Showing posts with label wsdot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wsdot. Show all posts

SEATTLE: Expect significant overnight closures on I-5 through downtown and Northgate

Saturday, February 4, 2023

SEATTLE: Expect significant overnight closures on I-5 through downtown

We roll into February with a series of significant closures on the construction calendar for our I-5 Seneca project as we improve mobility through downtown Seattle. 

The closures mean the northbound mainline lanes and the collector/distributor lanes of Interstate 5 will close. Northbound drivers can proceed into the Express Lanes keeping in mind they will not be able to exit until NE 42nd St near the University of Washington. 

Drivers who want to access downtown Seattle can exit at Edgar Martinez Drive or Rainier Avenue. This closure is planned nightly from 11:59pm Wednesday, February 15 to 4am Friday, February 17, and again nightly from 11:59pm Wednesday, February 22, to 4am Friday, February 24, 2023.

Next week drivers can plan for a typical construction pattern for this project as traffic shifts over to the collector/distributor lanes nightly from 9pm Monday, February 6, to 5am Friday, February 10.

Work this week includes:
  • Drivers should plan for nightly southbound lane reductions near I-90 from as early as 10pm Monday, February 6, through 5am Friday, February 10.
Various ramp closures will occur during late-night work including Olive Way, Madison, Union, Spring, James, Yale, Cherry and University streets.

SEATTLE: Northbound I-5 ramp and lane closures overnight this week near Northgate

Sound Transit has several ramp closures planned to facilitate the ongoing Lynnwood Link extension work:
  • The right lane of southbound I-5 between NE 136th St and NE 130th St will close nightly from 9pm to 5am beginning Monday, February 6 through the morning of Friday, February 10.
  • The northbound I-5 on-ramp from Northgate Way will close at 11pm on Thursday, February 9 and reopen at 5am Friday, February 10.

Read more...

Edmonds - Kingston run goes to 1-boat service after prop bent by underwater log

Friday, January 20, 2023

Bent propeller blade on ferry Puyallup
Photo courtesy WS Ferries
One of the 12 foot long propeller blades on the ferry Puyallup was bent badly last week after it likely hit an underwater log.

According to Richmond Beach resident and Shoreline Area News contributor John Slomnicki, "Last week, the water between Richmond Beach and Kingston was a Sargasso Sea of floating logs from recent King Tides."

The vessel is docked at Kingston for repairs, which are expected to take a week or two. Until fixed, the Edmonds route will remain on 1-boat service as they have no spare boats to fill in.



Read more...

Washington State Ferries virtual public meetings January 11 and 12

Monday, January 2, 2023

Photo by Lee Lageschulte
Our ferry system is hosting two virtual community meetings to engage and update riders. 

The meetings will take place at 12:30pm Wednesday, January 11, and 6pm Thursday, January 12, 2023. 

Both meetings will cover the same material. Participants will be able to ask questions and provide comments. 

Read more...

Slow down and make way for snow plows

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Photo courtesy WSDOT
By Diane Hettrick

Every municipality I follow is saying the same thing. Stay home. Stay out of the way while they take care of the roads.

People are going too fast and treating snow plows as an annoyance. Already someone managed to run into a state patrol vehicle that was blocking the road for the snow plow. No one hurt.

The photo looks west on SR 104 (aka Ballinger Way, NE 205th, 244th SW, Lake Ballinger Way, Edmonds Way). Right here it's Ballinger Way.

WSDOT didn't explain the photo but it looks like a couple of collisions.



Read more...

30 vehicle pile-up on I-90 closes eastbound lanes for 10 hours Wednesday

Thursday, December 8, 2022

A truckload of Honeycrisp apples covered the lanes
Highway crews closed I-90 eastbound and spent 10 hours investigating and cleaning up on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 after a driver reportedly went too fast for the road conditions and slid.

Freezing fog limited visibility
Freezing fog made it difficult for the following vehicles to see the crash scene ahead.

No serious injuries were reported
18 cars and 12 semis were involved in the pile-up. There were no reported serious injuries but vehicles were badly damaged and the roadway was a mess. 

Reportedly one driver, who had to be cut from his vehicle, went to the hospital for stitches and a broken rib.


The scene was in Kittitas county, about 115 miles east of Seattle.

Washington State Patrol, Department of Transportation, and tow trucks responded.

--All photos courtesy WSDOT


Read more...

Flying ferry

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Photo courtesy WSDOT

No one can say that WSDOT is not innovative. Now they have flying ferries!

We’re overjoyed to have been invited to take part in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. Here’s a behind the scenes look at us practicing with our giant balloons

We'll have to watch the parade to see if this is really true!



Read more...

FERRIES: Revamped Colman Dock ferry terminal building opens November 18

Saturday, November 19, 2022

Inside the terminal building, showing a large facility with natural light,
comfy seating and views to Elliott Bay and the city. Photo by WSDOT

After five years of construction, we’re rolling out the welcome mat at Washington State Ferries’ New flagship ferry terminal building on the Seattle waterfront

Built in stages as the old terminal was torn down, the first third of the new building opened in September 2019. When the rest of it opens, there will be much more space than the past three years – approximately 20,000 square feet or roughly the same size as the old structure.

In addition to striking views, the finished terminal building will provide more seating, twice as many turnstiles, additional restrooms, spaces for future food/retail vendors, improved passenger circulation and queuing, and a safer facility that meets current seismic standards.

This opening is a big milestone ahead of the scheduled completion of our Seattle Multimodal Terminal at Colman Dock Project in 2023, when the entry building along Alaskan Way and the elevated pedestrian connector open. 

Throughout construction of this project, we have maintained operations on two of our busiest ferry routes. Check out our project photos and images, as well as a video of the new space.

November 18, 2022



Read more...

WSDOT wins national award for its Active Transportation Plan

Monday, November 7, 2022

Bicycle riders use the SR 520 Trail to cross Lake Washington. Photo from WSDOT

The Washington Department of Transportation's Active Transportation Plan has been named the winner of the People’s Choice Award in the national 2022 America’s Transportation Awards

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sponsor the annual contest. It’s the first time in the competition’s 15-year history that an active transportation plan has won the honor.

The award comes with a $10,000 check for the charities of our choice. One-third goes to our own WSDOT Memorial Foundation that preserves the memory of our workers who died on the job and aids active and retired employees and their families in times of need. 

The other two recipients are statewide nonprofits that participated in the plan’s stakeholder steering committee and promoted involvement in the plan’s outreach phase: Cascade Bicycle Club and Disability Rights Washington.

To learn more about the Active Transportation Plan, visit our website.



Read more...

Damages awarded to WSDOT for tunnel completion delays

Monday, October 24, 2022

Bertha's cutterhead against a backdrop of tunnel construction photos.
Photograph from Supertunnel by Catherine Bassetti
OLYMPIA – On Oct. 12, the Supreme Court of Washington denied a request from Seattle Tunnel Partners for further review of a 2019 jury judgment that awarded $57.2 million to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The jury awarded WSDOT financial damages due to contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners’ late completion of the Alaskan Way Viaduct Tunnel project.

The decision by the Supreme Court is the final step in the appeal process for this case. WSDOT will receive the judgment amount, plus 12% interest while the appeal process played out, which will bring the entire recovery by the state to approximately $77 million.

The project’s tunnel boring machine, widely known as Bertha, was launched on July 30, 2013, but stopped tunneling about four months later. This delayed completion of the project for approximately two years.

During this time, Bertha’s cutterhead was brought back to the surface, rebuilt and then lowered back into place to continue digging.

The re-built Bertha then went on to complete the nearly two-mile dig under Seattle. The tunnel, carrying two lanes of north/south traffic in each direction, has been operational since opening to traffic in February 2019.

A Shoreline resident, Catherine Bassetti, documented the entire tunnel building process, and published a coffee table book of photographs and explanations of the process. See our previous article about the book here.

In the following years, WSDOT pursued the contractor for costs associated with the delay of building the tunnel. Yesterday’s final decision by the Supreme Court puts an end to that portion of the litigation.

“The $77 million to be collected in connection with the Alaskan Way Viaduct tunnel project represents an incredible effort to recoup funds on behalf of Washington taxpayers,” observed Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar.

“I’m pleased that the state will be compensated for the delay,” said Governor Jay Inslee. “I’d like to extend my thanks to all involved with all aspects of the AWV project and especially the legal components in recent years.”

WSDOT estimates the funds will be received in the coming weeks.

Pending litigation

A separate case involving WSDOT claims for insurance coverage against its insurers for the costs associated with the repair and reinstatement of Bertha, during the two-year period that Bertha was not operational, is still in the appeals stage and will ultimately be sent back to the King County Superior Court for resolution. The claims at issue in the insurance coverage case involve separate and distinct damages claims that were not included in the $57.2 million awarded in 2019. It’s likely that the insurance coverage case is at least 12-24 months from resolution.



Read more...

WSDOT picked up 107 tons of litter from state highways in September

Thursday, October 13, 2022

Photo courtesy WSDOT
The busy summer roadwork season is winding down and our maintenance crews are turning their attention to winter. 

But our collaboration with the Department of Ecology, Department of Corrections and Adopt-A-Highway volunteers on litter cleanup continues. 

Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, crews have cleaned up 1,347 TONS of roadside litter in the state, including 107 tons in September.

Litter near homeless encampments is an issue but the vast majority of litter collected is random litter on highways and larger debris like tires, furniture, etc., from unsecured loads. 

Of the litter collected so far this year:
  • 460 tons are from large debris, 
  • 388 tons are random roadside litter and 
  • 322 tons are from or near encampments.

While the work to keep up with litter continues, so does the need for the public to play a role. Please continue to dispose of litter properly, secure your loads and encourage your friends and family to do so as well. 

The best way to combat the ongoing and frustrating litter challenge is to stop it from ending up out there in the first place.

--WSDOT (Washington State Department of Transportation)


Read more...

Hope no one was planning to go to Leavenworth Wednesday

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Instead of falling trees and fire next to Hwy 2, there is a planned road closure on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 for maintenance work.

A reminder that US 2 Tumwater Canyon west of Leavenworth is closed today for pre-winter maintenance from 8am to 3pm. 

The full closure is a safer way to expedite this important work heading into snowy weather. Thank you for your patience!
Or this version:

The Washington State Department of Transportation in partnership with the Bolt Creek Fire Incident Command will close US 2 from Grotto (milepost 44) to the ranger station (milepost 50) from 10am to 6pm on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

During this closure crews will remove additional trees that have been deemed hazardous and perform additional fire mitigation near the roadway. There is no detour available and travelers should plan to use alternate routes.

Road closure information is posted in the WSDOT real-time travel center and by @wsdot_traffic on Twitter and updates will be provided as available.


Read more...

Ferry system transitioning to hybrid electric

Friday, September 30, 2022

Ferry on a windy day. Photo by Wayne Pridemore
Washington State Ferries (WSF) is embarking on an ambitious initiative to begin the transition to an emission-free fleet through a hybrid electric ferry system. 

Currently, WSF operates the largest ferry system in the United States. It is also the biggest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions of any state agency in Washington, burning 19 million gallons of diesel fuel to support 24 million passengers every year.

This shift to hybrid electric ferries is in response to governor and legislative direction as well as in alignment with the agency’s own long-range planning initiatives.

To transition to a hybrid electric fleet, WSF is working on the three key elements of the electrification system – building new vessels, converting vessels, and electrifying the terminals.

Read more...

US 2 reopens Thursday with reduced speed limit and cautions from WSDOT

US 2 is open for now. Photo courtesy WSDOT

US 2 in the Skykomish area has reopened with a reduced speed limit. 

SKYKOMISH– The Washington State Department of Transportation in partnership with the Bolt Creek Fire Incident Command has re-opened US 2 between the Money Creek Tunnel and the ranger station located between mileposts 46 to 50, effective at 7pm, Thursday, September 29, 2022. 

This is the second time crews have been able to re-open the roadway after fire activity forced closures on Sept. 10 and Sept. 26.

The Bolt Creek Fire remains an active and evolving situation and additional closures are possible should the fire pattern shift . At this time, travelers in this area should expect a reduced speed limit of 30 miles per hour as crews continue their work.

WSDOT will perform a daily post-fire corridor inspection along this stretch of US 2 through the winter as they continue to monitor this area for damage during the rainy and wet season when the soil may become saturated and additional trees may need to be removed. 



Read more...

Not a good time to travel over the passes

Sunday, September 11, 2022

Mountain passes are closing due to fire, smoke, and need to prioritize roads for emergency vehicles.

WSDOT has a Travel Map showing blockages and incidents.



Read more...

SEATTLE Traffic: All southbound I-5 traffic will use C/D this weekend

Saturday, August 27, 2022

Crew working on expansion joints
Photo courtesy WSDOT
WSDOT will hit a milestone on the southbound I-5 project to replace expansion joints between I-90 and Spokane Street this weekend: We’ll replace the last of the left halves of those expansion joints.

That means all traffic will shift into the collector/distributor, with only one lane rejoining the I-5 mainline. However, the ramps from eastbound and westbound I-90 will remain open all weekend.

The Mariners will have big crowds at T-Mobile Park this weekend, including a sellout on Saturday night, Aug. 27, 2022. That means if you’re going to any event in Seattle, you’ll have lots of company. 

You should plan ahead:
  • Consider taking light rail or a bus, particularly from north of Seattle.
  • Carpool – it’s more fun to go with a bunch of friends.
  • Use alternative routes like I-405 or SR 99. Just remember the SR 99 tunnel has a toll.
Our contractor still has several weekends of work on expansion joints on the right side of I-5 and ramps that serve the freeway. The West Seattle Bridge is scheduled to reopen Sept. 18; that weekend we plan to have the ramp open to the bridge.



Read more...

WSDOT still working on I-5 expansion joints through Seattle

Thursday, August 18, 2022

Crews removing an old expansion joint
Photo courtesy WSDOT
If you need to travel through Seattle any time soon, be aware that work continues on the I-5 expansion joints. Your travel time can be increased significantly.

Real time traffic information is available at wsdot.com/traffic or by dialing 511.



Read more...

SEATTLE: Seafair, Mariners, Seahawks and Southbound I-5 work on the weekend

Friday, August 5, 2022

Photo courtesy WSDOT
It’s a busy Seattle summer weekend but with so much future construction to come, the work must go on! 

The weekend-long lane reductions on southbound I-5 begin at about 7:30pm Friday, August 5, 2022 and include several changes for people traveling on the freeway in the Sodo area:
  • We will work on the right side so drivers who go into the collector/distributor lanes will need to exit to I-90, Dearborn Street, Fourth Avenue South or Airport Way.
  • People using the southbound I-5 on-ramp at James Street will need to use a collector/distributor exit. The South Forest Street and Spring Street ramps will be closed.
  • The I-90 to southbound I-5 ramps will stay open all weekend.
  • All lanes will reopen by 5am Monday, August 8

We will return with more work next weekend. Lane closures will start at about 7:30pm Friday, August 12. All traffic will funnel through the collector/distributor until work wraps up by 5am Monday, August 15.

People who are traveling can get real-time traffic information on mobile phones with the WSDOT traffic app and by following the WSDOT traffic Twitter feed.



Read more...

Virtual meeting Tuesday regarding WSDOT plans to replace culvert out of Lake Ballinger

Monday, May 16, 2022

Lake Ballinger is just north of SR 104 between
Shoreline and Mountlake Terrace.
Photo courtesy City of Mountlake Terrace
The Ballinger Watershed Forum will meet virtually from 2pm to 3:30pm Tuesday, May 17, 2022.

A discussion is scheduled on the @wsdot culvert that restricts flow from Lake Ballinger during heavy rain.

@wsdot is proposing to replace the culvert, which could reduce flooding.

Link to attend meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85351576195?pwd=aU9qMzJ5U0lmYnh3UlNxbmtTWHllQT09

Meeting ID: 853 5157 6195
Passcode: 683992

Phone: (253) 215-8782

The cities of Edmonds, Lake Forest Park, Mountlake Terrace, and Snohomish County coordinate efforts under an interlocal agreement to address problems relating to water quality, habitat enhancement and flooding in the Lake Ballinger/McAleer Creek Watershed.



Read more...

Rollover collision on I-5 at 145th Friday closes two lanes

Saturday, May 7, 2022

Photo courtesy WSDOT

This crash occurred around 5pm on Friday, May 6, 2022, blocking the two right lanes of northbound I-5.

Vehicles were moved to the side and lanes reopened
Photo courtesy WSDOT

The WSDOT incident response team cleared the vehicles to the shoulder on NB I-5 in Shoreline. All lanes were reopened within the hour.



Read more...

Opportunities for public to help update the Highway System Plan

Sunday, March 27, 2022

Primary state highways in Washington
Online open house, virtual public meetings coming statewide

Olympia – The approach of spring brings a new opportunity for the public to help grow and improve the state’s Highway System Plan

The Washington State Department of Transportation is hosting an online open house to gather public input on future highway system investments for the update to the plan.

The opinion poll linked in the online open house asks people to weigh-in on highway investment priorities, such as maintenance, operations, walking and bicycling.

WSDOT is also hosting seven regionally focused virtual public meetings in late March and April to discuss the Highway System Plan and answer questions.

The plan, last updated in 2007, creates a 20-year vision for preserving, maintaining, improving and operating state highways. 

This long-term outlook is shaped by the diversity of the people who live in Washington, which helps ensure the highway system meet the needs of people who use transit, vanpools and vehicles; people who walk, ride bikes and use wheelchairs, and people who transport goods and services around the state. 

The update will address major challenges, including aging infrastructure and climate change.

Highway System Plan online open house information
Details: Participants will learn about the Highway System Plan and can use the opinion poll to share their preferences on future highway system investments. The poll is hosted by the University of Washington.

Virtual public meeting information
  • When: March 29 - April 14
  • Where: Zoom (virtual)
Details: The public can sign up for a virtual public meeting through the online open house to learn more about the highway plan. Each of the seven meetings focuses on a specific region of Washington, however anyone can participate in any meeting.



Read more...
ShorelineAreaNews.com
Facebook: Shoreline Area News
Twitter: @ShorelineArea
Daily Email edition (don't forget to respond to the Follow.it email)

  © Blogger template The Professional Template II by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP