November 20, 2009
In this issue:
- SR 520 Legislative Workgroup: Go online or attend a public meeting to comment on west side design, financing
- Report to be released for Eastside Transit and HOV Project
- Thanksgiving weekend: Pack your patience during busiest travel time of the year
SR 520 Legislative Workgroup: Go online or attend a public meeting to comment on west side design, financing
It’s time to weigh in on the latest State Route 520 design and financing recommendations. This week, the SR 520 Legislative Workgroup recommended a design option for the Montlake interchange and a financing strategy for the SR 520 corridor.
Now it’s your turn. Starting today you can comment online, or attend a public meeting next week to share what you think about the workgroup’s recommendations. More information about the recommendations is online.
Public comments will be considered prior to a final vote of the SR 520 Legislative Workgroup on Dec. 8. The workgroup will submit a final recommendations report to Gov. Gregoire and the Legislature by Jan. 1, 2010.
Go online to comment
Seattle City Council Committee of the Whole
- When: 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 24.
- Where: Seattle City Council Chambers, second floor of City Hall, 600 Fourth Ave., Seattle.
- Topic: The public meeting offers a chance to hear the council’s discussions and comment on the SR 520 Legislative Workgroup’s recommendations. The council's latest meeting agenda is online.
SR 520 Legislative Workgroup Town Hall meeting
- When: 6 – 8 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 24; presentation at 6:30 p.m.
- Where: Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st St., Seattle
- Topic: The meeting is an opportunity for you to comment on draft design and finance recommendations.
Report to be released for Eastside Transit and HOV Project
In two weeks, we plan to release our environmental review of improvements to the SR 520 corridor between Medina and Redmond. The proposed project is expected to speed up travel times for buses and carpools, improve water quality and fish habitat, reconnect communities, and provide new commuting options for bicyclists and pedestrians. The project, formally called “SR 520, Medina to SR 202: Eastside Transit and HOV Project,” is estimated to cost $776 million.
The details are included in an environmental assessment scheduled to be released Dec. 3. The document outlines project benefits and effects to traffic, the environment and communities.
We'll share more about how to review and comment on the document once it is available. In the meantime, mark your calendar for the public hearing where you will be able to learn more and comment on the report.
SR 520 open house and public hearing
When: 5 – 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 16.
Where: Chinook Middle School, 2001 98th Ave. NE, Bellevue.
Thanksgiving weekend: Pack your patience during busiest travel time of the year
Forecasts call for a calmer weather pattern, which could mean more drivers will soon brave Washington’s highways for a busy Thanksgiving weekend. Drivers should travel smart, do some research ahead of time and prepare for late-November weather by packing supplies and tire chains.
We've compiled travel data based on typical traffic patterns for the turkey day holiday. If you plan to travel on I-5, over the mountain passes or across the border, first look at our Thanksgiving 2009 historical travel data. The information is a good guide for what to expect, but remember that traffic incidents and bad weather could further bog down traffic.
Question of the month: How does WSDOT manage the floating bridge during storm season?
The arrival of storm season means heavy winds and waves again are battering the SR 520 floating bridge. Our bridge crews are always watching the weather reports and wind gauges to make sure they are ready to close the 7,700-foot-long floating portion to traffic at a moment’s notice.
By closing the bridge during storm events, we keep drivers safe and try to protect the bridge from breaking apart. Built in 1963, the bridge is especially vulnerable to wind because of its length, location over water and age. It must be closed to traffic once winds become too strong. When sustained windstorms gust over 50 mph, the drawspan, anchor cables, and the pontoons could all break or crack, which could cause significant damage to the bridge.
Currently, crews close the bridge to traffic and open the drawspan when there are 50 mph gusts of wind sustained for 15 minutes, or based on their expert judgment. We created a YouTube video that shows what could happen in a catastrophic storm.
To watch the whitecaps and our wind gauge and learn more, go to our Web page.
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