Our website is getting a clean new look just in time for the annual increase in Internet traffic caused by our changing weather. Today at 10 a.m. most of the pages on our site will automatically be converted to the new look.

The WSDOT Website remains the most popular government site in Washington, averaging more than 1.2 million page views each day during the busy winter weather season.

The average number of people visiting WSDOT Web pages fluctuates with the seasons. On an average summer day, 35,000 users visit the site. In the winter, that average increases all the way up to 70,000 users, we have seen the user count go as high as 300,000 on a "snow day."

By guest blogger Meagan McFadden

It’s that time of year when the smell of corn dogs, elephant ears, and cotton candy fills the Yakima Valley. It must be time for the Central Washington State Fair. This year if you go to the fair in Yakima, which starts on Friday, (Sept. 25 through Oct. 4) you may be caught on candid camera because WSDOT in South Central Region (SCR) has a new addition to our outside fair booth – a Webcam!

Deteriorating Concrete Pavement. We have several miles of this stuff in the right lane of westbound I-90.  Since July we have been working at night to minimize traffic impacts due to heavy summer traffic, but now that summer is almost officially over (where did the time go?) traffic has subsided and now we are working both day and night. Which means it’s serious crunch time because we want to get this work done before the first winter storm. For the safety of motorists and construction crews, we have restricted traffic to one lane in each direction during the weekdays, but on weekends, three lanes – two in the peak travel direction - are open to accommodate heavier traffic volumes.

By guest blogger Eric Balliet

As the proposed replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the SR 99 bored tunnel promises to be a challenging undertaking. It would be one of the largest diameter bored tunnels in the world, with an outside diameter of approximately 54 feet. At almost two miles long, it would also be one of the longest highway tunnels in the United States.

In honor of Labor day I wanted to showcase just of few of the many workers who toil in less than idyllic conditions to make sure our lives run a bit more smoothly. Your hard work is very much appreciated.

by Dustin Terpening
I don’t know about you, but when Labor Day weekend approaches, I can’t help but feel a little sad that summer is coming to an end. The saving grace for me is that we at least had a really nice summer this year. Though, I have to admit, I’m getting a little excited about fall in the Pacific Northwest and all that it has to offer – leaves changing colors, spiced ciders, football, etc.