Date:  Friday, March 27, 2009

Contact: Jeff Adamson, North Central Region Communications Manager, Wenatchee,
(509) 667-2815, (509) 669-8778 Cell. E-mail: adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov
Kevin Waligorski, North Central Region Project Engineer, Wenatchee,
(509) 667-2860 E-mail: waligok@wsdot.wa.gov

WENATCHEE– WSDOT kicks off its highway construction season in North Central Washington by stabilizing rock slopes along a two mile section of US 2 between Wenatchee and Waterville. Crews begin work on the $3.1 million dollar slope stabilization project beginning Mon. April 6.

An additional 23 projects, worth $65 million will soon follow. Together they will create or support more than 650 jobs in Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties.

“Not only is this good for our local economy, but building these projects increases safety, reduces congestion for motorists and truckers and also benefits bicyclists and pedestrians,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary.

The first project stabilizes rock slopes through a two-mile section of Pine Canyon on US 2 between Orondo and Waterville in Douglas County. It will reduce the number of rocks rolling onto the roadway, creating driving hazards. The project will cut back the slopes to a flatter angle, remove debris, scale rocks, install rock bolts and steel cable netting. The work must be done during daylight for the safety of the crews as well as the traffic below. Drivers can expect single lane alternating traffic with up to 20 minute delays until Labor Day.

Drivers should plan ahead as they drive through these work zones, too. A project to add another lane to the SR 285 Senator George Sellar Bridge in Wenatchee will squeeze traffic down to two lanes each weeknight from May through November. After the Fourth of July until mid August, paving on US 2 through Tumwater Canyon west of Leavenworth will completely close the highway on weeknights, requiring trucks to be detoured to I-90 Snoqualmie Pass and passenger vehicles must follow a 30-mile detour using the Chumstick Highway.

Also among this summer’s projects are five pavers worth more than $12 million that wouldn’t have been constructed without federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus money the Governor and Legislature included in the supplemental transportation budget approved earlier this month. These paving projects will result in safer, smoother and longer lasting driving surfaces.

Visit the WSDOT North Central Region Construction Update/Travel Advisory webpage for links to all this season’s projects: www.wsdot.wa.gov/regions/northcentral/construction
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