Date:  Thursday, May 14, 2009

Contact: Denys Tak, WSDOT Kelso Area Engineer, 800-545-1393 (Kelso) toll-free
Annie Linstrom, WSDOT Communications, 360-905-2079 (Vancouver)

NASELLE – Starting this week, drivers along SR 4 and SR 401 in Pacific, Wahkiakum and Cowlitz counties will start seeing orange barrels and construction equipment as the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) begins roadside safety improvements.

Crews will install guardrail, flatten slopes adjacent to the highway, and hydroseed along SR 4 and SR 401 to increase safety of the traveling public.

Petersen Brothers, Inc. of Sumner was awarded the SR 4 / SR 401 – Roadside Safety Improvements project in April for its bid of $266,000. The project is estimated to support or sustain seven jobs in the local community.

“We are eager to begin construction on this project to enhance safety for drivers and improve our roads for years to come,” said Bart Gernhart, WSDOT Southwest Deputy Regional Administrator.

During construction, motorists should expect daytime single lane and shoulder closures with up to 20-minute delays. These closures are necessary for the safety of work crews and drivers.

Construction work will start on SR 4 at the US 101 junction in Pacific County. Work will continue east through Wahkiakum and Cowlitz counties, concluding at the SR 432 junction in Longview. In all, work will take place at 11 locations throughout the SR 4 corridor. Guardrail will also be installed on a short stretch of SR 401 near the Astoria-Megler Bridge.

Once complete, safety will be enhanced along the SR 4 and SR 401 corridors, helping reduce the severity of collisions in these rural areas where motorists have driven off the roadway.

Close to 60 percent of the nation’s roadway fatalities result from drivers leaving their lane. Many of those fatalities happen in rural areas with two-lane roads. Installing guardrail will help increase motorist safety by aiding in the prevention of such collisions.

For weekly updates on this and other projects, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/SouthWest/Construction/default.htm.

For more specific information about the SR 4 / SR 401 – Roadside Safety Improvements project, please visit the project Web page at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR4/SR401RoadsideSafety/. 

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WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic or by dialing 5-1-1.

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