Date:  Thursday, June 26, 2008

Contact:

Bronlea Mishler, WSDOT Communications, 360-757-5947

LYNDEN – Drivers and residents near Wiser Lake may have noticed crews installing yellow booms along the lake in the past day. That’s in anticipation of construction scheduled to start Monday, June 30. Crews will begin building a widened causeway across the lake to support the two additional Guide Meridian lanes.

On Monday, crews will start work off SR 539/Guide Meridian on the south side of the lake. The first stage of the work is the construction of a causeway – a rock support for the Wiser Lake bridge and new lanes. Crews will begin placing rock into the lake to build up the causeway. Work will begin on the south shore; as the rock is built up above the water level, crews will work their way north.

Once crews complete construction of the causeway, they’ll need to let it settle for three to five months to ensure that it is stable.

The yellow booms drivers or residents may have seen support a turbidity curtain, which is designed to prevent water containing sediment stirred up by construction from seeping into the rest of the lake.

Once work begins on the new rock causeway, the water level of the lake is not expected to rise. Engineers say any changes will be temporary as water will be able to flow out the controlled dam on the west end of the lake.

Drivers should see minimal disruption during this work. Lanes will remain open during the day; any traffic restrictions will be done at night.

To find out more about the Guide widening project, visit our project page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR539/TenMileBorder/

To comment on the Guide work, visit our blog:
http://guidemeridian.blogspot.com  

< Back to News Home