Date:
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Contact:
Amir Ahmadi, Project Engineer, 425-225-8700 (Everett)
Meghan Soptich, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4704 (Seattle)
Patty Michaud, WSDOT Communications, 425-405-1785 (Everett)
Bruce Gray, Sound Transit Communications, 206-398-5069 (Seattle)
Freeway station crews add new sign bridges while I-5 Everett crews stripe lanes
EVERETT – Work is steadily progressing on the Sound Transit South Everett Freeway Station project as crews prepare to wrap up this fall. For the next two Saturdays, drivers can expect overnight closures of I-5 while crews install five new sign bridges and remove the wooden platforms they used to work on the new bridge decks.
“We’ll use the first Saturday to work over northbound I-5 and the second Saturday to work over southbound I-5,” said Project Engineer Amir Ahmadi. “We’re getting two for the price of one with this closure – I-5 Everett crews will also be working in the area.”
While the freeway station crews are working above the northbound lanes, crews on the I-5 Everett HOV and Freeway Expansion project will be working below. If dry weather prevails, they plan to restripe all of the northbound lanes between the off-ramp to SR 526 and the on-ramp from SR 527. They’ll also place permanent striping on the northbound HOV lane as far north as Lowell Road.
“We’re seizing a golden opportunity,” said I-5 Everett Project Director Mike Cotten. “Taking advantage of this full closure to work on two projects is good for drivers and good for crews.”
Drivers should prepare for an overnight total closure of northbound I-5 this Saturday, followed by a total closure of southbound I-5 the following weekend.
- Saturday, May 3 - Crews will close all lanes of northbound I-5 at 128th St SW at 11:59 p.m. to install new sign bridges and remove work platforms from the bridge decks. Crews will reopen one lane at 7 a.m. on Sunday, May 4, with all lanes open by noon. Drivers will follow a signed detour using SR 527 and SR 526.
- Saturday, May 10 – Crews will close all lanes of southbound I-5 at SR 527 at 11:59 p.m. to install new sign bridges and remove work platforms from the bridge decks. Crews will reopen one lane at 7 a.m. on Sunday, May 11, with all lanes open by 10 a.m. Drivers will follow a signed detour using SR 527 and 128th St SE.
Crews working on the freeway station still have a lot of work ahead of them. Next they’ll finish widening 112th Street over I-5 from two lanes to five lanes. They’ll also finish paving 112th Street SE and sections of the new park-and-ride lot, add wider sidewalks, build the approaches to the new bridge, and finish improvements to the Interurban Trail.
“Our crews’ hard work is paying off,” said Project Engineer Amir Ahmadi. “We are on target to open the new station by late 2008.”
The I-5 South Everett Freeway Station Project is primarily funded by Sound Transit. WSDOT and Sound Transit have teamed up with the city of Everett to remove and replace the 112th Street SE bridges over I-5 with new, wider bridges as part of this project. When the project is complete, buses, carpools and vanpools will be able to go directly from the I-5 HOV lanes to a new 400-stall park-and-ride lot in the I-5 median at 112th Street SE. A new access road from 112th Street SE will allow single-occupant vehicles to reach the park-and-ride. For more information, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/i5/SouthEverett.
For information on the I-5 Everett HOV and freeway expansion project, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/HOVSR526toUS2.
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