Date:  Thursday, December 20, 2007

Contact: Greg Phipps, WSDOT Communications, 206.440.4702 (Shoreline)
Colleen Gants, WSDOT Communications, 206.465.2311 (Cell)

RENTON – WSDOT contractor crews are making good progress on installing a pump and pipe system along the northbound lanes of I-405 at Benson Road. Late Thursday evening crews had the first run of 24-inch pipe up and running 2000 feet along I-405, under Talbot Road and into the drainage system on the west side of the freeway.

A back-up system is already running and pumping water into a storm drain on the northbound shoulder of I-405.

Concern about another storm is why crews are working hard to get the three-run pipe system up and working. While last night’s downpour was heavy, it was not unusual and that’s why crews are anxious to complete all three runs of the pipe system by the end of next week.

Crews have been working since Dec. 10 on emergency repairs to a failing culvert that runs underneath I-405 in Renton.

“From here on out, the repairs involve detailed hand work in dark, wet spaces and on steep slopes,” WSDOT Project Engineer Lisa Hodgson said.

On Dec. 3 record-setting rain damaged sections of a 400-foot-long culvert that sits 60 feet underneath I-405. The collapse led to a sinkhole just 12 feet from the southbound shoulder of I-405. Crews stabilized the sinkhole, but the culvert is broken. Without a functioning culvert, another significant storm could possibly force WSDOT to close all lanes of I-405.

WSDOT must close a lane on I-405 to make room for crews to work:

• Crews will close the right, northbound lane of I-405 between SR 167 and SR 169 on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. To help keep traffic moving, the HOV lane will be open to all drivers during this time.
• Through the weekend, crews will close the right, northbound lane of I-405 between SR 167 and SR 169 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. To help keep traffic moving, the HOV lane will be open to all drivers during this time.

“This is a hard time of year to have lane closures and traffic back-ups,” added Hodgson. “We appreciate drivers’ efforts so far to take alternate routes, and we need to ask for their further cooperation as we complete this emergency work.”

WSDOT has been monitoring congestion in the work zone, and found the most significant back-ups to be on SR 167. Northbound SR 167 traffic headed to northbound I-405 has seen average back-ups between 2.5 and 4 miles long, adding 20-30 minutes to the normal commute time in this area.

WSDOT advises drivers who use this freeway to stay on top of the closures by:

• Checking the 511 drivers information line before they head out
• Checking the WSDOT travel page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/
• Checking the Web page we have created for this work www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/i405/RentonCulvertReplacement/

To help keep traffic moving, WSDOT is working around the clock to give drivers as much information as possible. We are:

• Working with local television and radio stations to deliver up-to-date, real time traffic information
• Placing portable signs along the roadway letting drivers know the HOV lane is open to all traffic.
• Using the overhead electronic signs and the 511 system to deliver traffic information to drivers.
• Working with the city of Renton to manage traffic on local streets near the freeway.
• Staffing WSDOT’s traffic management center during the busiest times.
• Putting extra WSDOT incident response trucks and staff in the area to quickly clear any blocking incidents.

We have created a Web page that has more detailed explanation of our work. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/i405/RentonCulvertReplacement.

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