Date:  Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Contact: Amy Danberg, I-90 Communications, (206) 962-9635 (Yakima) 
Will Smith, WSDOT Project Engineer, (509) 577-1840 (Yakima)

EASTON – Just when you thought construction was winding down for the season, crews are getting ready to kick it into high gear on I-90 after Labor Day. As part of an $18.4 million Recovery Act-funded project, WSDOT and contractor crews will replace several miles of deteriorating concrete panels in the right lane of westbound I-90, between Easton and Bullfrog Road, about 20 miles east of Snoqualmie Summit.

WSDOT waited until heavy summer travel volumes subsided to help reduce delays and congestion for travelers on this critical cross-state route. The work and lane closures are still expected to add an up to an hour to drivers’ commute times across the pass.

The following restrictions will be in place 24 hours a day on I-90 from Sept. 8 to early November, between Easton (milepost 69) and Bullfrog Road (milepost 79):

• Eastbound traffic will be restricted to one lane starting Sept. 8.
• Eastbound and westbound traffic will be restricted to one lane starting Sept. 13.
• Westbound traffic will be rerouted to the eastbound side of the road, beginning  
  Monday morning, Sept. 14 at 5 a.m.
• On weekends, three lanes will be open: Two lanes eastbound Friday through
  Sunday morning; and two lanes westbound Sunday morning through early
  Monday morning.

“Our crews are working with very tight timelines to deliver this critical preservation project,” said Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond. “We purposely waited to do these closures after the Labor Day weekend when there are fewer travelers on the pass. Now it’s a race against the weather and winter storms.”

Drivers are advised to plan ahead, pack their patience, and plan for an extra hour to travel over Snoqualmie Pass through November. Drivers can sign up to receive e-mail updates as conditions change on I-90 between Snoqualmie Summit and Ellensburg.

For more information about the I-90 Lake Easton to Bullfrog Project or other Recovery Act- funded projects, please visit our project Web page.

Washington state is administering the Recovery Act investments with an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability. Gov. Gregoire has created a new Web site, www.recovery.wa.gov, enabling every Washingtonian to see where their tax dollars are going and hold government accountable for the results. On the federal level, President Obama has appointed Vice President Biden, a proven and aggressive Inspector General, to oversee all states’ recovery efforts and root out waste and fraud. This combined oversight will ensure taxpayer dollars aren’t wasted.

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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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