I-90 - Snoqualmie Pass East - Hyak to Keechelus Dam

 

The I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East - Hyak to Keechelus Dam project extends 5 miles from milepost 55.2 to 60.2.  





Get drawn into the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project.

before...
 
Check out a slideshow of the 2011 construction season on I-90.

after...

Watch a video on the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East - Hyak to Keechelus Dam Project.
 

Watch a video of rock blasting on I-90 near the snowshed.


Take a virtual tour tour of the Hyak to Keechelus Dam portion of the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project:
Windows Media Video
Real Video 

Overview
WSDOT will improve approximately five miles of I-90 between Hyak and Keechelus Dam. Improvements include building a new six-lane highway between milepost 55.2 and 60.2, extending chain on and off areas, replacing the snowshed, building new bridges over Rocky Run, Gold Creek, and Resort Creek, and adding oversized culverts at Wolfe, Resort and Townsend Creeks. WSDOT will also improve safety along I-90 by reducing sharp curves, repairing deteriorated pavement, stabilizing unstable slopes, installing avalanche fences, and connecting wildlife habitats over and under the highway.

WSDOT is reviewing contractor proposal    
WSDOT is reviewing a proposal by the contractor to replace the existing snowshed with two bridges. A Limited Scope Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement is currently underway for their proposal.

Why is WSDOT improving I-90 from Hyak to Keechelus Dam?
The Hyak to Keechelus Dam project is the first step toward improving safety, reducing congestion, and preserving the natural environment along the I-90 corridor.

On an average day, 27,000 vehicles travel over Snoqualmie Pass; on weekends and holidays, traffic volumes can exceed 50,000 vehicles a day. Traffic volumes are expected to increase 2.1 percent every year, reaching an average of over 41,000 vehicles per day by 2030.

I-90 across Snoqualmie Pass is a strategic freight corridor due to the international, domestic and intrastate trade that it carries.

The End Result
WSDOT will increase capacity by 50 percent in each direction, improve safety by stabilizing slopes and straightening sharp curves. Reducing the closures due to avalanches will increase the reliability of Snoqualmie Pass when the project opens to traffic in 2017.

Project Benefits

• Safety. Corrective measures will reduce the risk of avalanche and associated road closures within the project area as well as reduce the risk of rock and debris slides from unstable slopes onto the roadway.
• Congestion Relief. WSDOT will increase capacity by 50 percent in each direction to accommodate projected traffic volumes for the next 20 years. Crews will extend chain-up-and-off areas assisting freight vehicles.
• Environment. WSDOT will minimize impacts to the environment, improve wildlife movements, and allow more water to flow under the roadway by increasing the size and number of culverts from the creeks to Keechelus Lake.

What is the project timeline?

1999 - 2008 - Environmental Process
2009 - 2017 - Project Construction

Financial Information

This project is funded by the 2005 gas tax (Transportation Partnership Account). The project budget is $551 million, which includes design, right of way acquisition, and construction.
 

How can I get more information?
Contact:

For questions regarding construction:

Will Smith, WSDOT Project Engineer
Phone: 509-577-1840
Toll Free: 1-888-535-0738

For questions regarding design of the I-90 corridor:

Jeff Minnick, WSDOT Project Development Engineer
Phone: 509-577-1704
Toll Free: 1-888-535-0738

For all other questions or to request a presentation to your group:

Meagan McFadden, WSDOT Communications
Phone: 509-577-1618
Toll Free: 1-888-535-0738

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