Date:  Friday, April 17, 2009

Contact: Meghan Soptich, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4704 (Seattle)
John Chi, WSDOT Project Engineer, 425-489-5402 (Bothell)

Drivers should plan for closures seven nights a week

SNOHOMISH – The harsh winter is finally winding down, but its aftermath will force delays for drivers on SR 9 south of Snohomish starting next week. Drivers can expect nightly closures of the highway as crews repair damage caused by January floods.

Last August, WSDOT began a $53 million widening project on SR 9 between 176th Street SE and Marsh Road in Snohomish County, which will support an estimated 175 jobs in 2009. Recently, project crews have been working to improve intersections in the southern end of the project.

“We’re taking a break from our other project work to complete these critical repairs,” said John Chi, WSDOT project engineer. “We made temporary repairs in January to stabilize the highway after the storms. Next week we’ll begin rebuilding sections of road that were undermined by the flooding.”

Under a $1.3 million emergency contract, the crews will shift focus to the newly-widened section of roadway between SR 96 (Lowell-Larimer Rd) and Marsh Road, removing undermined portions of roadway and rebuilding the foundation of the highway. They’ll also repave damaged areas to provide a smooth, safe surface for drivers.

During the repair work, crews will reduce both directions of SR 9 to a single lane of alternating one-way traffic between SR 96 and Marsh Road from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights. On Friday and Saturday nights lanes will close at 9 p.m. and reopen by 7 a.m. the following morning. Crews plan to start work as early as Monday, April 20, and have up to 30 days to complete the emergency repairs.

About 20,000 drivers use this section of SR 9 each day. Drivers should choose alternate routes around the closures or be prepared for delays. The speed limit has been reduced to 40 mph since January to keep drivers and crews safe until repairs could be made.

Scarsella Brothers, Inc. is the contractor for the SR 9 widening project, and will also complete the $1.3 million repair work. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will reimburse WSDOT under the Federal Emergency declaration for the December and January storms. Crews expect to wrap up the emergency repair work by mid-May, but work on the SR 9 - 176th to Marsh Rd project will continue through the end of the year. For more information, visit the project Web site: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR9/176thtoMarsh/default.htm.

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