Date:  Monday, June 01, 2009

Contact: Will Smith, WSDOT Project Engineer, (509) 577-1840 (Yakima)
Amy Danberg, WSDOT Communications, (509) 577-1944 (Yakima)

YAKIMA – WSDOT awarded two more American Recovery and Reinvestment Act construction contracts to preserve I-90 near Snoqualmie Pass.

The I-90 Snoqualmie Summit to Hyak - Dowel Bar Retrofit project was awarded to Vetch Construction from Stanwood for the apparent low bid of $2.9 million. The I-90 Lake Easton to Bullfrog concrete paving project was awarded to Gary Merlino Construction Company from Seattle for the apparent low bid of $13.8 million. These two projects, expected to begin work this summer, will support nearly 200 jobs.

“I-90 is critically important to our state’s economy as a cross-state transportation corridor. And, these much needed preservation projects wouldn’t have happened without the federal ARRA investment,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary.

In addition to these two roadway preservation and concrete panel replacement projects, WSDOT will use $60,000 of federal stimulus funds to purchase eight “low light” cameras for the I-90 Camera Replacement project. These traffic cameras have infrared illuminators to improve nighttime views of roadway conditions on I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass.

“Drivers can now plan their trip based on the travel conditions they see from the cameras on our Web site. In addition, WSDOT crews will see problems on the roadway at night and respond right away,” said Rick Gifford, WSDOT Traffic Engineer.

I-90 Snoqualmie Summit to Hyak dowel bar retrofit project
As part of the I-90 Snoqualmie Summit to Hyak project, WSDOT and contractor crews will prevent three miles of pavement from cracking in the westbound direction on I-90 near the Snoqualmie Summit by inserting anti-rust steel dowel bars between the concrete panels in the right lane. Crews will also replace other severely cracked concrete panels in the left lane and grind the roadway surface to improve the ride and extend the life of the pavement.

I-90 Lake Easton to Bullfrog concrete replacement project
As part of I-90 Lake Easton to Bullfrog project, WSDOT and contractor crews will replace more than seven miles of the deteriorating right lane and shoulders of westbound I-90 with a new concrete lane and asphalt shoulders between Easton and the Cle Elum weigh station. Crews will also replace severely cracked concrete panels in the left lane and grind the roadway surface to improve the ride and extend the life of the pavement. During construction, WSDOT will keep two lanes of traffic open in the peak travel direction during peak travel times.

Washington state is administering the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investments with an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability. Gov. Gregoire created a Web site, http://www.recovery.wa.gov/, so every Washingtonian can see where tax dollars are going and hold government accountable for the results. On the federal level, President Obama has appointed Vice President Biden to oversee all states’ recovery efforts and to root out waste and fraud. This combined oversight will ensure taxpayer dollars are put to good use and recharge the economy.

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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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