.
Davis has had his crew repaint the fence several times, only to find it again covered in graffiti within days. The cost to taxpayers is thousands of dollars and with a tight maintenance budget, it becomes a juggling act to figure out where money can be moved around to pay for this unplanned activity.
Davis met with city and county officials and they came up with a way to remove the graffiti at virtually no cost. Thurston County is donating several 5-gallon buckets of paint and the cities contacted community groups to ask for help. River Ridge Covenant Church members and Morningside, a community rehabilitation program, jumped at the opportunity to make the graffiti removal part of their “Give Back to the Community Day” slated for April 26.
The volunteers will paint the fence and pick up litter along the bike trail. WSDOT is providing the buckets, paint brushes and trash bags, as well as a temporary right-of-way permit for the painters. As for graffiti returning to the fence, Davis is working with city police and the Washington State Patrol to have emphasis patrols and be on the lookout for taggers intent on defacing this fence.
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Update of projects under way
US 97 Blewett Pass - WSDOT awarded a $1.1 million contract to Pipkin Construction of Wenatchee to repair sections of US 97 Blewett Pass severely damaged by January storms. Blewett Pass was closed for 10 days by washouts and mudslides at four separate locations, reopening after temporary emergency repairs were completed at a cost of $1.3 million. Permanent work includes repaving and major culvert repairs, and reinforcing the washed out creek and riverbanks. Crews will place “rip rap”, rocks weighing several tons each, along the banks to protect the highway from future floods. Pipkin crews begin work on April 27. The contract will generate at least 11 new jobs.
US 101 Clallam County - WSDOT awarded contracts on April 15 totaling almost $2.8 million for two safety improvement projects in Clallam County. These projects combine to support approximately 30 jobs. Work takes place this spring and summer. Peterson Brothers, Inc. of Sumner takes on the second stage of the SR 112, Makah Reservation to US 101 Safety project, which removes roadside hazards and installs features such as signing and guardrail that reduce the frequency and severity of run-off-the-road collisions. Coral Construction Company of Sherwood, Ore will install a stronger type of guardrail (called thrie-beam guardrail) and permanent signing on and approaching the Sol Duc River Bridge to improve safety for drivers on US 101.
SR 539 Bellingham - Crews began putting down the final layer of asphalt on a half-mile stretch of SR 539 (Guide Meridian) between Axton and Smith roads on April 15. This work represents the final milestone for crews working on the southern portion of the $66.3 million Guide widening project, between Horton and Ten Mile roads. This project supported more than 663 local jobs during construction. Once the paving is finished, this section of the widened roadway will be considered officially complete.
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Announcements
SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge Project releases final transit schedules
Travelers planning to use the water shuttle and transit option to get around during the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge closure can now find schedules online. WSDOT released its final transit schedules for Starline Transportation, providing riders with the times and stops in Kitsap County, beginning May 1.
The six-week May-June closure will be challenging for travelers, but the Olympic Peninsula will be open for business. WSDOT encourages people to get ready now by reviewing their transportation choices. “Get around” options include crossing the canal via a water shuttle; the free transit-connecting-bus services and the park and ride lots; taking the Port Townsend/Edmonds evening ferry or the Port Townsend/Keystone ferry; flying from Port Angeles to Seattle; driving around on alternate routes; or utilizing private boat services. The Hood Canal Bridge retrofit and replacement is now at 91 percent complete. The project will improve the existing east half, making it wider, safer and more reliable.
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April open houses, meetings and events
21, Tuesday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Local meeting, Washington State Transportation Commission - Kent: The State Transportation Commission will meet with local elected officials, businesses and transportation organizations. The Commission holds several meetings throughout the state each year to gain insight from local government, industry and citizens about transportation issues that affect their communities and region. Location: Holiday Inn, Olympia Room, 22318 84th Avenue So., Kent.
22, Wednesday, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Washington State Transportation Commission - Olympia: The State Transportation Commission will hold its monthly meeting in Olympia. The Commission provides a public forum for transportation policy development. As the State Tolling Authority, the Commission sets tolls for state highways and bridges and fares for Washington State Ferries. Location: Transportation Building, Commission Boardroom, 310 Maple Park Avenue SE, Olympia.
22, Wednesday, 6 - 8 p.m., Open house, I-5 Blaine Interchange - Blaine: WSDOT staff will host an open house to share information about plans to build two roundabouts and modify I-5 at the D Street interchange in Blaine. This is the first of two open house opportunities. Location: Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street, Blaine.
Express Lane Archive
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