Project news

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• The project is currently in the design phase
• Construction is scheduled to begin in 2021

Why is WSDOT working on improvements to SR 14 between the I-205 Interchange and Southeast 164th Avenue?
With more traffic using State Route 14 than ever before, this project will construct new lanes of travel on both directions of SR 14 between I-205 and Southeast 164th Avenue in Vancouver to help ease congestion and improve travel reliability.

Needs & benefits

The project includes widening SR 14 between I-205 and Southeast 164th Avenue to remove chokepoints eastbound and westbound, and includes a peak-use shoulder lane to add an additional westbound travel lane during highly congested travel times. Other elements included to support these improvements are stormwater facilities, a noise wall, fiber optics, electronic message signs, a ramp meter, traffic cameras, and right of way acquisition.

Peak-use shoulder lane

In addition to new lanes of travel in either direction, a peak-use shoulder lane will extend along a mile and a half of westbound SR 14 between Southeast 164th Avenue and I-205. This means that when traffic is heavy, westbound SR 14 travelers going to northbound I-205 will be able to use the right shoulder, creating an additional lane of travel – three lanes become four. 

• Electronic signs over the highway will display whether the peak-use shoulder lane is open to traffic, allowing travelers, including buses, to use the shoulder as a regular travel lane during times with heavy traffic.
• A green arrow will indicate that the shoulder lane is open and a red X will indicate when it is closed.
• Yellow arrows will let drivers know when they need to use caution or exit the shoulder lane.

In the event of an emergency or a blocking vehicle, the electronic overhead sign will display a red X, indicating the shoulder lane is closed until the problem can be cleared. The WSDOT Incident Response Team will continue to patrol the SR 14 corridor to respond to incidents and keep traffic moving. There will also be paved emergency pullouts in the area of the peak-use shoulder lane. More information about peak-use shoulder lanes is available on our website.

Ramp meter

As part of this project, a ramp meter will be installed for travelers accessing westbound SR 14 from Southeast 164th Avenue. The ramp meter will dynamically adjust the flow of vehicles entering SR 14 based on current roadway conditions to maximize traffic flow on the highway.

• Ramp meters help maximize the flow of traffic by increasing merging space between vehicles entering the highway and traffic already on the highway - maintaining a more consistent traffic flow, and improving travel speeds and safety.
• Ramp meters help reduce collisions. 

Public transit benefits

Buses will be able to use the shoulder to access both northbound and southbound I-205, and by including a westbound peak-use shoulder lane in the project, traffic flow for the overall corridor will improve - benefiting transit. Transit will be able to enter the peak-use shoulder lane directly from the dedicated westbound on-ramp lane from Southeast 164th Avenue.

Noise wall

Part of any widening project includes conducting a noise wall feasibility study. In order to provide a fair and equitable process for all, we follow a uniform procedure using consistent criteria for all transportation projects to identify the noise effects on neighborhoods; to determine where noise barriers will be built; and to meet federal noise regulations. The evaluation of noise for new roadway construction projects is a mandatory program under federal law.

To be responsible stewards of tax money, noise wall construction is determined by whether or not a wall is both reasonable and feasible per those guidelines. Not all neighborhoods in the project area met this requirement, which means that a noise wall will not be constructed in every neighborhood within the corridor.

The End Result

This project will improve safety, increase traffic flow and reduce commute times on this highly-congested roadway. This project will not fix all of the problems along the corridor, but with your help, we are addressing the most critical needs with the $25 million in available funding.

Project benefits

Improve travel times: This project will provide more reliable travel times through the corridor.

Timeline

• Fall 2017 – Spring 2018: Planning and public input
• Summer 2018 – Spring 2019: Project design and continued public input
• Spring 2019 – Fall 2020: Project design, environmental review and permitting, real estate acquisition, and development of final plans
• Jan. 2021: Project scheduled to go out for competitive bid
• 2021: Construction scheduled to begin 
• 2022: Construction scheduled for completion