WSDOT breaks ground on roundabout project
A celebratory group of project collaborators and supporters met Monday, June 10 at a ceremonial groundbreaking to kick off construction for two new roundabouts on State Route 510 in Yelm.
The intersection improvement project is a collaborative success story for WSDOT, Parametrix, the Nisqually Tribe, Thurston County and Intercity Transit. Everyone involved had a “project first” philosophy that allowed WSDOT to expedite funding, permitting, design, and now, construction.
Nisqually tribal elder, Joseph Kalama, began the event with an invocation asking for safety over the project and those who will travel through the roundabouts in the future. The crowd stood in the shade of the trees surrounding the project area while hearing from the many speakers who came to celebrate the successful design of the project.
Speakers included Zelma McCloud, Nisqually Tribe, Dan Mathis, Federal Highway Administration, Cynthia Iyall, Nisqually Tribe, Cam Gilmore, WSDOT, Ken Noland, WSP, and Sandra Romero, Thurston County.
The roundabouts at the intersections of SR 510 with Yelm Highway and Reservation Road will open to drivers by fall 2013. WSDOT contractor, KLB Construction, is scheduled to construct the $5 million project over the summer. Once open, the roundabouts will cost-effectively improve traffic flow and reduce the severity of collisions.
View more photos of the groundbreaking event on Flickr. Photos provided courtesy of Jim Longley of the Nisqually Tribe and Steve Riddle, WSDOT.