Deep dive into cause of SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge malfunction. Did the tug fix it?

By Cara Mitchell

SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge closed to vehicles but open for marine traffic during a boat opening. Marine openings are required by Federal law.

The State Route 104 Hood Canal Bridge is no ordinary bridge. Surrounded in salt water more than 300 feet deep, it floats like a boat on the surface of Hood Canal. On average 18,000 vehicles a day use the bridge. Communities in Jefferson and Kitsap counties use the bridge to get to appointments, work, school and vacation destinations. It’s also a key gateway for tourists who flock to the Olympic Peninsula.

Timeline

At 1 p.m. Monday, May 5, at the request of the United States Navy, we opened the bridge to allow for their boats to pass through. Per our protocols with any Department of Defense opening, our bridge cameras go dark. There is no advanced warning that the bridge is closing. This is done for security reasons.

We have a dedicated crew at the bridge with in-depth knowledge of the unique span. When they tried to close it so vehicles could drive across, the west half of the span wouldn’t move. Crews troubleshooted the issue for hours, but nothing worked.

They inspected gear boxes, power sources, motors and brakes. Everything looked fine, yet the west half wouldn’t budge. Our state bridge engineers, who were dispatched almost immediately following the malfunction, are based out of Olympia and were coming from work in Aberdeen. We knew the backups on US 101 might delay their arrival at the bridge, so we enlisted the help of Washington State Patrol to escort them through the backups.

Once state bridge engineers arrived at the bridge, they gave the okay to hook a tugboat up to the west half of the bridge. The tug gave it a pull. It worked. After that, the bridge was able to move on its own power. Out of an abundance of caution, we tested bridge functions one more time while the tugboat was on site. Again, the bridge behaved as it should. We opted to limit the marine openings to 300 feet until further inspections could be performed.

A commercial tugboat and WSDOT maintenance skiff in the waters along the Hood Canal before maneuvers to fix the malfunctioning west span of the bridge just before sundown Monday, May 5.

The next day, a bridge inspection team diver went down to look under the bridge. It allowed us to see if there were any obstructions beneath the icy waters of Hood Canal. The diver looked for evidence of debris stuck under the bridge or marine growth on the bridge bottom that could have caused the issue. They found nothing out of the ordinary. There was nothing that would have caused the bridge to malfunction. Another test opening took place Tuesday evening with the tugboat nearby. The bridge operated under its own power with no issues. The mystery deepened even further. The bridge works like normal. Nothing to indicate why it wouldn’t budge Monday night.

A WSDOT bridge inspector in dive gear, getting ready to inspect underwater portions of the floating Hood Canal Bridge the day after it malfunctioned.

Working theory to potential cause

There is no apparent mechanical or electrical cause. That leaves us with a working theory. It’s possible that some kind of underwater debris affected the span and dislodged when the tugboat pulled on the draw span.

When something isn’t working right, human instinct is to “diagnose and fix”. We would really like to pinpoint an exact cause. At the same time we have not seen any damage to the bridge. Our Hood Canal Bridge crew and state bridge engineers are continuing to evaluate this issue.

Why we open the bridge for boats

Under maritime rules, boats get the right-of-way over vehicles when bridges block the path of marine traffic. We understand it seems counterintuitive since there are more vehicles than marine vessels. However, long established law requires the Hood Canal Bridge and others like it (Title 33, Part 177 Draw Bridge Operations) to give marine traffic the right-of-way over vehicular traffic.

We have worked with regulators to prevent some seasonal drawspan openings. From May 22 to Sept. 30 each year, private vessels (pleasure craft) are prohibited from requesting a drawspan opening from 3 to 6:15 p.m. daily during the peak afternoon commute. The rule doesn’t apply to commercial, U.S Navy or other Department of Defense vessels.

But not all boats are the same and not all need the bridge to open. In those cases, the regulations require mariners to navigate under the truss spans of the bridge whenever possible. Mariners should not request draw span passage if their vertical clearance is enough to use elevated areas of the bridge.

Truss heights (smallest vertical clearances at Mean High Water) clearances vary based on tides and wave activity.

• Jefferson County (west) measures 31 feet
• Kitsap County (east) measures 50 feet

Requesting an unneeded draw span opening is a reportable offense to the United States Coast Guard and needlessly jams up traffic across the bridge.

Saltwater marine environment requires ongoing maintenance

When people drive across the third longest floating bridge in the world, they probably don’t think about what it means to be on a floating bridge on corrosive salt water.

The salty, marine environment requires the structure to have ongoing maintenance and construction.

The bridge is also regularly under pressure from wind, waves, and fast-moving tides. This past winter we’ve had to close the bridge due to strong winds and extreme tidal swings in the 300-foot-deep Hood Canal.

Because the bridge is so unique, many of its key elements are custom made. When a part wears out it takes a lot of time to fabricate and install a replacement. There is no other bridge like it in the world. Later this summer, we hope to wrap up work on the bridge’s center lock system, which is all custom work.

Here’s one of two systems that helps keep both halves of the bridge in place. 

Extended bridge closures

We try to avoid extended closures of the bridge as much as possible.

We don’t control the weather though. Long closures for wind and strong tides happen.

In most cases, when there’s a mechanical problem our dedicated bridge crew can address it in less time than it takes for folks to travel the 3-hour detours by road along the Hood Canal or by boat using the Port Townsend Ferry.

Sometimes, extended closures are necessary to complete vital projects that keep the bridge operational. However, these are almost always at night with advanced notice to travelers.

When extended closures occur, we ask that travelers waiting on the shoulder of US 101, SR 104 or SR 3 for the bridge to open to not block driveways for property owners. This creates challenges for local communities.

How to check the Hood Canal Bridge status

We offer several ways for bridge users to stay up to date in real time. Add these handy links to your travel toolkit when you plan trips across the water:

• Sign up for bridge closure notifications
• Check the bridge status page
• Download the WSDOT app
• Follow us on X/Twitter or Bluesky

Please visit our online open house for more information about the 2025 construction season and to sign up for updates.

Guess who’s back, back again! 2-boat Seattle/Bremerton ferry service and more!

By Bryn Hunter

Summer in Washington state is, in a word, perfect. Sunny skies, temperatures in the mid-70s and low 80s, and endless outdoor recreation opportunities.

And, for many, that means taking a ride on the iconic Washington State Ferries. The number of passengers doubles in the summer. It’s our Super Bowl.

This summer will be a notable one for our history books. We’re going to return to almost full domestic service three years earlier than originally planned.

We could not bring back more ferry service without our highly skilled crews. Our dedicated mariners are trained professionals who take safety seriously and are proud to serve their communities every day. 

Adding service

In early 2025, Gov. Bob Ferguson directed WSF to focus on service. Service restoration had been on hold until the new hybrid-electric ferries start arriving in 2029. With the governor’s direction, our Vessel Engineering department went to work. Thanks to their hard work, we’ll have the 18 vessels we need to add service beginning next month.

This summer we will bring back the following service:

• The Seattle/Bremerton route will return to its two-boat schedule starting Sunday, June 15.
• The Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth “Triangle” route will resume its pre-pandemic three-boat schedule beginning Monday, June 30.
• A second vessel will operate on the Port Townsend/Coupeville run every Friday through Monday from July 4 through the end of the route’s shoulder season on Oct. 13.

As we worked on these updated schedules, we wanted to make sure our Triangle route’s two-boat backup schedule would be more reliable. We heard from riders that you care more about predictable schedules than the number of sailings. That’s why we made the decision to move to a full three-boat weekend schedule this summer instead of a modified two-boat schedule with a third bonus boat.

We’re also going to operate a new summer schedule in the San Juan Islands. This comes after a robust, two-year public engagement process. We've launched new winter and spring seasonal sailings schedules on the route. Since then, we’ve seen a 20 percent improvement in on-time performance from the previous year. We’re optimistic that the new summer schedule will continue the trend.

The reality of adding service

We’ll need to crew three more boats daily for this added service. We've worked hard on our hiring and career development efforts. That means we’ve built a much more sustainable workforce pipeline to keep our crewing levels where we need them to be. But with more vessels in service, there will be fewer available relief crew members. That means an increased risk of short-term cancellations due to staffing shortages while we work to fill relief requests.

And with an aging fleet we know some vessels will be out for various reasons unexpectedly. They may be sidelined by a rogue crab pot or a mechanical breakdown as they work their nearly 24/7 service hours.

With these risks in mind, we’ve updated our Service Contingency Plan to show how we make service decisions with full transparency. Wonder why certain vessels can only operate on certain routes? Or why Sealth seems to travel throughout the entire ferry system? Check out the plan to read the full breakdown of what we do during service breakdowns.

We’re so excited to be able to offer more service for our over 19 million riders each year. Here’s to summer 2025, a good time to be excited about Washington State Ferries!

Diverging from the norm to deliver a diamond

Update: 2 p.m. Thursday, May 15, 2025

Canceled: The five-day closure of State Route 18 scheduled for May 15-21 has been cancelled due to forecast rain. It will be rescheduled to a later date.

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By David Rasbach 

Five-day closure of SR 18 sets the stage for summer interchange opening

We weren’t planning on a five-day extended weekend closure of State Route 18.
Instead we had a series of normal weekend closures planned over the next few months. But we want to keep the I-90/SR 18 Interchange Improvements project on schedule and moving efficiently, so we’re doing something different.

On Thursday night, May 15, both directions of SR 18 at the I-90 interchange near Snoqualmie will close. It will remain closed around the clock for five full days, reopening Wednesday morning, May 21. If we took the more common approach of overnight or weekend closures, this work would take months. This extended closure allows us to complete critical work in just five days.

We know this will be a major disruption. But it’s a strategic decision that helps avoid many weeks of recurring closures. It also puts us in a strong position to open the new diverging diamond interchange later this summer.

The May 15-21 closure of SR 18 will allow us to complete nearly three months of work on the south end of the new diverging diamond interchange in just five days.

What to expect during the closure

SR 18 will be fully closed in both directions at the I-90 interchange. This closure will be in effect from 9 p.m. Thursday, May 15, through 5 a.m. Wednesday, May 21. No traffic will be allowed under the I-90 bridges during this time.

We scheduled the closure between Mother’s Day (May 11) and Memorial Day weekend (May 26). We want to avoid the busiest holiday travel weekends.

What’s happening during the closure?

Crews will complete a major phase of work on the southern part of the new interchange, including:

• Installing new drainage and electrical crossings
• Removing the existing SR 18 pavement
• Rebuilding and paving the diverging diamond south of the I- 90 bridges
• Constructing concrete islands and curbs
• Creating a left-turn lane from westbound SR 18 onto Southeast 104th Street
• Installing a U-turn with a signal so eastbound SR 18 drivers can head westbound toward Auburn

All this work will be complete when the road reopens on Wednesday morning. The remaining steps will wrap up later this summer. This includes work under the I-90 bridges and on the northern part of the interchange.

This five-day closure allows us to complete in days what would normally take up to three months. It also reduces lane shifts on SR 18, improving safety for crews and people traveling.

Detour and access information

While mainline I-90 will remain open, traffic using on- and off-ramps will be restricted:

• Eastbound I-90 off-ramp traffic can only turn right (south) onto westbound SR 18
• Westbound I-90 off-ramp traffic can only turn right (north) onto Snoqualmie Parkway or continue onto westbound I-90
• No left turns will be allowed from either ramp
• Eastbound SR 18 traffic must detour via eastbound I-90 and loop around
• Southbound Snoqualmie Parkway traffic must detour via westbound I-90 and loop around

During the May 15-21 closure of SR 18, you can detour using eastbound and westbound I-90 and loop around at nearby interchanges – exit 20 (High Point Way) or exit 22 (Preston-Fall City) to the west of SR 18 or exit 27 (Southeast North Bend Way) east of SR 18 – to reach your destination.

Maintaining access: Emergency responders, Snoqualmie Valley School District, and Sound Transit buses will be allowed through the SR 18 work zone under the I-90 bridges during the closure.

Freight advisory: Freight haulers heading westbound on I-90 should plan ahead:

• Use Exit 22 (Preston–Fall City) to loop back to westbound SR 18
• Or continue west on I-90 to southbound I-405

Please do not use Issaquah city streets or Issaquah-Hobart Road. These streets are not suitable for semi-truck traffic.

Westbound I-90 freight traffic should either use exit 22 (Preston-Fall City) to loop back to SR 18 or continue on westbound I-90 to to southbound I-405. Issaquah city streets and Issaquah-Hobart Road are not suitable for semi-trucks.

Full detours will utilize:

• Exit 20 (High Point Way) or exit 22 (Preston-Fall City)
• Exit 27 (Southeast North Bend Way)

We expect delays, especially during peak travel times. Please plan ahead, leave early and consider alternate routes if possible. Real-time traffic updates are available via the WSDOT app and travel map.

People trying to reach Snoqualmie during the closure of SR 18 should use eastbound I-90, loop around to westbound I-90 at Southeast North Bend Way (exit) 27 and exit to SR 18/Snoqualmie Parkway.

During the closure of SR 18, people coming from Snoqualmie Pass will have to follow a detour to reach westbound SR 18, while people heading from eastbound SR 18 toward the pass can follow their normal route.

During the closure of SR 18, people coming from Snoqualmie and heading to Maple Valley or over Snoqualmie Pass will need to use westbound I-90 and loop around at the Preston or High Point interchanges.

During the closure of SR 18, people coming from south of the I-90/SR 18 interchange who need head west on I-90 will need to use eastbound I-90 and loop around at Southeast North Bend Way.

What’s next

This closure marks a major milestone in the I-90/SR 18 interchange project.

With the southern end complete, we can focus on building under the I-90 bridges and on the northern end of the interchange. This closure helps us take a big step toward improved traffic flow, reduced congestion and enhanced safety. Before you know it we’ll be polishing off a diamond of an interchange.

Once complete later this summer, the new I-90/SR 18 diverging diamond interchange will improve traffic flow, reduce congestion and increase safety through one of the state’s busiest interchanges.

A year of toll scams

By Lauren McLaughlin

At this point most everyone has received at least one suspicious email or text. You likely even know the signs: URLs that are basically alphabet soup, weird emojis, vague threats to your drivers license or “legal action.” But April marks a full year of scammers impersonating Good To Go! and trying to trick people.

The scams aren’t exclusive to WSDOT. Across the country, toll payers, drivers, and even people without cars are being targeted by similar phishing attempts. While the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the FBI are aware of these scams, the best thing to do is stay vigilant and know what to look for.

How do the scams work?

The texts and emails are a kind of scam called “phishing.” Phishing scams are designed to steal personal data and credit card or bank information. They are designed seem urgent in hopes that people won’t look too closely. The scams sometimes include a line about bills being due in the next few days or claim it’s a final reminder before your license is suspended or legal action is taken.

An example of one of the texts sent by scammers on March 17, showing the payment needs to be made by the next day, in hopes of causing the recipient to panic and pay immediately.

Ultimately what the scammers want you to do is to click the link and follow it to their fake website. Then you will be prompted to enter your credit card or banking information and try to make a payment. The payment is not even necessarily the end goal. Scammers might just be getting your credit card information. Sometimes people were even told their card wasn’t valid and they needed to use a different one – giving the scammers even more card numbers.

A screenshot of a scammer-created website showing the website accepts a wide variety of payment types, but did not accept what the user tried.

Spotting the scam

Sometimes the scams are easy to spot from a mile away, but others look far more realistic. Here’s a few tips on what to look for when you’re not sure if the text is a scam:

• Look for unusual messages: If you receive a text out of the blue about a Good To Go! account, be cautious. Our official communication is usually done via email or mail. Any texts we send would encourage you to log in to your account before taking any action. We never send texts asking for payment.

If you don’t have a Good To Go! account we would never send you a text, you would get a physical bill in the mail if you had an unpaid toll.

• Suspicious links: These scam texts often include a link asking the recipient to “click here” to pay the outstanding toll or visit a website that isn’t www.MyGoodToGo.com. You should never click on these links. Instead, log in to your account by visiting the official MyGoodToGo.com website where you can directly manage your account, or call customer service. Sometimes the scammers get tricky, and use “mygoodtogo.com” as part of their fake URL, but if there’s a string of gibberish after the.com, it’s a scam.
• Check the language: Scammers often use urgent language to pressure recipients into quick action, such as threatening your driver’s license or account suspension. Also, watch for spelling and grammar errors – these are common signs of a scam.

This is not just a problem for Good To Go! customers

Though the texts claim to be from Good To Go! the scammers are not actually targeting only Good To Go! customers. People who have never used toll roads, who do not live in Washington, and even people who do not own cars have reported getting the texts.

Steps you can take

We encourage anyone who receives a scam message to report it as a scam or phishing email through your phone or email provider. Also file a report with the Federal Trade Commission and FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. As always, don’t click on unknown links.

Our response

We’re working to alert the public about these scams. We want to help prevent people from falling prey to the scammers. We’ve been posting about the scams on social media each time a new message is reported, sending customers emails warning of the scam, working with media to help reach a wider audience and posting alerts on the WSDOT website, MyGoodToGo.com and on the WSDOT app.

We’re also working with partner toll agencies around the country. Many other agencies are dealing with these scammers. We share best practices in how to respond to these scams and help customers protect themselves.

Speeding vehicles go through our “office” each day and night

By Doug Adamson 

Speeding vehicles go through our “office” each day and night - we could use your help as we build and maintain the highway.

Work zone collisions happen year-round on our state highways, often with life-altering consequences for maintenance crews, construction workers and contractors. When drivers are inattentive, the risks increase significantly.

Knowles truck was struck on I-5. The truck mounted attenuator or TMA is designed to absorb the impact of a collision.

Sheri Knowles, a 16-year veteran of our highway maintenance team, experienced this firsthand when her truck was hit last fall on southbound Interstate 5 near Port of Tacoma Road. Fortunately, she wasn’t in the truck at the time. After the collision occurred, she jumped into action and rendered aid until medics arrived.

Sheri is thankful for responsible drivers who pay attention, merge in advance and put down their phones. She knows that the two seconds you look down to your phone is when a collision can happen.

Knowles frequently works on I-5 in Pierce County. She’s well aware how quickly something can happen on the highway.

And it’s a trend that continues to occur.

Just before 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21 our maintenance crew was working in the left lane on southbound Interstate 5 near South Tacoma Way when a driver smashed into the back of one of our early warning trucks. There was a mile of road work signs leading up to the truck. The driver of the vehicle was able to walk away, but our crew member was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Six nights later, another maintenance crew was working in the left lane SR 512 in Puyallup when a driver swerved to miss an early warning truck. That driver ended up colliding with another vehicle, only to veer back and hit the front end of our truck. The driver of the vehicle in this instance was taken into custody for a suspected DUI.

Truck mounted attenuators help lessen the impact of a collision.

It’s frustrating for us. We have to close lanes to fix the potholes, the guardrail, an overhead sign or improve the highway. Imagine having an office space just feet away from vehicles traveling at highway speeds. Tim Wasson is a 34-year veteran of our agency. There are days where his office is the work zone along I-5 in near DuPont and Joint Base Lewis-McChord. He finds it discouraging to see reckless driving in active work zones where crews are building safety and capacity improvements to the interstate. “Everyone out there working has a family and wants to go home safety,” Wasson emphasizes.

Wasson points out traffic on the I-5 JBLM/DuPont work zone.

Most work zone crashes are preventable. According to the Washington State Patrol, the top three reasons for work zone collisions in 2024 were following too closely, excessive speeding and inattention/distracted driving.

New measure to improve safety in work zones

Fortunately, we are getting new tools that may help change driver behavior and keep crews safe in work zones. The phased rollout of the Work Zone Speed Camera Program in active construction, maintenance and crash zones will begin this year. This program, built in partnership with the Washington State Patrol and other safety-focused agencies, aims to prevent tragedies. It starts with one camera and will expand to six by this summer.

Recently, we helped facilitate the work zone speed camera program. Trailer-mounted cameras will rotate between construction, maintenance and emergency projects where speeding is a problem. Signs will warn drivers when a camera is in a work zone. When possible, radar speed feedback signs will also show drivers how fast they’re moving. The goal of the program is to save lives.

Jim Zusy is the Atkinson Construction area manager. Zusy’s team is busy building I-5 improvements in the JBLM/DuPont area. Zusy adds that every day they have hundreds of workers adjacent to high-speed traffic. He is thankful for the drivers who travel safely and follow the speed limit when passing through our work zones to make sure these workers go home to their families at the end of the day.

More work on SR 529 will require extended 24-hour-a-day closures in May

By Tom Pearce

SR 529 between Everett and Marysville is one of the oldest highways in the state. That means it has some old bridges, like at Steamboat Slough. These bridges open to allow marine traffic to pass.

With the arrival of spring, it’s time to complete the scheduled work on the Steamboat Slough bridges. That means extended weekend closures on SR 529 throughout the month of May. Our contractor is planning to close sections of SR 529, 24 hours a day, for four days each non-holiday weekend in May. We will not work on Memorial Day weekend.

Contractor crews will close northbound SR 529 at the Steamboat Slough Bridge 24 hours a day May 2-6 and May 9-13.

Contractor crews will close northbound SR 529 at the Steamboat Slough Bridge 24 hours a day May 2-6 and May 9-13.

Closure schedule

The closures will start with northbound from 11 p.m. Friday, May 2, to 11 p.m. Tuesday, May 6 at the Steamboat Slough Bridge. Our contractor crews from Liberty Maintenance will work on mechanical parts of the structure.

During the other three long weekends, we’ll have additional SR 529 closures from 11 p.m. Friday to 11 p.m. the following Tuesday, including:

• Northbound May 9-13
• Southbound May 16-20 (tentative)
• Southbound May 30-June 2 (tentative)

For these closures, you will have access to Smith Island via the open direction of SR 529.

During these weekends, our contractor will replace bridge mechanical items on the northbound and southbound Steamboat Slough bridges. These are two of just three swing bridges that we maintain. Swing bridges rotate rather than lift to allow marine traffic to pass. While these bridges open only about 30 times a year, federal law requires we keep them working so boats can pass.

In 2023, about 18,800 vehicles used northbound SR 529 daily.

In 2023, about 18,800 vehicles used northbound SR 529 each daily.

When one direction of SR 529 is closed at Steamboat Slough, you will be able to use the other to get to or from Smith Island. Our contractor also will have a shuttle service to take pedestrians, bicyclists and people who use mobility devices around the closure.

I-5/SR 529 interchange update

We expect to open on- and off-ramps for this interchange in late spring or early summer. That will complete the I-5/SR 529 interchange. Our I-5 Marine View Drive to Steamboat Slough project will add an off-ramp from northbound I-5 to SR 529 and an on-ramp from SR 529 to southbound I-5. The project also includes a roundabout for easier access between I-5 and SR 529.

Drivers need to plan ahead

During last summer’s work on the northbound SR 529 Snohomish River Bridge, we reduced traffic to one lane in each direction using the southbound bridge. During this year’s closures, we won’t do that because it would be very inefficient to set it up and remove it four times.

That’s going to mean more traffic in north Everett and in each direction of I-5 as people negotiate their way around the closures. People who travel in this area need to:

• Plan ahead and allow extra travel time.
• If possible, avoid peak traffic hours.
• Consider alternatives such as transit.
• Follow detours and avoid neighborhood streets.

If there were a less intrusive way to do this work, we’d certainly use it. But due to its nature, this work requires multi-day closures. We appreciate your patience as we maintain our state’s highways.

Keeping Washington Clean: Fighting Roadside Litter Together—On Earth Day and Everyday

By Celeste Dimichina

As winter ends and spring begins, the warmer weather brings more people outside. It’s also when we start to notice more of what’s around us—flowers blooming, tree leaves turning green, and sadly, litter along our roads and highways.

We appreciate everyone who reaches out to share concerns. We agree—litter is a problem. No one wants to see trash in medians, along shoulders, or near sidewalks. It’s not just unsightly, it affects communities, harms the environment, and shapes how people see our state.

Earth Day is a great time to remember we all have a role in keeping Washington clean. The best way to prevent litter is simple—always secure your load, every time, even on short trips, don’t illegally dump and never toss trash out the window. Cleanup costs a lot of money, and we don’t have the funding to remove litter on a regular basis. That’s why prevention matters.

Litter cleanup takes crews away from other critical maintenance tasks

Each year, we work with the Department of Ecology and spend about $12 million to clean up litter. Even with that investment, crews can only collect a small amount of the trash that ends up along roads.

Litter cleanup also takes crews away from other important work like fixing potholes, repairing guardrails, responding to winter storms, and maintaining rest areas. Preventing litter helps keep crews focused on work that keeps everyone safe.

Litter by the numbers

In 2024, crews removed more than 1,000 tons of litter and debris from Washington highways. One ton equals 2,000 pounds—about the weight of a grand piano or a small car. That’s the same as hauling away 1,000 small cars.

That’s a lot of trash that wouldn’t be there if it had been properly disposed of in the first place.

• 313 tons of litter were collected by WSDOT maintenance crews.
• 380 tons of litter were removed by Adopt-a-Highway volunteers, Ecology Litter Corps, and Department of Corrections crews.
• 310 tons of litter were cleaned from or near encampments, removed by specialized contractors.

In 2022, the Department of Ecology did a study on litter. They found that Washington picks up about 38 million pounds of litter every year. That’s 42% more than the national average. Together, we’ve spent $12 million on cleanup—but there’s more work to do.

Litter isn’t a safety problem unless it blocks a travel lane. Crews have to prioritize work that keep roads open and safe. That means they first clean up big items like furniture, or larger bags of garbage that fall from unsecured loads or are illegally dumped. If you see something that poses a danger to fellow travelers, please call 9-1-1.

WSDOT crews picked up several bags of garbage and debris during roadside maintenance work on SR 500.

What causes litter?

Most trash comes from everyday people— not just those who are experiencing homelessness. It often comes from travelers who don’t tie down their loads, throw cigarette butts or food wrappers out the window or dump household garbage where it doesn’t belong.

Many of us were taught as kids that littering made you a “litterbug”—no one wants to be called that.

Main causes of roadside litter include:

• Unsecured loads – Up to 40% of roadside litter comes from items that fall out of vehicles.
• Improper disposal – Tossing food wrappers, bottles or cigarette butts out of cars or leaving them behind at rest stops and parks.
• Illegal dumping – Leaving household garbage at park-and-rides, rest areas or along the roadside.

Our volunteers and partners make a difference

We can’t do this work alone. Our incredible volunteers and partners play a big role in keeping our roads clean. We partner with:

• The Adopt-a-Highway program
• Ecology Litter Corps (formerly Ecology Youth Corps)
• The Department of Ecology
• The Department of Corrections

In Clark County, we lost a key partner when Larch Corrections Center closed in October 2023. That also ended support from incarcerated crews who helped remove litter in the region.

As of January 2025:

• 607 volunteer groups are part of the Adopt-A-Highway program.
• These groups have adopted nearly 1,100 miles of state roads.
• Another 264 corporate sponsors help cover 258 miles of road.

We give volunteers:

• training
• safety gear
• traffic control equipment
• litter bags
• help with trash disposal

Some highways can’t be adopted because of safety concerns like narrow shoulders. State and federal rules guide how the program works and how we place recognition signs for participating groups.

We’re always looking for more volunteers to join the program and help make a difference. Many of our volunteer groups have been active for decades and take great pride in their contributions.

Volunteers pose with just a fraction of the litter they cleared from Washington Roadways in the Olympic Peninsula earlier this year. 

Why it matters

Washington is known for its lush green forests, scenic trails, clear lakes and rivers, and breathtaking mountain views. Litter takes away from that beauty.

It’s not just ugly, litter can hurt tourism, harm wildlife, and pollute stormwater that flows into our rivers and lakes. It also attracts pests and spreads bacteria and germs.

The good news? By making small changes—like properly throwing away trash and securing loads—we can all help protect the natural beauty that makes Washington so special.

With Earth Day coming up, now’s the perfect time to take action!

What can you do this Earth Day

Earth day is a global event held every year on April 22. It’s a reminder that we all share the important job of protecting the environment and that small actions make a big difference.

Here are a few simple things you can do:

• Secure your load – every trip, every time – It’s the law and it helps prevent hundreds of crashes and stops trash from falling onto the road.
• Dispose of trash properly – Keep a small bag in your car for garbage and use it until you can find a trash can and make sure nothing flies out car windows.
• Don’t dump – Rest areas and park-and-rides are not places to leave household garbage. If you’re not sure how/where to dispose of large items, call your local garbage and recycling service company and ask.
• Speak up – A 2022 survey found 26% of litterers, or one in four people would stop littering if someone asked them to.

We kindly ask YOU, the reader, please do not litter!

• Join Adopt-a-Highway – Most volunteer groups adopt two-mile sections of the roadway and clean up four times a year.

While crews removed litter along the highway, they found a tiny reminder of why preventing litter is important—a ladybug, right at home in the grass. 

Let’s make everyday Earth Day

We don’t have dedicated litter crews or funding for litter cleanup. Our highway maintenance crews pick up litter while doing routine maintenance work along state roads and highways. This means we rely on volunteers, other state agencies and private contractors to help us with the rest.

Several bags of trash and debris crews were able to clear from along SR 500, in Vancouver, on Earth Day.

“Many hands make light work.”

This Earth Day - and every day - we invite you to make a difference

Take the first step: join the Adopt-a-Highway program, secure your load, and encourage others to do the same. And please—keep your lunch, your old mattresses and favorite coffee container with you – don’t leave it along the side of the highway.

Together, we can stop litter before it starts and keep Washington clean, green, and beautiful.

Ready to get involved?

Visit WSDOT’s Adopt-a-Highway page to learn more and sign up today.

SR 522 traffic shifts at I-405 as crews make progress reshaping the interchange

By Lauren Penning

In the last year, crews have made rapid progress reshaping the interchange at SR 522 and I-405. Now we are ready to move to the next phase of construction on the I-405 Brickyard to SR 527 Improvement Project. This means traffic needs to shift on SR 522 at the I-405 interchange.

Map showing where crews will shift traffic on SR 522 at I-405.

What to expect while we do the shift

Starting at 11:59 p.m., Friday, April 18 to 6 a.m., Saturday, April 19:

• SR 522 will be a single lane each direction at I-405
• Westbound SR 522 ramp to northbound I-405 closed with signed detour in effect

Drivers should slow down as they approach the work zone. Watch for changing traffic control as crews shift eastbound and westbound traffic to the newly paved section of SR 522 further north.

Progress on Par Creek fish passage
This shift means traffic will move over the newly completed section of the Par Creek fish passage. This fish passage will run under SR 522 at I-405. We completed the first section of the fish passage in late 2024. Since then, westbound SR 522 ramp traffic has been traveling over that new section. Now we’ve completed the second portion of the passage and are ready to shift traffic again. This will free up space to begin construction on the south portion.

Opening of the second phase of the Par Creek fish passage in February 2025. The blue line shows where the fish passage will connect. Traffic will now be shifted on top of the fish passage, opening up a new area to continue work.

The Par Creek fish passage will connect the Sammamish River with Par Creek, allowing for natural stream processes that help protect and restore salmon runs. In total, this project will remove six fish barriers and create new habitat area.

Reminder to slow down to 35 MPH

A year ago, we reduced the speed limit on SR 522 near the I-405 interchange from 60 to 35 MPH. We made this permanent change for the safety of our crews. This speed limit also reflects how drivers will navigate this road in the future.

Despite this change, our crews still regularly see traffic speeding through the area. They often see drivers far exceeding the posted speed limit. We are asking drivers to slow down on SR 522 near the I-405 interchange for the safety of our crews and all travelers.

New route to SR 522 from northbound I-405 coming in late 2025
This project adds direct access to the I-405 express toll lanes (ETLs) at the SR 522 interchange. These ramps will be available for HOV and ETL users and Sound Transit Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). It also provides infrastructure to support BRT service along I-405. These new connections mean changes to the I-405/SR 522 interchange.

Key Changes:

• New traffic signal in late 2025 will control two movements :
• Eastbound SR 522 to northbound I-405: New left turn at signal, no more loop ramp.
• Northbound I-405 to west SR 522: Use new signal, no more flyover ramp.
• More signals: Two more added by 2028.

Important Dates:

• First signal: November 2025
• Project completion: 2028

Expect ongoing updates before each major change.

A map of the final configuration of the SR 522 interchange. You can see three new traffic signals marked. These allow for access to the new direct access ramps to the express toll lanes and Stride station. Please note, this is a conceptual design, and details are subject to change.

Thank you for your patience as we continue this work. Improvements to this 4.5 mile stretch of I-405 through Bothell will benefit drivers, riders, and many other travelers. Check out the WSDOT real-time travel map for up-to-date information. If you have any questions and/or you would like to sign up for project updates, please email I405SR167Program@wsdot.wa.gov. Stay informed by subscribing to WSDOT updates for King County.

Two new Salish welcome figures greet ferry riders inside the Bainbridge Island walkway

By Diane Rhodes

Skokomish tribal artist Andy Wilbur-Peterson tells the story behind his pair of welcome poles as they’re unveiled on April 8 inside the new Bainbridge Island pedestrian walkway.

A pair of Salish welcome figures newly installed in the passenger walkway at our Bainbridge Island ferry terminal wish passengers a warm welcome and safe travels. The 10-foot-tall hand-carved red cedar welcome poles were unveiled to the public on April 8. Carved by Native American artist Andy Wilbur-Peterson and titled Crossing the Water, they are mounted in two pier houses along the walkway.

See a short video (Facebook Reel) of one of the two welcome poles being installed and unveiled.

“I started carving when I was 19,” Andy said. “Before that I was making baskets. The designs on these poles combine several marine elements such as orcas and waves. The male has a strawberry tattoo on his arm for the island’s strawberries.”

Andy grew up in Shelton, Wash. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Native American studies from Evergreen State College in Olympia where he worked with Makah artist Greg Colfax on a 12-foot female welcome figure for the college. Andy has taught both carving and painting classes to all ages through various tribes and local schools. Andy and his wife Ruth Peterson run their carving studio and gallery from Skokomish, Wash.

WSF consults with federally recognized tribes with treaty rights where our projects are located to include tribal cultural design elements at our terminals. While these pieces add beauty, their presence signals something deeper. Story poles like these are an integral part of Native American culture in the Salish Sea. Often, they tell a story of the place or history of the tribe. And they remind travelers that local tribes and their customs live on here. By showcasing their thriving and vibrant culture to the traveling public, we also honor tribal treaties.

The story of the poles:

A long time ago, after the humans were created, the Creator gave power to the humans to rule the land. When humans came to the water, they wanted to cross to the other side. So, they created a canoe to help them get to where they wanted to go. One day as they were crossing the water they looked down and saw life, so they jumped in and caught Salmon and Octopus and took them to the other side of the water. When they got to the other side, they fed everyone.

Eagle was so appreciative that she gave them some of her feathers so that they could travel far.

Salmon gave them power to cross the water with great ease.

Octopus gave them the ability to go wherever they needed to be.

These poles represent the ability that all humans may travel and have great strength to go wherever they desire and have protection and power within.

--Ruth Peterson

Local community members selected this artwork through a process managed by the Washington State Arts Commission in partnership with WSDOT and WSF.

New rules and new look coming to SR 167

By Lauren McLaughlin 

If you’ve been driving on SR 167 during the last few weeks you’ve likely seen some new equipment. We’re here to shed some light on what’s happening on the road.

Cameras, pass readers and more!

We are installing updated tolling equipment. This includes cameras that read license plates, pass scanners, and other equipment to help us manage traffic.

On the gantry you can see pass scanners, license plate reading cameras, lights, and other vehicle detection equipment that will help track when vehicles enter and exit the tolled lane.

This new equipment will help modernize SR 167 and make it consistent with other toll roads in Washington. Drivers without a Good To Go! account will be able to use the toll road via Pay By Mail; a payment option where we’ll take a picture of your license plate and mail a bill. That bill will be sent to the address on your vehicle registration with the Department of Licensing. (The Pay By Mail toll rate is $2 higher than the Good To Go! Rate.)

Right now, drivers on SR 167 need to have a Good To Go! account and a pass installed before they can pay a toll to use the SR 167 HOT lanes while traveling alone.

Once the new equipment is installed people will have the chance to decide during their drive whether the toll is worth it for their trip, the same way they can on all our other toll roads.

As early as this fall, SR 167 will also have toll zones. These zones allow us to better manage the toll rates throughout the corridor. (This is similar to the way tolling currently works on I-405.) That means if there’s heavy traffic in one toll zone, the toll rates might be higher in that area. If traffic is flowing freely in another area the toll rate will be lower.

A mockup of what the new signs will look like on SR 167 when the toll zones are in place.

Along with the new toll zones, SR 167 will be restriped in some areas. Striping will show specific entry and exit points for the tolled lane. There will also be double white lines separating the tolled lane from the general purpose lanes. But unlike I-405, SR 167 will continue to have just a single tolled lane in either direction.

HOV to express toll lane

We’re also extending the northbound toll lane further south to Sumner. That change allows us to manage traffic for a larger piece of the roadway. It also gives drivers a chance to decide sooner if the toll is worth it. If they decide it is, they will get more benefit from it.

However, this does come with some growing pains. The installation of license plate readers means that people who carpool on SR 167 will need to have a Good To Go! account and a Flex Pass installed in their vehicle. That pass has to be set to HOV mode to travel toll-free. Motorcycles will need to have a Motorcycle Pass to travel toll-free on SR 167. In the future, anyone traveling without a Motorcycle Pass or a Flex Pass set to HOV mode will be charged a toll, no matter how many people are in the car.

The good news is that it’s completely free to open a Good To Go! account! Our Pay As You Go option allows you to open an account with just a credit card, and have your tolls charged to your card after your trip. And even better, we plan to give out free Flex Passes and Motorcycle Passes later this year to help make that transition easier!

We’ll have more information about how to get a free pass available this summer, as well as timing for when the rules will change for SR 167.

Testing in progress

As the installation continues over the next few months you may see lights flashing or words or numbers displayed on the new signs. Don’t worry, that’s part of testing the new equipment.

Even if you see those lights and numbers on the new signs, you won’t be charged a toll for driving by them until the system upgrades take place later this year.

A new sign structure on northbound SR 167 near Sumner, showing an entry and exit point for the tolled lane is coming up. There is also a rate sign, with its information obscured, which in the future will display what the tolls are for each toll zone ahead.

Travel disruptions
We started installing the updated equipment near Sumner. We’ll be making our way north over the next few months. The work does involve some overnight lane reductions and road and ramp closures. Be sure to keep an eye on our project page for the most up-to-date information about closures and planned work.

Heavy equipment and work crews need to use all lanes when installing certain elements of the new equipment. The work is done at night to avoid too much disruption to daily commutes.

Why update now?

This work has actually been in progress since 2023 (and has been in the works long before then). The ultimate goal is to seamlessly connect three toll facilities, creating an approximately 50-mile tolled corridor. That would allow drivers to travel all the way between Sumner and Lynnwood without needing to exit the tolled lanes. To do that, the tolled lane on SR 167 needs to work the same way as the tolling on I-405. We especially want this update in place before the new toll lanes open on I-405 between Renton and Bellevue.

The SR 167 HOT lanes opened in 2008 as a pilot program to test if tolling could be used as traffic management tool. The pilot was one of the first of its kind in the country. At the time, the equipment was state-of-the-art. After 17 years, the equipment has aged and will soon no longer meet the needs of our system or our customers.

Like all systems, tolling equipment must be regularly updated so it continues to work reliably. Our oldest toll road is the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Earlier this year we updated all the equipment on the bridge for the first time in nearly 19 years. We also monitor other roadways as they age to make sure the equipment still meets our needs. We will consider equipment updates on those roads as needed.

Close call: Work zone crashes a growing danger for road crews

By Scott Klepach

Kevin Nicholson was getting ready to settle in for the night when his work phone suddenly rang. He knew something was off to get a call in the middle of the night.

It was Oct. 15, 2023, and the night shift had already started. At the time, Nicholson was a highway maintenance supervisor for our Cle Elum area team on I-90. The call was from his crew telling him there was a collision in Cle Elum involving a semi-truck carrying cold storage food. The semi had struck the guardrail and rode down the barrier along a bridge. Finally, its trailer jackknifed.

Nicholson quickly arrived on the scene. Crews closed off the right lane of westbound I-90 and waited for the tow truck to arrive. WSDOT maintenance crews also help with debris clean-up and traffic control during and after crashes.

WSDOT maintenance crews keep I-90 near Cle Elum closed longer after a semi-truck struck a Road Warrior that had been set up to protect crews clearing debris from an earlier crash.

Nicholson and his crew started clearing the road of debris so the front-end loader could get there quickly. But that’s when another semi-truck crashed into our rig in a closed work zone.

A second collision

The truck ran into our Road Warrior vehicle. These vehicles are placed in advance of the closed work zone. They have warning lights and flashers to alert travelers of a crash ahead. These vehicles help deter the public from entering the work zone and help protect the crew members if someone does drive into the work zone.

Nicholson remembers vividly hearing the secondary semi-truck crash. In addition to the Road Warrior truck, a WSP trooper vehicle was also struck. Two troopers were sent to the hospital with minor injuries. Our Road Warrior fuel tank was ruptured by the impact. That second incident resulted in an extended closure of the highway, with one lane being closed for several more hours. We often hear from travelers frustrated by being stuck in a backup. Especially when injuries occur. The Washington State Patrol needs to meticulously investigate the cause of the crash and allow first responders to provide medical assistance to victims. Then we work to reopen the roadway as quickly and safely as possible.

A WSDOT Road Warrior was positioned as a protective barrier for maintenance crews clearing debris from an earlier crash when a semi-truck drove through the work zone, causing a second collision on I-90 near Cle Elum in October 2023. The crash damaged the Road Warrior and ruptured the fuel tank.

“Unfortunately, we see this kind of thing a lot as we set up a work zone,” Kevin said, adding that driving behaviors have worsened over the last several years. “We see people driving upwards of 80 miles per hour or greater on our highways, barreling into work zones, distracted or under the influence. That puts everyone at risk.” WSP reports speeding and erratic driving have increased.

We work closely with WSP, who is the enforcement agency for state highways on coordinated public emphasis and safety campaigns. This can mean additional patrols for things like DUI and chain-up requirements during winter. This helps keep everyone safe and able to get to where they need to go.

Increase in speeding and erratic driving puts everyone at risk

Nicholson says his crew notices that people drive better if they see red and blue flashing lights. WSP has begun pulling vehicles over more often for speeding and driving distracted (like cell phone use).

In 2024, there were 246 citations issued for distracted or inattentive driving in state road work zone crashes. In 2024, the total number of work zone-related crashes increased from 1,377 crashes in 2023 to 1,607 crashes. That’s an increase of 17%. The most significant rise was in serious injury crashes. These crashes increased by 36% from 2023 to 2024. Our crews say they regularly see drivers looking at their phones. Drivers are sometimes texting or even watching shows as they blow past signs about slowing down or stopping – which puts everyone on the road at risk.

Work zone crashes aren’t just dangerous for our workers. They’re also dangerous for travelers. Statistically, in Washington travelers are more at risk in work zones than the workers. In 2024, 96 percent of Washington roadway work zone fatalities and injuries were to drivers or their passengers. Also, traffic fines are doubled in work zones, so speeding drivers could also face hefty fines.

Changes to work zones for increased safety measures

We are working in-house and with construction, union, contractor, and legislative partners to improve safety in work zones for everyone. We are taking new and additional steps in designing some of our work zones. We’re also looking into new safety equipment and approaches. We will continue to schedule more projects during daylight hours. We now combine projects, when possible, to reduce the number of times our crews are exposed to traffic. You’ll also see more closed lanes and longer work zones to create more of a buffer between workers and active traffic. These actions can increase congestion on major routes, and we know they are not popular with travelers. However, we must prioritize worker and traveler safety and balance these needs cohesively.

Why does this matter? According to Jason Pratt, a maintenance operations superintendent, driver behavior needs to change.

“We give travelers multiple warnings of an upcoming work zone or crash site,” says Pratt. “More often than not, they don’t pay attention and that is really unfortunate because it puts everyone at risk.” For this incident, he said the night crew had already installed a large message board sign 14 miles prior to the incident that warned travelers. There were also several pre-warning signs closer to the scene where the right lane was blocked.

A semi-truck is damaged after running into a WSDOT Road Warrior causing a second crash scene.

Far too many of our workers have had close calls, serious injuries and even deaths in our work zones. It’s hard to find a crew that hasn’t had an injury or numerous close calls. Most road workers can recount incidents where they had to take action to avoid tragedy due to drivers entering work zones. We have had 61 workers killed on the job - many in marked work zones. We hope we never have to add another name to this list.

Safety is paramount

Our crews have regular safety discussions before and after their work using what is called Take 2 for work activities like patching potholes or bridge cleanings. It’s designed to let crews speak up, ask questions and promote safety not just for themselves, but everyone involved on the job and travelers who may enter the area.

“We have a strong team environment,” Nicholson says. “Our crews notice what doesn’t seem right and are equipped to ask questions. We want everyone to go home to their loved ones at the end of their shift.”

We ask all drivers in work zones to:

• Slow Down – drive the posted speeds, they’re there for your safety
• Be Kind – our workers are helping to keep you safe and improve the roadways
• Pay Attention – both to workers directing you and surrounding traffic
• Stay Calm – expect delays, leave early or take an alternate route if possible; no meeting or appointment is worth risking someone’s life

Nicholson noted the crashes that day could have been much worse. Thankfully no one died, but our crews and partners are always on the alert for what is coming down the road. Do them a favor by slowing down in work zones, putting the phone down and never driving under the influence.