Date:
Friday, December 21, 2007
Contact:
Greg Phipps, WSDOT Communications, 206.440.4702 (Shoreline)
Colleen Gants, WSDOT Communications, 206.465.2311 (Cell)
RENTON – WSDOT contractor crews report the first run of pipe is up and running adjacent to the northbound lanes of I-405 in Renton near Benson Road.
“This is good news,” said Project Engineer Lisa Hodgson. “With that failed culvert under I-405, we need that pumping power and pumping capacity, especially with two storms coming in this weekend.”
Forecasters are predicting up to a half-inch of rain on Saturday and another three-quarters inch Sunday afternoon and evening.
On Dec. 3, a culvert under I-405 failed and created a sinkhole adjacent to the southbound lanes. Since that day, crews have been working to divert the water from Thunder Hills Creek away from I-405 to protect the roadway.
Crews spent Friday testing the new pipe and pump system. This first 2000-foot run of pipe is one of three sets of pipes that will pump water to the south. The second run should be in place by Sunday night. WSDOT also has a secondary, back-up pumping system that is ready to push water into a storm drain along the I-405 shoulder to the north of the creek.
“The system we’ll have in place for the weekend can handle a two-year rain event. That’s about two inches in 24 hours, certainly not unheard of around here, said Hodgson. “We want to minimize the risk and are striving to protect this road from a 100-year rain storm. That’s about 3.9 inches per 24 hours.”
To reduce the risk, WSDOT has Incident Response Teams and project engineers on stand by to monitor the pumps and be prepared to take action in the unlikely event the rain overwhelms the current pumping system. WSDOT has contacted Godwin Pumping of Kent to bring in back-up portable pumps to divert more water.
“Closing I-405 would be our last option. We will do everything we can to make sure that road stays open,” said Hodgson. “This is a day-to-day operation. We are watching the skies, we are watching the pumps, we are watching the ground. We are working through the weekend to get these systems in place.”
“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 20-45 minutes to the normal commute time in this area.
WSDOT advises drivers who use this freeway to stay on top of the closures by:
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.
The second part of the repair work begins in January 2008, and will be off the road as crews replace the collapsed culvert. This work could take up to six weeks and could be very noisy.
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