Date:  Friday, November 21, 2008

Contact: NCRegion Asst. Maintenance Engineer Jennene Ring. (509) 667-3080
NCRegion Communications Manager Jeff Adamson (509) 667-2815

WENATCHEE – With snow in the forecast, it’s a good time to remember why WSDOT maintenance crews installed warning beacons at each end of the SR 155 Columbia River Bridge below Grand Coulee Dam.

The deck is only 20-feet wide, so each driving lane is a little less than 10-feet wide. Those driving across the Columbia River Bridge on SR 155 below Grand Coulee Dam dread seeing that 12-foot blade on the front of a WSDOT snowplow truck coming toward them.

Flashing beacons on signs at each end of the bridge that alert motorists to “Yield to equipment on bridge when flashing” and "Wait Here When Flashing", have been in place since January of 2004.

“There are still people who ignore the signs and find themselves nose to nose with a plow truck,” said Wayne Rice, WSDOT Area Maintenance Supervisor.

“Another problem is that drivers will stop on the bridge itself when they see a snowplow, with its flashing lights, approaching them. This increases the danger for both the motorist and the snowplow operator. We want people to stop before they get on that narrow bridge deck,” said Jennene Ring, WSDOT North Central Region Maintenance/Traffic Engineer.

The idea for the remote controlled beacons came from the WSDOT snowplow operators. The $10,000 system was designed and built by region staff.

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