A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Washington Jobs Now - ARRA funds will replace a county bridge and keep trucks rolling along
ARRA funds are allowing Whatcom County to replace an old bridge and restore heavy traffic on a major trucking route. |
An ailing bridge on a major trucking route in Whatcom County is being replaced thanks to funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
The Scott Ditch Bridge on Hannegan Road, just south of Lynden in Whatcom County, was built in 1935 and handles 8,500 vehicles per day. Major repairs for flood damage and traffic-induced wear, in 1958, 1991 and 2002, forced the county to impose weight restrictions on the bridge, which sits in the middle of a major trucking route. As the bridge began showing signs of structural distress, Whatcom County nominated it to receive ARRA funding for replacement.
Crews began work on the 10-week-long project at 3 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 23. They expect to complete work by the end of October. The project includes replacing the existing two-span bridge with a wider, single-span bridge suitable for heavy truck traffic. The new bridge will be approximately 8 feet wider than the 34-foot-wide existing structure at 42 feet, 9 inches. Crews will demolish and remove the existing bridge, and install new support piles, abutments, girders, cast-in-place deck and approach slabs.
This $1.05 million project supports local jobs for workers throughout the duration of demolition and construction.
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Maintenance & Operations feature - Using technology to make our highways smarter and safer
New technology will be used to communicate with drivers on I-5 in Seattle. The goal is to reduce collisions caused by sudden traffic slow-downs. |
Using technology to make our roadways more efficient is nothing new to Washington. We already use a variety of congestion fighting tools throughout the state. Examples include ramp meters, travel time signs, traffic cameras and variable speed limit signs on mountain passes that post speeds based on roadway conditions.
We’re building upon this by installing proven technology that has decreased congestion-related collisions by 30 percent in Europe. The recent fiber optic upgrade on I-5 in south Seattle is one of the first steps as crews lay the groundwork for active traffic management, also known as smarter highways. Once complete in summer 2010, a series of electronic speed-limit and lane status signs will span over each northbound lane on I-5 between Boeing Access Road and I-90 in Seattle.
The signs will be automated and operated via sensors embedded beneath the roadway that detect traffic slowdowns and adjust speed limits for the conditions. They will automatically adjust the posted speed limit providing drivers advance notice to slow down long before they reach the point where the traffic stops. These lower speeds will prevent the panic breaking that leads to collisions.
Start looking for these high-tech signs next summer on highly-congested I-5 and SR 520. Crews will also activate signs on I-90 in spring 2011 making that corridor smarter between I-5 and 150th Avenue SE.
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Update of projects under way
US 97 Beebe Bridge, Wenatchee - The US 97 Columbia River Bridge at Beebe remains closed to vehicles after a fatal semi-truck collision on Aug. 31. WSDOT closed the bridge after steel trusses and beams that support the bridge were severely damaged. Pedestrian traffic across the bridge was restored on Tuesday, Sept. 8. A portion of the bridge deck is still noticeably sagging. Motor vehicles won’t be allowed until permanent repairs are complete, which are still anticipated to take several weeks. WSDOT Bridge crews completed emergency stabilization work Friday afternoon, but the structure still won’t support heavy equipment. Further stabilization will be done by a contract bridge specialty firm, KLM Construction that WSDOT has hired to make the permanent repairs. WSDOT's Bridge Office in Olympia continues working around the clock on the design and work plans. Once stabilization is complete, KLM will begin replacing the damaged trusses.
I-205 Vancouver - Final construction activities for the I-205 – Mill Plain Exit – 112th Connector project will close lanes and ramps on I-205 and Mill Plain Blvd. over the next few weeks, starting Friday, Sept. 11. These closures will allow crews to complete final paving, striping, signing, and embankment work and prepare the new northbound on-ramp for traffic. Advanced warning signs will be posted and message boards will be used to inform drivers of closures and alternate routes. Once closures are complete and bridge approaches are paved, the new bridge and on-ramp will be opened to traffic by the end of September.
US 395 Kennewick - Friday night, Sept. 11 crews closed southbound US 395, south of the Blue Bridge, to finish rebuilding that section of US 395 with two lanes into Kennewick. Work is part of a project that will reconfigure the US 395 / SR 240 interchange south of the "Blue Bridge" in Kennewick. The improvements include adding a second lane for southbound US 395 to improve traffic flow and reduce the risk of collisions. The new southbound US 395 bridge is scheduled to be finished and open to traffic at noon on Sunday, Sept. 20.
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Announcements
Wenatchee returned to service in time for Labor Day weekend
The 202-car ferry Wenatchee returned to service Friday, Sept. 4 on the Seattle/Bainbridge Island route after crews repaired damage from the vessel’s hard landing on Aug. 30. Other vessels that had been moved from their regular routes were returned to their previous route assignments: the Puyallup to Edmonds/Kingston (restoring normal vehicle capacity on that route), and the Hyak to Seattle/Bremerton (restoring two auto ferries to that route).
“It was a very difficult week for our Bremerton customers and we really appreciate their patience,” said David Moseley, Assistant Secretary for WSF. “Crews worked double shifts since Sunday, and I’m relieved that they were able to repair the Wenatchee in time for service on the busy Labor Day weekend.” Crews also worked around the clock to repair Slip 3 at Colman Dock in Seattle, which was damaged by the Wenatchee’s hard landing.
As summer vacation ends, long-term lane closures on I-90 begin
Just as construction is winding down for the season in many areas, crews are getting ready to kick it into high gear on I-90. As part of an $18.4 million Recovery Act-funded project, WSDOT and contractor crews will replace several miles of deteriorating concrete panels in the right lane of westbound I-90, between Easton and Bullfrog Road, about 20 miles east of Snoqualmie Summit.
WSDOT waited until heavy summer travel volumes subsided to help reduce delays and congestion for travelers on this critical cross-state route. The work and lane closures are still expected to add an up to an hour to drivers’ commute times across the pass.
The following restrictions will be in place 24-hours a day on I-90 from Sept. 8 to early November, between Easton (milepost 69) and Bullfrog Road (milepost 79):
- Eastbound traffic was restricted to one lane starting Sept. 8.
- Eastbound and westbound traffic will be restricted to one lane starting Sept. 13.
- Westbound traffic will be rerouted to the eastbound side of the road, as early as Sept. 16.
- On weekends, three lanes will be open: Two lanes eastbound Friday through Sunday morning; and two lanes westbound Sunday morning through early Monday morning.
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September events
18, Friday, 10 - 11 a.m., Ribbon Cutting, SR 522 UW Bothell Access Project - Bothell: WSDOT, University of Washington Bothell and Cascadia Community College will hold an event to celebrate completion of the SR 522 UW Bothell-Cascadia Community College Access project. The project includes a new south entrance to the UW Bothell and Cascadia Community College campus on SR 522 with a signal and an exclusive exit lane to the campus at the southbound I-405 to westbound SR 522 off-ramp and a new bridge for the I-405 off-ramps constructed over the campus access street. Location: The event will be held on the new campus entrance ramp, with parking on campus in designated areas at the south garage.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Express Lane Archive
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