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

Ferry system continues to receive funds from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Issaquah-class ferry passenger areas to be refurbished with federal funding
Photo courtesy WSDOT

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration recently awarded us with $4.8 million to revamp the passenger areas of our six Issaquah-class vessels. 

Cathlamet, Chelan, Issaquah, Kitsap, Kittitas, and Sealth were built from 1979 through 1982. 

The funding will extend the useful life of the aging boats for another five to ten years while new ferries are built. 

Last week, the FTA announced 13 grants totaling more than $220 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to ferry systems across the country. 

WSDOT received more than $50 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act over the past two years.


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Public invited to comment on Washington’s 2024-2027 program of multimodal transportation projects

Saturday, December 2, 2023


OLYMPIA – A compilation of prioritized transportation improvement projects is now ready for public review and comment through Tuesday, December 19, 2023.

More than 1,200 statewide transportation improvement projects using $3.8 billion in federal funds are included in the 2024-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, or STIP for short. 

The draft 2024-2027 STIP is a four-year program of multimodal transportation projects identified through state, metropolitan, regional, tribal and local agency planning processes.

Projects identified as using Federal Highway Administration or Federal Transit Administration funds must be included in the STIP to authorize the expenditure of federal funds. Also included are regionally significant projects funded through the Washington State Legislature’s Connecting Washington and Move Ahead Washington transportation packages.

The comment period for the STIP is the final step of the community engagement process that began locally during development of individual transportation improvement programs. The Washington State Department of Transportation will accept comments until 5pm Tuesday, December 19. Any comments received by WSDOT will be sent to the local agency or metropolitan or regional planning organization for consideration.

About the STIP

The STIP is a four-year, fiscally constrained, prioritized multimodal transportation program of state, local, tribal, and public transportation transit projects. It includes highways, streets, roads, railroads, transit-hubs, park-and-ride lots, bridges, sidewalks, bike lanes, ferry terminals, trails, and safety projects. The STIP is a calendar-year document and is developed on an annual basis with monthly updates from January through October.

The collaborative effort between WSDOT, local agencies and metropolitan and regional planning organizations ensures projects are consistent with local, regional, and state long-range plans. Some county projects are not included in the draft STIP because state law requires counties to complete their transportation improvement programs by the end of the year; those projects are amended into the final STIP in January.

The current 2023-26 STIP can be viewed online and a similar, searchable database of the 2024-27 STIP will be created in January 2024, following FHWA and FTA approval.

How to comment

Written comments can be sent to: Nancy Huntley or Steve Ahlsten, WSDOT, P.O. Box 47390, Olympia WA 98504-7390, or emailed to: Hqlpstip@wsdot.wa.gov . Comments must be received by 5pm, Tuesday, December 19, 2023.


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WA Ferries awarded $4.8M in federal funds to extend lifespan of six aging vessels

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

M/V Issaquah. Photo courtesy WSDOT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – November 29, 2023, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that Washington State Ferries (WSF) has received $4.8 million in federal funding to refurbish passenger areas on six aging boats in its ferry fleet.

The grant will pay for upgrades on all six of WSF’s Issaquah Class Vessels, originally constructed between 1979 and 1982 and currently serve travelers in Fauntleroy, Vashon, Southworth, Mukilteo, Clinton, Anacortes, and the San Juan Islands. 

Funds came from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) 2023 Ferry Programs Grants. The Washington State Department of Transportation is providing an additional $960,000 for the project.

“Our ferry system is a critical part of our transportation network and ridership is growing. With this money, Washington State Ferries will extend the useful life of six vessels by five to ten years, which will help improve service reliability throughout the ferry system,” Sen. Cantwell said.

 
M/V Chelan. Photo courtesy wikimedia commons

Sen. Murray said, 
“Here in Washington state, ferries are really important to our daily lives and commutes— so we need the federal government to make a serious investment in this mode of transportation.  
“These critical refurbishments made possible with the funding we’re announcing today will allow these vessels to serve passengers more comfortably and for years to come. 
"As Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I’m working hard to secure additional federal resources for our ferries, and to make sure that our nation’s largest ferry fleet— right here in Washington state— can continue to serve our communities well.”

This project will extend the useful life of the vessels and improve passenger amenities, allowing for more space between passengers in high-occupancy areas, and making cleaning easier for WSF staff. The benefits will be primarily felt by the increasing number of walk-on riders in the nation’s largest ferry system.

Each of the six ships can carry 90-124 vehicles and 1,200 passengers per trip. The vessels receiving upgrades are:
  • MV Issaquah (1979)
  • MV Kittitas (1980): Serving Fauntleroy/Southworth/Vashon
  • MV Kitsap (1980) : Serving Mukilteo/Clinton
  • MV Cathlamet (1981): Serving Fauntleroy/Southworth/Vashon
  • MV Chelan (1981) : Serving Anacortes/San Juan Islands
  • MV Sealth (1982)

In FY2022, only 43% of the 21 WSF vessels met the target for State of Good Repair. Additionally, the accumulating maintenance backlog has resulted in pervasive service disruptions. From July 2019 to June 2023, each of the six vessels was out of operation in shipyards for an average of 3.12 months each year. 

Without refurbishment, vessels will continue to deteriorate, and service disruptions will become even more commonplace. The project will extend the useful life of these aging vessels – which comprise 28.5% of the entire WSF fleet – for another five to 10 years.

By the end of 2025, these six ships will have a combined preservation backlog of over $88 million, with only $28.9 million available for preservation. With such severe fiscal constraints, preservation funding has been necessarily directed toward only the most urgent needs to keep vessels operational, in the absence of significant funding allocated for passenger amenities.

In January, Sen. Cantwell and Sen. Murray announced that Washington State Ferries would receive three grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) totaling $11.6 million, including a grant to electrify the Mukilteo-Clinton route. 

Sen. Cantwell and Senator Murray played an instrumental role in securing $25 million to replace the 60-year-old Lummi Island ferry with a state-of-the-art electric hybrid vessel through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program first established by Senator Murray.

As chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Sen. Cantwell has consistently championed investments in the State of Washington’s transportation systems and has helped secure federal funding for important infrastructure and transit expansion projects throughout the state. 

In August, Sen. Cantwell announced a $44.6 million grant to help convert three Washington State Ferries to hybrid-electric propulsion systems, along with a $100 million contract with shipbuilder Vigor.

Sen. Murray has long fought to increase funding for in our nation’s ferry systems and this year, as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she secured $20 million for the Passenger Ferry Grant Program— a $5 million increase over last year’s funding level— in the draft Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill for Fiscal Year 2024 that overwhelmingly passed the Senate in November. 

In last year’s spending package, Senator Murray successfully fought to increase investments for the Passenger Ferry Grant Program, as well as a minimum of $5 million set aside for low or zero-emission ferries. 

Senator Murray also helped secure record funding for ferries in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law she helped pass as Assistant Majority Leader; the legislation included $2.3 billion for ferry boats and terminal infrastructure, including $250 million over five years for low or zero emission ferries and more than $17 billion for port and waterway infrastructure.

Sens. Cantwell and Murray have long been strong supporters of robust increases to competitive transit grant programs such as the Capital Investment Grant Program, the Low or No Emission (Low-No) Grant Program, the Bus and Bus Facilities Grant Program, and the Passenger Ferry Grant Program.


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Collision on Mountlake Terrace off ramp

Thursday, November 16, 2023

220th exit blocked in Mountlake Terrace
Photo courtesy WSDOT

Your drive home was made longer by a collision on the Mountlake Terrace 220th SW off-ramp around 5:30pm on Thursday, November 16, 2023.

Whether everyone really wanted to exit I-5 at that spot or they were just slowing down to look, all four northbound lanes were impacted.

After a relatively short time, the vehicles were moved to the side of the road, allowing cars to squeeze by.


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Collision on northbound I-5 at SR 104 blocked two lanes and slowed traffic midday Monday

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Photo courtesy WSDOT

Just before 2pm on Monday, November 13, 2023, a collision on northbound I-5 at SR 104 on the county line blocked the HOV and left lane.

Incident Response, Fire and State Patrol all responded to the scene. Traffic was packed solid back to 185th.


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Dramatic recovery after tanker truck goes off the road on the North Cascades Highway

Friday, November 10, 2023

Tanker went through the guard rail and rolled over the edge of a steep slope. In this photo the tow trucks have the tanker almost up to the road. Photo courtesy WSDOT
Here are some scenes from the issue near the summit of the SR 20 North Cascades Highway over the weekend where a tanker truck went off the road on Rainy Pass.
Three 40 foot tow trucks coordinated to pull the truck to the road
Photo courtesy WSDOT
Fortunately no one was seriously hurt. 

The retrieval was tricky as the terrain was steep, the tanker had 11,000 gallons of propane fuel and it took three 40-foot tow trucks working on a 35-foot road.
Progress - back up to the road. Photo courtesy WSDOT
WSDOT said "One of the tow operators said it was the hardest job he's had in his 30-year career. Huge thanks to all the responders!"

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WSDOT: Get ready for winter travel

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Snoqualmie Pass/Hyak maintenance crews made preparations for the winter weather earlier this week. How prepared are you for the next storm? Photo from WSDOT

Now is the time to prepare yourself and your vehicle for winter travel. It’s important for motorists to remember to slow down, increase their following distance and be alert for people using crosswalks or bike lanes, as they may be harder to see due to inclement weather. 

Check out the WSDOT winter driving web page for more tips and information.

Always "know before you go" and get the most up-to-date roadway information before heading out: Download the free WSDOT mobile app for your Apple or Android phone or device.

Sign up for email and/or text updates about road conditions – or sign up to receive text message alerts about significant delays on Snoqualmie Pass by texting the number 468311 with the words "WSDOT Snoqualmie."

Follow WSDOT across a variety of social media platforms including Facebook, Threads, several X/Twitter accounts, Instagram and TikTok.

Check current traction and chain requirements for mountain passes, which also are available on highway-advisory signs and highway-advisory radio.

Pre-program your vehicle radio to 530 AM and 1610 AM for highway advisory radio alerts and be alert for other stations listed on notice signs in some areas.

Use the online real-time travel map to check conditions locally and statewide before heading out.

Review what to carry in your vehicle, including a winter driving supply checklist.


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Three Jumbo ferries to be converted to hybrid-electric power

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Jumbo Mark II-class ferries to be converted to hybrid-electric

Work has begun on the first of three ferries, the Wenatchee, to convert it to hybrid-electric power.

A $100 million contract was awarded to Vigor Marine who will conduct the work to convert the vessels at its Harbor Island shipyard in Seattle.

The $100 million contract covers the conversion of two Jumbo Mark II-class ferries to hybrid-electric power, with a fixed-price option of $50 million to convert the third vessel in 2025. The contract also includes planned replacement of the propulsion control systems, which will increase reliability and the lifespan of the three ferries.

Vigor Marine will modernize the ship’s controls and other outdated systems. These updates will improve reliability and help ensure these 22-year-old ferries serve our communities for decades longer.

The Jumbo Mark II vessels are the largest in WSF’s fleet and produce 26% of WSF’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions. They also serve the most densely populated urban areas in Central Sound.

Vigor Marine has started work on Wenatchee, expected to reenter service next summer. Vigor will also begin converting Tacoma in 2024, with the option to convert Puyallup in 2025.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that $44.6 million (15.4%) of the $290 million project cost of converting three Washington State Ferries to hybrid-electric propulsion systems will be covered by federal funding that has already been awarded.

“This announcement charts a course for our ferry system to be cleaner, more sustainable, and more reliable, using the world-class labor of Washington’s shipbuilders,” said Sen. Cantwell. 
“Converting the fleet’s three biggest emitters from diesel to hybrid-electric power will drastically reduce emissions and fueling costs. Federal funding to improve our nation's transportation system and fight climate change made this milestone possible, covering a portion of the cost of modernizing these iconic ferries.”

Federal funding for the entire $290 million project is an estimated $44.6 million, 15.4% of the total cost.



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Ferry crew saves customer's life at Edmonds terminal

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Edmonds ferry dock
Photo courtesy WA State Ferries

Washington state ferry vessel and terminal employees helped save a customer's life on Saturday, August 26, 2023 after he fell and was knocked unconscious while boarding #Spokane ferry at the #Edmonds dock.

They administered CPR and used an AED until he regained consciousness. Paramedics responded and took him for medical evaluation.


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The best and worst times to travel for Labor Day weekend

Monday, August 28, 2023

Avoid this with WSDOT Tools and Tips
Photo by Mike Remarcke
Labor Day weekend September 1 - 5 is one of the busiest travel times of the year, as everyone maximizes every day of vacation before it's time to get the kids back to school.

People planning their final festivities of summer before all things pumpkin spice and yellow school buses return should consult the Washington State Department of Transportation’s holiday traffic volume charts to determine best times to travel during the Labor Day weekend.

With the popular travel weekend fast approaching, now is the time to make plans for expected holiday congestion on most routes – whether by ferry, vehicle, bus, rail, foot, bicycle or plane. 

This year’s charts include US 2, Interstate 90 and I-5 between Lacey and Tacoma as well as Bellingham to the United States-Canada border.

Most construction will be paused over the three-day weekend to help reduce some congestion, but this is a popular travel weekend and WSDOT recommends people go early or late and give themselves plenty of extra time. Crashes or emergency road repairs also can add to travel times.

Travelers can “know before they go” and plan ahead by using WSDOT tools and tips, whether they’re traveling across town or across the Evergreen State.

Everything you need to know is here, in this comprehensive article from WSDOT



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LFP Councilmembers request speed reduction on Bothell Way

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

A two story concrete wall the length of Lake Forest Park under Sound Transit plan

Five of the six city councilmembers in Lake Forest Park have sent a letter to the Regional Administrator of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), asking for a speed reduction on Bothell Way / SR 522, which runs the entire length of Lake Forest Park.

8-14-2023

Brian Nielsen
Regional Administrator, Northwest Region
WA State Department of Transportation

Lake Forest Park City Council formally requested our administration to apply for a speed reduction on State Route 522 at our August 10th meeting. This letter is in full support of a speed reduction. In addition to the important information in Resolution 23-1910 we want to encourage WSDOT take into consideration additional information that has been identified by our community.

We are at a point in time where Sound Transit is nearing completion of their redesign of State Highway 522 to accommodate their Stride project. Their project widens 522 to add a North/East bound transit lane and sidewalks. The final configuration of the roadway will be very similar to 522 in Kenmore where, after a recent speed review, WSDOT reduced the speed to 35MPH.

The most impactful element in the Sound Transit design that WSDOT can have a positive impact on is the two-story retaining wall. The City has been working with both Sound Transit and WSDOT to improve the visual design of this wall through tree relief patterns and vines pockets along the wall. While we support these efforts, the wall will still be a large shift from a green corridor to a concrete corridor. 

Reducing the speed limit to 35MPH allows a reduction in lane width from 11’ to 10’. This would yield a narrower road profile overall by approximately 4’ and consequently reduce the amount of hillside that needs to be excavated. This would reduce the height of the retaining wall by approximately 3’ (approximately 19% lower). 

A lower retaining wall lessens the visual impacts in our community, reduces the quantity of soil being trucked offsite, shortens the excavation schedule, saves additional trees, reduces acquisition extents, and reduces costs. 

In addition, the reduction of the speed limit would make living in the single-family homes along SR 522 safer. While these driveways are typically considered low volume and do not generally contribute to lowering speeds, these residents are at high risk as they back into the highway instead of the shoulders they have now and should be considered as part of the speed limit review.

We entreat WSDOT to reconsider the speed limit of State Highway 522 through Lake Forest Park as this is a win for WSDOT, Sound Transit, and our community.

Kindly, in our individual capacities,

Councilmember Semra Riddle
Councilmember Larry Goldman
Councilmember Tom French, Deputy Mayor
Councilmember Phillippa Kassover, Vice Chair
Councilmember Tracy Furutani
Councilmember Lorri Bodi


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WSDOT to close major routes for maintenance this weekend

Saturday, July 15, 2023

The upcoming "monster" closures on SR 520 and Montlake Boulevard will lead to significant progress in the project, which is on track to finish early next year. Graphic courtesy WSDOT

SEATTLE: Closures on SR 520, Montlake Boulevard started Friday July 14

People will encounter what we’re calling “monster” roadway closures on and around State Route 520 in Seattle starting Friday night, July 14, 2023.

Early warning: It’s not going to be pretty. In a nutshell, we’re closing parts of the SR 520 bridge across Lake Washington for two weekends in a row (July 14-17 and 21-24). Moreover, we’re closing Montlake Boulevard, one of Seattle’s busiest streets, during that entire 10-day stretch.

Why is this happening?

We’re aiming to complete the SR 520 Montlake Project early next year. This is a major phase of SR 520’s ongoing reconstruction between Interstate 5 in Seattle and I-405 on the east side of Lake Washington. The Montlake Project’s final stages, unavoidably, require several significant closures.

We know these closures are tough. The good news is drivers will see significant progress at the end of this “monster closure.” We’ll straighten Montlake Boulevard into its final north-south alignment. We’ll also open two new SR 520 on-ramps from Montlake: one westbound and one eastbound. The eastbound on-ramp will link to a new, three-lane eastbound bridge between Montlake and the SR 520 floating bridge. (We like to call the new eastbound span the world’s longest on-ramp to the world’s longest floating bridge.)

Even more exciting is that drivers will see a new, landscaped lid over SR 520 by early 2024. More details on the closures can be found in our blog.

Second weekend SR 520 closure, July 21-24

It’s a busy summer construction season and it means there will be times where work has to stack and its unavoidable.

Both directions of SR 520 will close again from 11pm Friday, July 21, through 5am Monday, July 24. The SR 520 Trail across the lake will remain open for both weekend closures.

Southbound travelers on Interstate 5 will need to plan for potential delays on their trips during an around-the-clock closure of the far-left lane of southbound I-5 near State Route 520 which began at 9pm Friday, July 14. The lane closure will last until 5am Monday, July 17

Limited access to eastbound SR 520

From 9pm on July 14 to 9am on July 15, southbound I-5 drivers will be able to access eastbound SR 520 using the normal exit. One lane of eastbound SR 520 will be open and all eastbound drivers will need to pay the SR 520 Bridge Toll due to the Montlake Boulevard exit being closed.

Drivers will not be able to take eastbound I-90 between 11:59pm on July 14 and 7am on July 15 due to scheduled maintenance in the tunnel.

At 9am on July 15, eastbound SR 520 will fully close but eastbound I-90 will be back open.


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WSDOT to perform pavement repairs on Ballinger Way in LFP starting Monday

Friday, June 2, 2023

View the map in a larger image
On Monday June 5, 2023, WSDOT will begin pavement repairs on Ballinger Way NE which will include crack sealing and pothole repairs:

The first phase of work will be crack sealing beginning on Ballinger Way at 40th Place progressing east to Bothell Way (SR 522).

The second phase will begin on Ballinger Way at 40th Place progressing west. Once completed with this section, they will complete the lanes from 40th Ave NE in the westbound direction.

Upon completion of the corridor’s crack sealing activities, WSDOT crews will repair potholes.

WSDOT will provide updated project information on message boards along Ballinger Way for the duration of the project.

For questions, please contact WSDOT at: 425-739-3730



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FERRIES: Vehicle reservations for summer season available 7am Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Monday, April 17, 2023

San Juan ferry photo courtesy WSDOT
Vehicle reservations
for our summer season, June 18 to Sept. 23, 2023 on our Anacortes / San Juan Islands and Port Townsend / Coupeville routes will be available at 7am Tuesday, April 25. 

For our Anacortes / San Juan Islands runs, another batch of reservations will be released two weeks before each specific sailing. 

The remaining space on each sailing will be available two days before.


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Bainbridge ferry delayed for the stork

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Vehicles stacked up at the Bainbridge ferry lanes
Photo courtesy Washington State Ferries
There was a good – and unusual – reason for a slight sailing delay at the Bainbridge ferry terminal on April 6, 2023. 

A baby was born in a vehicle in the holding lanes. 

Employees immediately contacted and coordinated with emergency medical technicians and vessel crews to hold up the 7:55am departure, so an ambulance with the new family could board first and exit first in Seattle to head to the hospital. 

"Congratulations on a ferry happy birthday!"


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After 36 days, search crews locate plane wreckage and body of missing Tacoma pilot in forest near Queets

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Wreckage located in forest near Queets
OLYMPIA – On Monday, April 10, 2023 Washington State Department of Transportation Air Search and Rescue crews successfully identified a missing 2006 Cessna T182 Turbo Skylane piloted by Rod Collen in the wooded forests near Queets. 

The pilot was discovered deceased inside the aircraft, likely dying upon impact. He had been missing for 36 days. The Collen family has been notified and briefed of today’s events.

Mr. Collen departed from the Tacoma Narrows Airport at 5:35pm, Monday, March 6, and his plane fell off radar abruptly 45 minutes later. WSDOT and partners searched a 36-square-mile wooded area for two weeks, and suspended the search on March 20 after finding no trace of the pilot or aircraft. 

On Friday, April 7, crews returned to the area using a new hypothesis of what may have happened to the plane provided by a search and rescue partner in British Columbia. Search conditions had improved greatly thanks to the warmer weather, which had made earlier efforts of locating a white plane difficult in snow. 

During that flight, crews noticed some items of interest, but they could not be positively identified from the air. 

On the morning of April 10, a combined team from WSDOT Air Search and Rescue, the Quinault Emergency Management and a K9 team from the King County Search and Rescue Office hiked into the location of interest and identified the aircraft of Rod Collen. The wreckage site is in densely wooded terrain, difficult to spot and not easily accessible.

WSDOT Air Search and Rescue crews would like to thank several municipalities and partners for this search effort including: the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Tacoma Police Department, Olympic National Park, Quinault Tribal Nation, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Coast Guard, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, Civil Air Patrol National Forensics Radar Team and Washington Air Search and Rescue.


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Annual Worker Memorial honored 60 WSDOT workers who have died in work zones since 1950

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

A display near Capitol Way in Olympia shows 60 traffic barrels, representing each WSDOT worker who has died in work zones since 1950. Photo courtesy WSDOT.

WSDOT (Washington Department of Transportation) held their annual Worker Memorial event on Tuesday at their headquarters building in Olympia.

During the ceremony they honored 60 colleagues who have died in work zones since 1950. They also took time to emphasize the need for everyone to do their part to keep everyone on the highway safe.

During the ceremony, Gov. Inslee signed a bill authorizing the use of speed safety cameras in work zones, a welcome step in efforts to keep highway workers safe. 

He also named Adam Gonzalez, a maintenance worker in the Lacey area, “Washingtonian of the Day.” 
Adam shared his story of being hit three times in work zones since he started at our agency in 2016. 

Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar, Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste and Mike Gribner, President of the WSDOT Memorial Foundation whose uncle was killed in a work zone, also spoke.

Thanks to everyone who was a part of the ceremony and, more importantly, everyone who does their part to keep everyone safe on the roads.

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Remove studded tires by March 31

Friday, March 24, 2023

Photo courtesy WSDOT
Spring is here! And while there is some snow forecast for the passes in the next few days, winter is starting to get in our rearview mirror. 

And with that, a reminder that the deadline to remove studded tires is March 31. 

There are no plans to extend the deadline - that usually takes a major statewide snow event, and that isn't in the forecast. 

Businesses that remove studded tires tend to get really busy the closer the deadline gets so please don't wait until the last minute, as it can be a $137 fine after that date. 

--WSDOT


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WSDOT suspends search for missing Tacoma pilot near Queets

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Detailed flight paths show the intricate routes aviation search and rescue pilots flew near Queets the week of March 12, 2023. Graphic courtesy WSDOT.

OLYMPIA - The Washington State Department of Transportation on Monday, March 20, 2023 called off the search for a missing 2006 Cessna T182 Turbo Skylane. The plane was piloted by Rod Collen on Monday, March 6, who departed from the Tacoma Narrows Airport at 5:35pm, fell off radar abruptly a few minutes later and has not been seen or heard from since. 

WSDOT Air Search and Rescue crews have searched for 13 days and found no traces of the aircraft or pilot during this time.

WSDOT, who coordinated the search alongside several municipalities and partners, has exhausted all available resources, leads and areas to search based on the information provided to date. Recently released aerial search flight paths show extensive effort in the targeted search area by crews to locate the missing plane.

Barring new leads or developments, no additional aerial searches are planned. Anyone who thinks they saw or heard the plane Monday, March 6, or spotted anything in the area, should call the State Emergency Operations Center at 800-258-5990 with details. The plane's tail number is N24289. A detailed series of events, including photos of the mission and daily updates, were provided on the WSDOT blog.

This is not the outcome searchers and the many partners had hoped for and our thoughts are with both the family and everyone who worked to try and locate the aircraft. 

The family has been kept informed of search activities and has been briefed about this decision.

Agencies assisting in the search included: Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Tacoma Police Department, Olympic National Park, Quinault Tribal Nation, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Coast Guard, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, Civil Air Patrol National Forensics Radar Team and Washington Air Search and Rescue.

Several minutes into the flight the plane's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system was either turned off or malfunctioned and the plane was no longer visible on normal air traffic controller tracking systems. 

With the help of a specialized radar forensics team, primary radar returns were located that placed the aircraft in a 36-square mile section near the coast between Lake Quinault and Queets in rugged forest terrain. The final radar plots show the aircraft made a very rapid descent towards the ground. Collen was the only one in the plane.

WSDOT Air Search and Rescue would like to remind aviators to always communicate desired flight plans, take advantage of ADSB, have a 406 MHz ELT that is fully registered and establish personal minimums based on pilot proficiency and fatigue level.

WSDOT, by statute (RCW 47.68.380) is charged with the coordination and management of aerial search and rescue within the state. The agency works in conjunction with volunteer search and rescue groups, law enforcement and other agencies, such as the U.S. Navy, in carrying out such searches.



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Vehicle reservations for San Juan and Port Townsend runs available Monday March 6, 2023

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Photo courtesy WSDOT
Vehicle reservations for the spring season (March 26 to June 17) on the Anacortes / San Juan Islands and Port Townsend / Coupeville ferry routes will be available at 7am.Monday, March 6, 2023.

For the Anacortes/San Juan Islands runs, another batch of reservations will be released two weeks before each specific sailing. The remaining space on each sailing will be available two days before the specific voyage.

For more details, or to make a reservation, visit the Washington State Ferries reservations home page.

The spring schedule vehicle reservations release was originally scheduled for January 26 but was pushed back due to an IT issue with those making bulk reservations.



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