The WSDOT Blog

Air search and rescue

2012-02-13T13:47:00.000-08:00

by guest blogger Alice Fiman

Over the weekend, a plane went down near Mount Baker – near the 7,800 foot level. Our Aviation Search and Rescue Division got the call and headed up to Bellingham to coordinate the search. What – you may ask – does the state highway department have to do with search and rescue?

Great question. Our responsibility, as directed by the Legislature, is to manage all Air Search and Rescue operations within the state as well as coordinating the use of aviation assets for disaster relief efforts. So that means when the emergency beacon went off Saturday night, we got the call.

Satellites monitor for emergency beacons – through a system called SARSAT. The SARSAT office then notifies the state Emergency Operations Center (Washington Emergency Operations Center is located at Camp Murray). The EOC Duty Officer got the call, which then came to us.

Once we had the location, and contact information for the beacon’s owner (good thing he registered – hint, hint), we called the family to confirm. Yes, the Bellingham man had taken the plane out over Mount Baker to take photos, and yes, he hadn’t returned as scheduled.

Our Aviation Search and Rescue team (led by Tom Peterson), then started up to Bellingham. We have a trailer that serves as a mission control center. He also called the U.S. Navy and it was fortunate a team from Naval Air Station Whidbey was available to start searching. Weather was cooperating also so the team could fly during the night.

The pilot’s wife then called the local sheriff’s office – apparently she received a short phone call and he was okay. Cellular reception is spotty in that rural area, so she didn’t have much more info.
With that confirmation the plane was actually out there, a team from the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office took snowmobiles out, starting from what is known as Shrieber’s Meadow. They found the plane - damaged and upside down on the edge of the Deming Glacier at the 7,800-foot level of Mount Baker. (A bit of trivia – those beacons actually work – the plane was less than 150 feet from where it was supposed to be.)

No pilot or passenger inside. As luck would have it, a group of snowmobilers were also out, and they got stuck and were able to radio some friends. On the way out, their friends found the pilot and his passenger, so they brought them back.

The pilot called from his home, reporting he was okay.

Our role was to find the plane, coordinating all available resources. We also do this during natural disasters – coordinate all aviation resources to help rescue those stuck during floods, etc. This time, it was fortunate the U.S. Navy and local sheriff’s office were there to help. That isn’t always the case.
Once we found the plane, we turn the rescue operation over to the local law enforcement and the FAA and NTSB come in to investigate the crash. Mission complete.

New flyover ramps taking shape in Federal Way

2012-02-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

Looking at two of the bridge columns that
will support the steel tub girders over I-5.

By guest blogger Mike Murphy

It's not often that we build anew bridge over the freeway, but this weekend we're doing just that.

Crews are starting the final major milestone of a two-year project that aims to improve traffic and safety at the busy I-5/SR 18/SR 161 interchange in Federal Way. When all is said and done later this summer, drivers won't have to contend with the notorious weave as they jockey for position on the I-5/SR 18 ramps.

But it's no small task. For the next three weekends -- Friday and Saturday nights -- two huge cranes will lift the “steel tub girders” up and over I-5 and place them onto bridge columns that have been sprouting up alongside I-5. (They're called steel tub girders for obvious reasons; they resemble giant steel bathtubs.)

We'll need to completely close one direction of I-5 while the work is being done. Southbound I-5 will be closed near SR 18 the nights of Feb. 10, 11 and 24. We'll close northbound I-5 the nights of Feb. 17, 18 and 25.

During the southbound I-5 closures traffic will be detoured onto Highway 99 and rejoin I-5 at 54th Avenue East in Fife. It's about a five-mile detour.

The northbound I-5 detour will send traffic onto eastbound SR 18 to Weyerhaeuser Way and back to I-5. You'll want to allow extra time for your late night trips during the closures. Roughly 7,000 vehicles use this stretch of I-5 on a typical weekend night. (Check the project website for detour maps.)

The girders will support the roadway for the two new flyover ramps -- one between eastbound SR 18 and northbound I-5, and the other from westbound SR 18 and to southbound I-5. Once they're in place we can begin to pour the pavement for the new ramps.

So what’s the benefit of a flyover ramp?

Anyone who travels between I-5 and SR 18 is probably familiar with the white-knuckle weave as they merge from one freeway to the other. It’s due to the cloverleaf interchange that was built in the 1960s. It was considered state-of-the art at the time but as the population grew, it quickly became obvious that it couldn’t handle the increasing traffic volumes.

The flyover ramps will completely eliminate the weave, and let drivers "fly" up and over I-5.

Funding for the $112 million project came from a combination of state gas taxes and federal grants.

The new State Route 7 Elbe Safety Rest Area

2012-02-03T16:07:00.000-08:00

We've received a few inquiries about the SR 7 Safety Rest Area Project and wanted to provide you with more information about why the project cost what it did.

The $3.2 million project cost (not $4.2 million as reported incorrectly by some media) was higher than we would have liked. However, this project highlights the challenges of meeting an important safety and service need for hundreds of thousands of tourists who travel through Elbe, a community of 29 (according to the 2010 Census).

In a rural location, finding a location that met certain factors was not easy. Crews had to work to find a potential location and land that:

Met engineering and environmental standards
Satisfied grant conditions
Included line of sight when entering/exiting SR 7
Required that visitors not have to cross rail lines
Was available for sale

Beginning with initial site selection in 1998, we identified and evaluated several sites, both private and public lands. Each evaluation had costs, including site analysis and tests, preliminary engineering and so on. We continued to discover reasons that the sites, for one reason or another, would not work – and all of this added to the cost.

After 14 years of development and working through these challenges – we agree it’s been long and difficult – we are pleased we now have a facility open and operating and ready to service thousands of travelers who pass through Elbe each year on their way to Mount Rainier National Park.

Below, you can find a breakdown of the costs to adapt a two-story, 3,000-square-foot former Civilian Conservation Corps bunkhouse and garage that date to the 1930s. The structure fits within the rural landscape but is maintained to modern standards. While not what you may find along I-5, it’s far from what some have called an “outhouse.”

This project was funded with $1.913 million in federal funds, $748,000 in state funds, and $543,000 in Federal Scenic Byway Grant Funds for a total project cost of approximately $3.2 million. Our construction project budget was $1.44 million.

Here is our project description and a breakdown of the costs:

Total award to contractor Pease and Sons: $1,101,689. The contractor’s cost breakout includes:

Rehabilitation of historic building with two urinals and five vault toilets: $749,085
Site lighting, pavement, grading, storm-water drain system, striping, walkways, and gates: $255,390
Landscaping: $17,500
Subtotal: $1,021,975
Tax (7.8%): $79,714

Our construction budget includes approximately $338,370 for construction engineering/inspections, risk contingencies, and project administration (for a total project construction cost of $1.44 million).
The right-of-way and acquisition was $271,000. This location was not a state property.
The cost for this site selection and preliminary engineering was $1.493 million. This process, which began in 1998, included identifying and evaluating multiple sites, both private and public lands. In a remote location, finding that location was not an easy task.

So in the end, it was a 14 year process that brings much relief to travelers headed to Mount Rainier.

Tolling terms, conditions and fees – oh my

2012-02-03T15:12:00.000-08:00

It has been an interesting week with tolling. We thought we’d take a minute to provide a little more insight and background on a few of the issues that made the rounds.

Unintentional fees
We unintentionally charged some customers additional 25-cent fees for crossing the SR 520 bridge. A system glitch caused the toll sensors to read a Good To Go! pass and a license plate on the same vehicle as two separate transactions, which lead to an unwarranted $0.25 Pay By Plate fee, duplicate or over-axle charges. We are sincerely sorry about those charges and will be issuing credits to affected customers’ accounts.

What is an inactive fee?
There also were a few stories about the $5 inactive-account fee that we have in place. It’s exactly what it sounds like. If a Good To Go! account hasn’t had any activity on it for two years, we’ll make two attempts to reach a customer. If we can’t reach them we charge $5, close the account and issue a check for the remaining balance. Customers can close their account at any time and be issued a full refund of the remaining balance without a $5 fee. Charging the inactive account holder is the fairest way to cover the costs for this. The $5 charge includes the cost for locating the account holder, generating and mailing two statements, issuing a check for the remaining balance on the account and maintaining the inactive account for two years.

Where is my $10 for signing up early?
We’ve also heard from customers who want to know what happened to their $10 incentive. Before tolling started on SR 520, we offered customers who signed up early a $10 incentive if signed up before April 15, 2011. Now that tolling has started, they’re wondering why they haven’t seen the credit yet. It should be on your monthly statement for January, which should be arriving soon. Something else noteworthy about the incentive is that it’s only good for three months after tolling started. The credits will expire at the end of March if they’re not used up before then.

What is Pay By Plate?
We offer Pay By Plate accounts to customers who want to pay the lowest toll rate without having to buy and install passes on every vehicle listed on their account. It’s great for rarely driven cars, cars with metallic windshields, classic cars and your out-of-town visitor’s cars. You simply register the license plate and a photo is taken of the plate when crossing the SR 520 or Tacoma Narrows bridges. We charge a 25-cent fee because while the license plate recognition software is good, it’s not perfect, and some photos require us to review it and match the plate to an account. This takes time and money.

Unfortunately, with a tolling system that generates tens of thousands of transactions every single day, we will probably have a few more issues that pop up as we move forward. We’ll continue to be diligent about responding them as quickly and courteously as possible. And, if you notice something that’s not right, please don’t hesitate to contact our customer service center right away. We want to work with you to get it resolved. Thank you for your patience thus far.

Behind the scenes of equipment repair during a snowstorm

2012-02-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

Kelly Heathman from our Transportation Equipment Fund office sent us this on the morning of January 18 and although it's a couple of weeks old, we thought we would share it with you to give you some behind the scenes detail about the people and the work that goes into maintaining and repairing those snowplows and trucks you see out on the roadways.

by guest blogger Kelly Heathman

I was watching the news Wednesday morning (January 18) as snow was falling all around my house. The reporter was commenting on our efforts on how well we were keeping the roads clear. It gave me a sense of pride and got me thinking about the unsung heroes at the Transportation Equipment Fund (TEF).

Every truck that was plowing snow that morning has undergone a thorough check of all its components by TEF technicians. These mechanical marvels are a menagerie of components just waiting to fail. Just a simple hydraulic problem can cripple one of these beasts. As technologically advanced as these trucks are, only so much can be done to safeguard them from the corrosive agents being spread on the roads. They are exposed to a cruel world. They simply won’t operate without maintenance and fuel.

What happens to these trucks when the unthinkable happens? They go to one of the six shop locations in the NW Region manned by TEF technicians, and in some cases they are repaired on the site of the breakdown. With TEF mechanics on a snow event contingency schedule, all shops are open 24 hours to respond to any problems. There are also 25 WSDOT fuel sites that need constant monitoring and maintenance during inclement weather.

What are the most common components that fail? As mentioned, hydraulic problems are a common occurrence. Since the plow and dump body functions are operated by hydraulics, one small problem can disable the truck. When this happens, a technician usually has to repair the truck on the side of the road. He must determine the problem and manufacture a new hose from the tools in his service truck. This has to be done safely and in the most adverse weather conditions.

TEF takes theses trucks maintenance very seriously. They are meticulously cared for from the minute they arrive to the Corson shop from the dealership. We install all the controllers, mount the plows, install the lighting, safeguard the components from the elements and do all the custom fabrication. They are on a strict preventative maintenance schedule of fluid and filter replacement, tires, brake system and hydraulic maintenance.

So when you see that yellow dump truck traveling down the highway on the 6:00 news, please remember the blood, sweat and tears that went into the fabrication and maintenance of it. That’s what I see.

How has your commute changed since tolling began?

2012-01-26T16:05:00.001-08:00

by guest blogger Victoria Tobin

It’s been nearly a month since we began tolling the SR 520 bridge. And every day since then we’ve kept a keen eye on traffic patterns. Not just on SR 520 and I-90, but the entire region – I-5, I-405, and even that Mercer Weave across the Ship Canal Bridge. We’re watching it all. The common denominator is, it’s all changing nearly every day.

This is the biggest traffic change we’ve had in Puget Sound in decades. Drivers are still figuring it out. While it’s too early to draw conclusions with firm percentages, we are obviously seeing more congestion on I-90 and less congestion on SR 520. But that’s what we expected. Here’s another fact - we had more people cross SR 520 on Wednesday, Jan. 25, than any other day since tolling began. You can see how the numbers are still in flux and people are making their way back to SR 520.

While we’d like to be able to say that after a month of tolling we’re finally starting to see the beginning of the “new normal” in terms of traffic patterns, we just can’t yet. The reality is, we’ve only been able to collect about 12 reliable days of traffic data in the last month. There have been too many unpredictable variables (collisions on SR 520 and a stalled semi-tanker on I-90, just to name a few) that have altered the traffic data we’re collecting.

Since tolling started we’ve had three separate holidays, a week-long snow and ice storm and we are still cleaning up after heavy winds – there were numerous collisions, construction work and the post-holiday traffic rush – all variables that have changed and affected traffic all over the region and have had a significant impact on what we’d typically call “normal traffic patterns.” As a result, traffic volumes were way down across the region, not just on the floating bridges.

This is the first week since tolling began where traffic volumes are getting back to more “normal” levels. You (the twitterverse) see it too, and you’ve been tweeting and facebooking us, wanting to know what’s going on. We believe traffic will keep changing, across I-90, across SR 520, on I-5 and even on your local buses for the next few days, weeks and months. We expect people will continue to tweak their routes and times to find something that works for their schedule, like they’ve done since tolling started.

It’s still too soon to make any changes and draw big conclusions. One thing we know is that traffic throughout the greater Puget Sound region is all interconnected. A change in one place causes a ripple effect across the region and not always where you might expect. It’s probably going to take upwards of six months before commutes really start to settle out and we finally reach that new normal.

That all said, it would be interesting to hear and know what your commute has been like since tolling started. Have you tried different routes? Changed your commute times? Tried taking the bus or carpooling? Are you working from home? What has or hasn’t seemed to work for you?

Your comments will be factored in as we work through this change. Thanks!

Snow fighting: an insider’s look

2012-01-26T10:27:00.000-08:00

by guest blogger Jamie Holter

I love snow storms in Puget Sound.

Food Supply in the EOC

I love being in the stinky Emergency Operations Center in Shoreline with a flat of Costco muffins, Pirate Booty and satsumas.

Charlies Angels radio in the EOC

I love watching four news channels over different parts of the snow storm. Our maintenance crews planning their attack on snowy and icy roads, overheard on the
world’s oldest Charlie’s Angels two-way radio. I love taking calls from staff reporting for duty who say, “When do you need me, just let me know.”

Monitoring television coverage

Our Emergency Operations Center had been active since Saturday. A storm manager on with King County, the National Weather Service and doing interviews; a traffic engineer tracking cameras and collisions, another person who’s tracking collisions just involving buses and large trucks . Those vehicles that cause the biggest problems. Everyone is at the top of their game, except for the moments when they are mugging for the camera.

The traffic management center, the nerve center for operations in Puget Sound, has more staff tracking traffic, putting up information on overhead signs, talking with crews in the field and dispatching teams to trees down, icy spots on the roads or helping State Patrol.

Staff Monitoring Twitter

Then, of course, the public information corner: the kings of @wsdot_traffic. Their clever and informative tweets retweeted to thousands…when they aren’t putting together videos and taking pictures of our workers. They tell me they love their job. I know they do.

Snow and ice is always scary and I’m proud that my job involves helping people stay on top of road and weather conditions even if we’re just stuck in a building and not on the roads like our Highway Heroes who do the heavy lifting. The folks I work with are top-notch, dedicated public servants. We can’t make Mother Nature change course, but we are here to help you get where you

Crews on roadway

need to go when she’s busy breaking Seattle snow records.

WSDOT helps to get the lights back on

2012-01-24T14:03:00.000-08:00

While most are back to enjoying modern conveniences like high-speed Internet, some may still be wondering if they will have to spend another cold, dark night.

To make sure the lights and heat come back on as quickly as possible, our Olympia-area maintenance road crews are out with utility crews, working traffic control for Puget Sound Energy and others repairing downed power lines.

Monday, the crews were working on the tree-lined back roads of south Thurston County between Olympia and Centralia. These were hard hit with snow and ice last week and when branches fell, they took with them power lines on roads like State Route 121 near Millersylvania State Park and SR 507 between Tenino and Centralia, plus many city and county roads.

So what does a flagger or pilot car have to do with getting the lights on? Holding that stop/slow sign or leading traffic through the same 1/4-mile route over and over may not seem to help get power back on, but it’s those vital tasks that allow utility crews up in that bucket truck get their job done faster and safer, and make sure drivers get around those crews and back home.

Where, hopefully, the heat will be on soon.

What to do if you receive an SR 520 toll bill

2012-01-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Cars crossing the SR 520 toll bridge

By guest blogger Emily Pace

Tolling on the SR 520 bridge started December 29, 2011. If you’ve driven across the bridge, you might have noticed there are no toll booths. So if there are no toll booths, how do you pay the toll? Well, you can set up a Good To Go! account and always pay the lowest toll rate. If you don’t have an account no need to worry, we’ll send you a bill in the mail.

So how do we do it? If you don’t have a Good To Go! account, tolling equipment takes a photo of the license plate and the registered owner is sent a bill in the mail. Drivers can expect to receive a bill within seven days of traveling across the SR 520 bridge. The Pay By Mail rate is $1.50 more than the Good To Go! pass toll rate. That $1.50 covers the extra processing costs required to generate each bill.

While Pay By Mail is a great option for those who choose it, we would like to see more drivers saving $1.50 each time they cross the bridge rather than getting a bill in the mail.

More Good To Go! drivers crossing SR 520 bridge
Our goal was to have 50 percent of vehicles using a Good To Go! pass, and thanks to our customers, we have exceeded that number – on Friday, Jan. 6 (just a week after tolling started), 70 percent of drivers crossing the bridge had Good To Go! passes. That means we’ll be sending thousands less toll bills than we thought.

How to pay a toll bill
Drivers can pay their toll bill online, by calling 1-866-936-8246, by mail or in person at a customer service center in Seattle, Bellevue or Gig Harbor.

I have a Good To Go! Pass, why did I receive a toll bill?
You likely didn’t activate the pass. If you bought a Good To Go! sticker pass at a retail store and did not activate it by opening a new account or adding it to an existing account, you will receive a toll bill in the mail. If you activated your pass, there may be other reasons you received a toll bill. The best way to get things straightened out and avoid future Pay By Mail toll bills is to contact customer service at 1-866-936-8246.

What happens if I don’t pay my toll bill?
If you don’t pay your bill within 15 days, another bill will be sent along with an additional $5.00 administrative fee. If the toll bill is not paid within 80 days, the driver will be issued a $40 Notice of Civil Penalty for each unpaid toll charge. Similar to a parking ticket, the civil penalty may be contested through an administrative court proceeding. If you don’t pay or contest the civil penalty it may jeopardize your ability to renew your vehicle registration.

Our goal is to make tolling convenient and easy. Please visit our website to get more answers and information about toll bills.

The faces and places behind the SR 500 girders

2012-01-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

Some of the many men and womenwho make
transportation projects possible:
members of the SR 500, St. Johns Blvd. project
team stand with two of the project’s steel girders.

by guest blogger Heidi Sause

Coming soon to a worksite in Vancouver – cool, gray steel girders will stand 10 feet in the air and dramatically change the landscape that drivers are used to seeing along SR 500 in Vancouver.

Crews working on the SR 500, St. Johns Blvd Interchange project are completing final prep work to ready the project site for a large-scale girder installation. In the next few weeks, crews will install four massive steel girders on either side of SR 500. The girders will form the backbone of two new interchange ramps that are part of a project to reduce collisions and improve traffic flow for 60,000 daily drivers.

By 2013, the ramps will be open to drivers traveling through the Clark County intersection. But the girders have already made a trek of their own – a journey ranging from the steel mills of Delaware to a family-owned fabrication plant on the banks of the Columbia River. The girders’ journey tells a story of how construction projects don’t just build roads for Washington drivers; they build jobs for American workers.

And that’s a story worth telling.

Eight months ago, we awarded local contractor Tapani Underground Inc., of Battle Ground, the $27.2 million contract for project construction. Tapani broke ground in May, and, at that point, the girder production process started rolling.

Purchased under the Buy America Act, the steel for this project is 100 percent American-made. Claymont Steel, of Claymont Del., rolled out the raw material for the girders and shipped the steel cross-country by train to the Thompson Metal Fab, Inc. (TMF) plant on the banks of the Columbia River. Dozens of workers went to work inside the Vancouver fabrication plant, assembling the steel into large girders that will form the internal structure of two new ramps at SR 500 and St. Johns Blvd.

“We kept our entire bridge team in work through the winter because of this project,” said TMF President and Owner John Rudi. “We have a skilled workforce known for producing quality work, and 25 of those people are taking home a paycheck right now thanks to this contract.”

The TMF crew worked the steel into the skeleton of a ramp towering more than 10 feet tall and measuring 240 feet long. The girders were bolted together for inspection, then disassembled and are now waiting to be trucked five miles down the road to the project site where sub-contractor Zemek Construction of Maple Valley will secure the girders in place along the highway.

The girders may be cold and gray, but behind every inch of metal are the stories of men and women who have worked together to make this project possible.

You’ll find similar stories behind transportation projects across the state – even simple paving projects! For every mile of new asphalt, there are crew members operating paving equipment, truckers delivering the raw materials and workers assembling the asphalt mix at a plant. There are hard-working people behind every bridge, guardrail, rock bolt and dowel bar.

From the steel mills in Delaware to the TMF warehouse in Vancouver and the roadside construction work site, hundreds of employees earning a paycheck on this project agree that it’s not just the end result that matters – but the process it takes to get us there.

New Yakima-Ellensburg transit service quickly becoming the talk of two towns

2011-12-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

Passengers prepare to board the Yakima-Ellensburg
Commuter, a new transit service connecting the two cities.

by guest blogger Jef Lucero

One rider is heading to the hospital for her daily outpatient appointment, thankful that her husband doesn’t have to take time off from work to drive her there. Another is a soldier in the 53rd Ordnance Company, on his way to the training and firing center just outside Selah. Behind him sit two students - one enrolled at Perry Technical College, the other at Yakima Valley Community College, both making their way home after class. The return trip will deliver three students and two professors to the Central Washington University campus. And there’s the rider that just booked a dialysis appointment - he’d been waitlisted at his regular doctor’s office in Ellensburg, but can get in today at a Yakima clinic.

These are just a few of the people enjoying a new option that wasn’t available a month ago, thanks to a brand new commuter transit service between Yakima and Ellensburg. The service is fast becoming a reliable option, meeting the needs of many in two communities not previously connected by public transportation.

On November 25, Yakima Transit and HopeSource unveiled the Yakima Ellensburg Commuter, filling an essential transportation need for both communities. Making eight round trips daily, the service makes five stops between the Yakima airport and the Central Washington campus. According to Yakima Transit Manager Ken Mehin, students and faculty at the three colleges between the two cities favor the morning and late afternoon runs; shoppers shuttling between towns prefer the midday service.

But, Mehin adds, ride along on a given day and you’re likely to share the trip with a number of different people on their way to a wide range of personal and professional business. "As word has spread of the service, the community hasn’t just taken notice," says Mehin, "they’ve responded." In fact, ridership has gone up so fast that Yakima Transit will purchase new, larger vehicles in early 2012 to accommodate the increasing demand.

Because Yakima Transit’s authority extends just past its city limits, so too does its service area. But a strong public-private partnership with HopeSource allowed the idea to move forward. With HopeSource providing drivers and route operation and Yakima Transit providing the vehicles - and with the help of local, state and federal grant funding and investments - the service took flight. Or more accurately, it took to the road.

That level of partnership is one of the things that makes this endeavor so distinct, says HopeSource project manager Geoff Crump. The broad, cooperative approach fostered by a local transit agency and a non-profit organization has caught on fast. “We’re hearing from our drivers almost every day about passengers saying how grateful they are for this service. It means a lot to both of these communities.”

WSDOT’s public transportation grants help provide access, mobility and independence to Washington residents. Made possible by state and federal funds, these grants provide transit services within and between cities, purchase new buses and other equipment, provide public transportation service for the elderly and people with disabilities, and improve public transportation in and between rural communities.

What will traffic do when SR 520 tolling starts?

2011-12-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

By guest blogger Emily Pace

The big question when SR 520 tolling starts Thursday, Dec. 29, is if drivers will continue to use the bridge, travel at off-peak times to pay a cheaper toll rate, find an alternate route, take the bus or just stay home.

We’ve tried to come up with an answer by surveying bridge users and creating traffic forecasts. We’ve collected a lot of data about what people might do once tolling starts, but ultimately, it’s hard to predict what drivers will do.

What can drivers do? Plan ahead and allow extra time.

Without a doubt, it will take a while for drivers to settle into a new pattern after tolling starts – up to six months. Don’t expect traffic to behave the same way every day. While there are other routes around Lake Washington like I-90, SR 522 and I-405-to-I-5, these may be even more congested as traffic reroutes to avoid tolls.

Drivers have several choices when tolling starts:

Get a Good To Go! pass and save $1.50 each way in tolls when crossing the SR 520 bridge.
Travel during off-peak periods to pay cheaper toll rates: Get familiar with the SR 520 toll rates online or download the WSDOT mobile App.
Ride the bus: Take advantage of the 730 daily bus trips across SR 520. King County Metro and Sound Transit expanded service earlier this year in preparation for tolling.
Share the ride: Visit RideshareOnline.com to join a vanpool or carpool. Drivers are also encouraged to work with their employers to look into compressing or changing work hours and teleworking.

Plan ahead, allow extra time and pack your patience as traffic on all major roadways will be very different after SR 520 tolling starts. You can always get up-to-date traffic information on our website before you leave.

What are we doing to help drivers?

We will closely monitor all of the routes around and across Lake Washington to determine how tolling affects traffic. We will track travel times, ensure signal coordination, and collect traffic volumes on highways and local roads. We’ll also be using our traffic tools like travel time signs, ramp meters and electronic message signs. We’ll even have extra Incident Response Team patrols out on the road to help clear incidents and keep traffic moving.

We’re working with local governments around the lake to share data because we know it’s not just about highways but also local streets. We will share what we learn about the effect of tolling on traffic with the public, local governments, the Legislature and the Transportation Commission.

What will be the new “normal” after traffic adjusts?

It will take time for drivers to adjust to a new “normal” after tolling starts. When people settle into new routines after six months or so, we anticipate more traffic will return to SR 520 as drivers find paying a toll for a more reliable trip across the bridge is worth it.

After several months we expect to see the following changes in travel speeds during peak periods:

Westbound SR 520 morning commute: 20 mph faster
Westbound I-90 morning commute: 5 to 10 mph slower
Westbound SR 522 morning commute: 5 mph slower

Are we going to toll I-90?

Not at this time. Legislative authorization is required to toll any new corridors, including I-90, and tolling I-90 would also have to be coordinated with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Even with approval from legislature and FHWA, starting tolling on I-90 would be years away. Time intensive work such as developing environmental studies, designing the toll system and starting the contract bid process would still need to be completed.

SR 522/US 2 Interchange Improvements

2011-12-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

A drivers-eye view of the new ramp from
eastbound SR 522 to eastbound US 2

By guest blogger Bronlea Mishler

Heading east out of Seattle and Bothell, State Route 522 gives drivers a shortcut to central Snohomish County and US 2. Unfortunately, that shortcut ends at one of the busiest locations on US 2: Monroe. Drivers often get stuck in congestion on both highways, and have to wait through a sometimes-lengthy stoplight to reach US 2. Delays can be especially tough during morning and evening commutes, and during busy summer and winter weekends.

But congested drives and long waits at stoplights could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new flyover ramp that opened at 7 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17. Now, drivers headed east on SR 522 can connect to eastbound US 2 via a new direct ramp. The new ramp allows drivers to skip the stoplight and get on to US 2 a half-mile farther east. That means no more waiting at a signal to turn left, and less congestion through town.

About 17,000 vehicles travel through the SR 522/US 2 interchange every day. This new ramp will help smooth traffic flow by giving drivers two options to head east on US 2. The existing loop ramp will remain in place for drivers heading west on US 2 and drivers who want to access local businesses north of US 2 from Kelsey Street. Drivers using the new ramp can access local businesses beginning at Chain Lake Road.

In addition to the new ramp, crews added one new lane in each direction of US 2 – eastbound between Chain Lake Road and SR 522, and westbound between SR 522 and Cascade View Drive. The additional lanes will help improve traffic flow in and out of Monroe.

This is the first phase of a two-stage project to widen SR 522 to four lanes between US 2 and the Snohomish River Bridge. Construction began on the second part of the project in July and is expected to be completed by late 2014.

Ever heard of a rolling slow down?

2011-12-14T12:56:00.000-08:00

We get great questions from time to time that are worth having a bigger conversation about. Dr. David Parks recently asked, "Why are you doing "rolling slowdowns" on I-90 Snoqualmie Pass even on weekends? This last Saturday, the roads were totally clear (no ice, no snow, no avalanches, no construction), and I encountered a 20 minute "delay" behind your wonderful DOT trucks traveling 20 mph down the road?"

Our Assistant Maintenance Superintendent for the North Bend to Vantage area, Harry Nelson, took the time to answer his question:

We generally experience high traffic volumes on the I-90 corridor, ( 15,000 to 40,000 vehicles daily ), and sometimes during peak travel times more. They also average 75 plus mph on any given day unless weather will not allow, even then some still attempt this speed. With these high volumes, and fast pace, emergent work, (potholes, debris, disabled vehicles, etc.), can become quite a challenge for our crews.

Rolling Slow Downs are a safe way for us to accomplish our emergent work with little impact. It appears that our vehicles are just holding you up for no reason. I assure you that is not the case at all. What you did not see is the emergent work ahead of our trucks being done on the roadway. This could have been a pothole, or any other incident that would cause damage to a vehicle, cause an accident, or be a safety issue to the traveling public. As you stated “they hold you back at 20 mph,” when the work you do not see ahead of you is complete, they get out of your way and let you go and you may never see the workers ahead of you that were doing the emergent activity. These slowdowns average 5 to 8 minutes. These slowdowns are designed for short duration work, so not to delay the public and keep our crews and the public safe. While you are traveling 20 mph behind our vehicles, our crew is doing this work without anyone driving through their work zone.

Safety is our #1 priority.

If we were to close a lane to do this short duration work, the traffic delays would be significantly longer, maybe even 1 to 2 hours longer added to your travel time in peak traffic situations. Instead we prefer the 5 to 8 minute delay, as you can understand why, less inconvenience to you, and safer for our crews. I hope this helps you understand that what looks like wasted time, may prevent an accident, unnecessary damage to a vehicle, or bodily injury either to the public or our workers.

Again our main concern is SAFETY to all, and not to inconvenience anyone.

So if you see one of our trucks or crews out there on the road, be sure to take the time and give them a brake.

Roundabout benefits come full circle

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, driving in circles can actually save fueland reduce harmful emissions. Though it may sound counterintuitive, roundaboutsactually have many environmental benefits – on top of all their safety benefits– that should put them at the top any intersection improvement list.

The safety benefits behind roundabouts are jaw dropping - reducingdeaths by 90 percent, injuries by 76 percent and all crashes by 40 percent,according to the InsuranceInstitute for Highway Safety. But did you know that the efficiency andemissions statistics behind roundabouts are equally impressive?

The emissions and gas-savings stats have been less publicized,but they’re no less stunning from a sustainabletransportation standpoint. In a day and age when we’re counting every last poundof greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere, these numbers are becoming evenmore important.

A KansasState University study found that replacing four-way stops with roundaboutsreduced carbon monoxide emissions by 38-45 percent and carbon dioxide emissionsby 55-61 percent. Nitrogen oxides dropped 44-51 percent, and hydrocarbons fell62-68 percent.

The number and size of vehicles play a big role in emissions.Roundabouts have even greater environmental benefits at busier intersections,especially if used by lots of semis.

Otherstudies show that when roundabouts replace intersections with or withoutsignals, there’s a 30 percent reduction in carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxidesand a 30 percent drop in fuel consumption.

The bulk of emissions aren’t necessarily from idling: We reallypump the emissions into the atmosphere every time we accelerate from that stopsign or red light.

In fall 2005, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety studied 10intersections where traffic signals were built instead of roundabouts. Thestudy estimated vehicle delays and fuel consumption at the signaledintersections and then compared the results to what they would have been ifroundabouts had been built instead. For those 10 intersections, roundaboutswould have:

Reduced delays by 62-74 percent, saving 325,000hours (37 years) of motorists’ time annually.
Decreased fuel consumption by about 235,000gallons per year, for an annual savings of $587,000 (assuming an average costof $2.50 per gallon of regular gas).
Caused fewer emissions and pollutants to bereleased into the atmosphere.

Once a signal is installed, they’re rarely removed. They’rearound for quite a few years, and their annual costs really add up over time.

The annual cost to run and maintain a signal is assumed tobe about $8,000 a year. That’s $5,000 for basic electricity and routine signalmaintenance and $3,000 to retime and optimize for traffic. Plus, signals get arebuilt after 20 years – new guts and software – which costs about 30 percentof the initial cost. There are none of these costs when you build and maintaina roundabout.

In the last four years, 14 signals have been removed andreplaced with roundabouts at intersections in Washington. Today, there are 220roundabouts total across the state, and 58 of those are on state highways.

Many drivers believe traffic signals are the better choicesimply because that’s what they’re used to. But from safety, societal cost andenvironmental standpoints, the roundabout wins hands down.

If roundabouts reduce pollutants and save gas, why wouldanyone prefer to sit and wait at stoplight or stop sign?

Viable opportunities in viaduct recycling

2011-12-12T13:16:00.000-08:00

by guest blogger Noel Brady

This chunk of the Viaduct showed up on Ebay

Turns out there’s more than one way to recycle a 60-year-old viaduct.

When we razed the southern portion of the Alaskan Way Viaduct in late October, several shrewd spectators turned to eBay to recycle their pieces of Seattle history into cold hard cash. One chunk of concrete went for at least $16.50, minus shipping.

WSDOT and viaduct contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP) saw opportunity in recycling too; they turned viaduct rubble into cold hard building materials. Our transportation engineer Amjad Omar said nearly 100 percent of the old concrete and rebar from this portion of the viaduct in Seattle will be recycled and reused.

From October’s demolition alone – about 25 percent of the total viaduct structure – crews hauled 3,500 truckloads of concrete rubble to Terminal 25. There, the concrete was crushed to be reused for the new SR 99 Tunnel that will replace the viaduct, and the rebar is being prepared for transfer to a local recycler.

Not only does recycling save us on the cost of materials, but it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions from hauling rumble to a far-off disposal site, producing new materials and hauling it to the work site. Recycling old bridges and other transportation structure is nothing new for us. Last spring we recycled 100 percent of the NE 12th Street Bridge that spanned I-405 in Bellevue.

The state does not require recycling in bridge demolition, but it is becoming the norm as the market for recycled materials grows. Our engineers routinely write construction specifications to ease the future recycling of materials.

Are you ready? Tolling starts December 29 on the SR 520 Bridge

2011-12-09T07:54:00.001-08:00

by guest blogger Emily Pace

Toll Division Director Craig Stone presents the
start date for tolling on the SR 520 Bridge

Get your Good To Go! Pass today

Tolling on the SR 520 Bridge starts Thursday, Dec. 29. We recommend you open a Good To Go! account now to avoid the inevitable last-minute rush before tolling starts.

To pay the lowest toll rate, it’s important to set up a Good To Go! account now to make sure you receive your Good To Go! Pass before tolling starts. The longer you wait, the longer the lines will be – either on the phone, in the store or online.

You can buy a Good To Go! Pass at retail stores, online at www.GoodToGo520.org, in-person at a customer service center, or by calling 1-866-936-8246. If you choose to order your pass online, we recommend you do it soon to allow plenty of time for delivery before tolling starts.

If you’ve already got your Good To Go! Pass and it’s sitting on your counter, don’t forget to activate it (if you bought it at a retail store) and install it in your vehicle. You should also make sure all your account information is up to date.

To prepare for the expected high volumes of customers registering and activating accounts this month, WSDOT has extended call center hours, added capacity to the phone lines and Good To Go! web page and hired extra customer service staff.

Knowledge is power. We want drivers to become experts on the topic of SR 520 tolling: know your travel options and know the rates. To help you get a start, we’ve gathered the top five things drivers should know. Check ‘em out and feel free to ask us any other questions that come to mind.

Top Five Things to Know About SR 520 Tolls:

A Good To Go! Pass is the cheapest, easiest way to pay the toll. If you travel the SR 520 Bridge at least once a month, we recommend opening a Good To Go! account. You’ll save $1.50 in tolls each time you cross the bridge with a Good To Go! Pass.

Toll rates vary by time of day. Toll rates vary by time of day to help improve traffic. Toll rates are most expensive during peak travel times and cheaper during off-peak periods. As some drivers shift their drive times, we expect traffic to improve during peak hours.

There will be no toll booths. All tolls will be collected electronically. With a pre-paid Good To Go! account, tolls are automatically deducted without stopping or slowing down.

There’s more bus service. To give drivers an alternative to paying the toll, King County Metro and Sound Transit have added 130 daily bus trips to routes on SR 520 for a total of 700 every weekday.

Tolling helps pay for a new SR 520 Bridge. The revenue generated from toll helps build a new, more reliable and safer bridge. The target date for opening the new bridge is 2014.

Milepost 31: The rest of the story

2011-12-07T07:48:00.001-08:00

by guest blogger KaDeena Yerkan

Why did you spend money creating a “museum” in Pioneer Square? That question, and variations of it, is one we’ve heard a lot in the past few days, ever since we opened Milepost 31, an information center devoted to the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program and Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood.

We didn’t decide on a whim to spend money on this information center. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires agencies to take into account the effects of their projects on historic properties, such as those in the Pioneer Square Historic District. Replacing the viaduct is going to have impacts on Pioneer Square, and we were required to create a plan that mitigates them. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have received federal approval to build the SR 99 tunnel. No mitigation plan, no tunnel – it’s as simple as that. And Milepost 31 was created at no additional cost to state taxpayers, since mitigation funds were already included in the project budget.

So, why include something like Milepost 31 in the mitigation plan? This was the result of negotiations with neighborhood and historic preservation organizations brought together as part of the Section 106 process. Everyone agreed that an information center could offset construction effects in Pioneer Square by reminding people that neighborhood businesses are open during construction and by encouraging visitors to the area.

Advocates of such an information center included the city of Seattle, the state Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation, the Alliance for Pioneer Square, national and local preservation groups, and local tribes. “Milepost 31 has already become a vital asset to the neighborhood. It gives people another reason to visit Pioneer Square during the holiday season, which is a crucial time for retailers and other businesses in the neighborhood,” said Leslie Smith, executive director of the Alliance for Pioneer Square.

So, we hope the controversy doesn’t steer you away from visiting Milepost 31, located at 211 First Ave. S. in Seattle. It’s a one-of-a-kind place for a one-of-a-kind project. Visitors to the center will find historic artifacts, 3-D models and pieces of tunneling equipment. Interactive exhibits show how Seattle’s landscape and shoreline have changed during the past 20,000 years, and how crews will build the massive tunnel that will replace the viaduct and reshape the SR 99 corridor. And, if you have questions about it, feel free to contact us at viaduct@wsdot.wa.gov.

New ways to pay the Tacoma Narrows Bridge toll

2011-12-05T09:31:00.001-08:00

by guest blogger Emily Pace

Drivers with Good To Go! still pay the same tollrate

Tacoma Narrows Bridge electronic tolling

Do you have relatives or friends traveling across the TacomaNarrows Bridge this holiday season? If they don’t have a Good To Go! pass, they won’t need to wait in line at the tollbooths anymore. With the introduction of photo tolling, Tacoma Narrows Bridgedrivers now have additional ways to pay the toll.

Here’s how photo tolling works: you drive across the TacomaNarrows Bridge without a Good To Go! accountand without stopping to pay at the toll booths. A photo is taken of yourlicense plate as your vehicle passes through the electronic toll lanes and abill is sent to the registered owner of the vehicle. Photo tolling allows us tooffer new payment options to two-axle vehicles and motorcycles:

Pay ByMail - $5.50 If you travel across the bridge without a Good To Go! account or stopping at the toll booth, the registeredowner of the vehicle will be sent a Pay By Mail toll bill. These driverspreviously would have received a $52 infraction notice for not paying the toll.
Good To Go! Pay By Plate - $3.00 Add Grandma’s license plate to your Good To Go! account and pay for her trip to your house for theholidays. Simply add their license plate and vehicle information to youraccount. You don’t need a pass.
Good To Go! Short Term Account - $5.00 You can set upa Short Term Account within 72 hours of traveling across the Tacoma NarrowsBridge. A Short Term Account is valid for up to 14 days and then itautomatically closes. Each day’s toll transactions are charged directly to yourcredit or debit card.

No changes for existingGood To Go! pass holders and driverswho stop at toll booths

If you’re a Good ToGo! customer, nothing changes with the introduction of these new paymentoptions. Good To Go! pass holdersstill pay $2.75 for two-axle vehicles and those who stop at the toll boothsstill pay $4.00.

Having a Good To Go!pass (transponder) still guarantees you pay the lowest toll rate and it workson any tolled facility in the state. The three new payment options listed abovecan also be used on the SR 520 Bridge when tolling starts later in December,although toll rates forthat bridge will vary from those listed. If you are a solo driver using theSR 167 HOT Lanes, you must have a Good ToGo! pass installed in your vehicle.

SR 520 tolling comingsoon; purchase and activate your pass before the last-minute rush begins

Offering photo tolling on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is animportant milestone in providing more options for Good To Go! customers. You might also want to check out the newpass options available for carpoolers using HOT lanes, for motorcyclists lookingfor a transparent sticker that adheres to the headlamp, and for familieswanting to share one pass among several vehicles. Remember the most popularchoice is the new sticker passesthat are smaller and cheaper at only $5.00 each. You can purchase them online, by calling1-866-936-8246 or at a customerservice center. In addition, the sticker passes are available at Safeway,Fred Meyer, QFC or Costco. If you have purchased your pass from one of thesestores, be sure to activate it online or over the phone.

For more information on GoodTo Go!, visit www.wsdot.gov/goodtogo.

Recap of Thanksgiving holiday travel

2011-12-02T08:33:00.001-08:00

By guest blogger Alice Fiman

It wasn’t an invasion, but shopping Black Friday deals,combined with a favorable exchange rate and the Canadian government relaxingthe duty for up to $400 worth of goods (for a two-day trip) brought many moreCanadians down I-5 over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Well, that may have been it anyway. we, unlike travelcompanies, measures how many vehicles cross its traffic sensors. We just don’tknow the reason – but when looking at the numbers and other factors, we haveour theories. Such as how there was a significant increase in traffic on I-90over Snoqualmie Pass for 2011. This was most likely due to favorable weather asanyone who was around last year knows Thanksgiving 2010 was white and cold.Same deal with US 2 Stevens Pass. Another hypothesis includes ski areaopenings. Traffic fluctuates depending on if they are open or not.

In any case, traffic increased on I-5 from Bellingham to theU.S. Canadian border for 2011. It was the Thursday (Thanksgiving Day)southbound traffic that showed a notable bump, with what we believe wereCanadians traveling to Washington stores for 2011 Black Friday shopping specials.Between Wednesday and Sunday, 157,500 vehicles travelled northbound andsouthbound on I-5, an increase of 17,700 vehicles (11 percent) compared to thesame period in 2010.

Thanksgiving travel graph

I-90 Snoqualmie Pass

For Wednesday through Sunday 152,300 vehicles traveled onI-90 over Snoqualmie Pass. This was an increase of 25,800 vehicles (20 percent)compared with the same period in 2010.

I-5, Olympia to Tacoma

That same 2010 winter storm most likely kept folks off I-5in Pierce and Thurston counties. Morethan half of a million (560,500) vehicles traveled I-5 between Olympia andTacoma over Thanksgiving weekend 2011, an increase of 38,100 vehicles (7 percent).

US 2, Stevens Pass

And yes, there was snow and ice on US 2 for Thanksgiving2010. Almost 30,000 traveled over Stevens Pass between Wednesday and Sunday ofthe Thanksgiving 2011 holiday while the 2010 Thanksgiving holiday traffic wasonly 17,100 vehicles. This year, the day after Thanksgiving was especially busyon Stevens Pass. Since the coldest day in the Skykomish area was Friday, it wasmost likely a travel day for skiers.

Milepost 31 - People, projects and Pioneer Square

2011-11-30T13:09:00.001-08:00

We would invite you inside for a ride, but even the world's largest diameter tunnel boring machine can only fit so many people.

And so we offer the next best thing, Milepost 31, a public information center that will highlight the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement, tunneling technology and the history of Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. This is a first for WSDOT, an opportunity to explore interactive exhibits about one of our projects and dig into Seattle's first neighborhood.

What does viaduct replacement have to do with Pioneer Square? Replacing a highway that runs through one of the state’s most treasured historic neighborhoods comes with challenges. Pioneer Square will see years of construction impacts like noise, dust and traffic detours. Fortunately, after we put the highway traffic into the SR 99 tunnel and tear down the remaining section of the viaduct, the neighborhood will be reconnected with the Seattle waterfront.

Milepost 31 was one of several strategies we developed in partnership with neighborhood groups and historic preservationists to maintain Pioneer Square’s vibrancy during construction. It is designed to give people another reason to visit the neighborhood during construction, while giving the public another opportunity to learn about the important work we do at WSDOT.

Be sure to stop by Milepost 31's grand opening celebration on Dec. 1. We’ll have tunneling and historical experts on hand to answer questions, as well as a drawing to win an iPad® and gift certificates to Pioneer Square businesses, furnished by the Alliance for Pioneer Square.

Milepost 31 grand opening
3 – 6 p.m. (guest speakers at 3:30 p.m.)
Thursday, Dec. 1
211 First Ave. S., Seattle

After Dec. 1, Milepost 31 will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

How to find out the condition of the mountain passes...

2011-11-22T10:04:00.001-08:00

Winter is upon us, not officially, but mother nature has decided it's definitely time to start snowing in the mountain passes. When this snow happens and the weather changes one of the most asked questions we get is "how do I decide if it's safe to drive over the pass" and "which pass should I take?"

We can't tell you which pass is better to go over at any specific time, pass conditions change rapidly and unexpectedly. In addition, the terrain and traffic on each three major mountain pass highways is quite different. I-90 Snoqualmie Pass is what can be described as a more urban highway – more traffic, multiple lanes in each direction, divided in most areas. US 2 Stevens Pass and US 12 White Pass are more rural (not as much traffic, one lane in each direction, not divided/no median, etc.)

Here’s what you can do. Take that info, along with help to know how to be prepared to get there and add in the latest conditions to make the wisest choice. Here's a few tips on how to get over the pass and where to find out the latest information on mountain pass conditions.

First: Be prepared

Are your tires properly inflated.
Do you have enough gas in the tank, you may end up sitting waiting for other vehicle spinouts to clear or even avalanche control.
Is your cellphone fully charged, do you have a spare battery or a car charger just in case
Have you recently gotten a vehicle winter maintenance check-up for your vehicle? You'd be surprised how many people get stuck because their cars engine or isnt' ready for the journey.
Do you have food, water, blankets if you do get stranded and have to wait for an emergency vehicle to come assist you.
If you prefer a checklist, the Take Winter By Storm website has some fantastic preparedness checklists.

Secondly: Know where to find the latest info

Check any one of the mountain pass pages on our website.
If you have an Android or iPhone, download our mobile app by searching "wsdot" in the market place. If you have a blackberry or other web enabled mobile device check out our website for small screens.
Dial 511.
Sign up to have pass reports delivered to your inbox. Word of warning however, pass reports update every couple of hours so it could end up being a lot of emails. On the other hand, you will be very well informed as to the changing pass conditions.

Most importantly, drive for conditions. By planning ahead and taking your time getting over the passes and you should arrive to your destination safely.

Risk of rocks in the roadway reduced on US 12 west of White Pass

2011-11-18T08:30:00.001-08:00

By guest blogger Mike Westbay

Drivers who have experienced close calls or collisions with rocks on the roadway know how frightening and damaging they can be.

Two crew members from Janod Inc. work to stabilize the slope above
US 12 west of White Pass. (photo courtesy of Echo Entertainment)

To reduce the risk of these types of collisions happening on US 12 near White Pass, we worked all summer with the brave slope stabilization crews from Janod Inc. of Dorian, Quebec, Canada.

Janod’s crews, hanging from the hillside on ropes, kicked down loose rocks that threatened to fall to the highway. After removing debris (dirt, trees, shrubs and rocks) from several sections of unstable slopes, crews blasted boulders, drilled holes, hauled away about 38,000 tons of rocks and placed protective nets on the steep slopes above US 12, five miles west of White Pass.

A total of 900 pounds of explosives were used to blast apart the largest rocks that posed a risk to drivers.

After the dust settled and the blast debris was removed, a combination of 52 bolts and dowels were installed to hold the rocks together and to keep them from sliding toward the highway.

The final stabilizing work was anchoring the net/fence onto the slopes to contain the rocks that are likely to come loose and fall into the roadside ditch due to erosion.

The $4 million project (including design and construction) was completed within budget and a season ahead of schedule.

Janod Inc.’s crew will be featured in a National Geographic Channel series called “Rock Stars”. The first episode airs at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22.

WSDOT prioritizes the treatment of unstable rock or soil slopes on a statewide basis, using an engineering analysis to compare the cost to the potential benefit. This year’s $4 million project is one of a series of unstable slope projects on a 25-mile corridor on US 12 near White Pass. Work in the corridor started in 2006 and is scheduled to be completed in 2013.

SR 531 - Curbs Reducing Crashes

2011-11-16T15:13:00.001-08:00

by guest blogger Bronlea Mishler

How do you curb collisions on a busy highway? With curbing – if you’ll pardon the pun. In the five years since we installed curbing along the center of SR 531 in Arlington, turning and driveway-related collisions have dropped by 70 percent. We’re not trying to pat ourselves on the back or anything, but we think that’s a pretty sweet deal – and not just for us. Anyone who drives that road on a daily basis is benefiting from a safer, less congested commute.

We installed the curbs between I-5 and just past Smokey Point Boulevard in the fall of 2006 as part of two separate projects. Like a lot of construction projects, our ultimate goal was to improve traffic flow on SR 531 and reduce the risk of collisions.

The first project wrapped up in July 2006, and ultimately widened the SR 531 bridge over I-5 to six lanes. As part of that project, crews installed curbing down the center of the bridge to separate east and westbound traffic. The second project wrapped up a few months later, in September 2006. During that project, we added dedicated left-turn lanes, built bus pull-out locations and u-turn locations, and added curbing along the center of the highway, all the way from I-5 to just east of Smokey Point Boulevard.

It’s probably easy to see how a new, wider bridge could improve traffic flow. More lanes means more traffic getting through the area. But what about curbing? How does a little bit of concrete curb make such a big difference in reducing congestion and collisions? By limiting the number of places where drivers can turn across traffic, other drivers can better anticipate – and react to – turning traffic. More reaction time typically translates to fewer collisions. And dedicated turn pockets and u-turn locations give turning drivers a safe place to wait for a gap in traffic without backing up other drivers who aren’t turning. Fewer collisions? No waiting in line behind a driver turning left? Those are two big factors that help traffic flow better.

On SR 531, the curbing has paid off in a big way. In the three years before the curbing was installed, there were 95 driveway or turning-related collisions. In the three years after the curbing was installed, those collisions dropped by 70 percent, to only 27. Not only that, but the total number of collisions on SR 531 between I-5 and Smokey Point Boulevard dropped by 27 percent after curbing was installed.
It’s nice to know that even a small piece of construction can make a big difference.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/4793711455/