WSDOT
Major Road Projects
Ron Paananen, P.E. Larry Kyle, P.E.
Deputy Administrator Program Engineering Manager
Urban Corridors Office SR 520 Program
WSPE Annual Meeting & Conference
May 15, 2009
1

Presentation Agenda
• SR 520 – focus project
• Other projects updates:
• Alaskan Way Viaduct
• I‐405 Segments
• I‐90 Snoqualmie Pass
• Columbia River Crossing
• I – 395, North Spokane Corridor
• Lake Washington Congestion Management
2

2009 Legislative Actions - WSDOT
• Tunneling Alaskan Way Viaduct
• Tolling SR 520
3

SR 520 Bridge Replacement
and HOV Program
4

SR 520 Program Description
5

SR 520 Delivery Options
6

Alternative A
7
7

Alternative L
8
8

SR 520 Fly‐through
Visuals
Option K & Eastside
Project
9

SR 520 Program Schedule
10

SR 520 Pontoon Construction Project
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Why is the Pontoon Project needed now?
• Constructing and storing pontoons
are key elements in catastrophic
failure planning.
• If the floating bridge failed,
available detour routes would be
overwhelmed with rerouted traffic.
• Recovering the bridge after a
catastrophic failure will require new
pontoons. We estimate it would
take approximately three years to
construct enough pontoons to
restore the SR 520 bridge.
Existing SR 520 pontoon
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Advanced Construction Methods and Engineering
• Support accelerated schedule,
reduce risk, and minimize costs
• Field test for pontoons, i.e.,
form systems, concrete mixes,
full‐scale mockups of pontoon
sections
• Advertise in Summer 2009‐‐
Posted on WSDOT Contract Ad
and Award Web site
• Located in Grays Harbor

Use existing facility at Concrete Technology Corporation
• Expedite pontoon
construction to stay on
schedule
• Does not have capacity to
build all the pontoons
• Construction of pontoons to
begin in 2010

Two Sites in Grays Harbor
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How are pontoons built?
• Prepare site
– Excavate a basin, drive piles,
pour concrete slab.
– Stabilize sides of basin with
concrete walls; seal off from
open water with a gate.
– Construct support facilities.
• Construct pontoons
– Assemble forms around steel
frame.
– Pour concrete into forms to
create pontoon.
• Launch pontoons
– Fill basin with water.
– Open gate and use tugboat to
tow pontoon to moorage
location.
– Drain basin and repeat process
for other pontoons.

Typical Site‐casting Basin
17

Pontoon Construction Project schedule
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For more information visit the project website at:
www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR520Bridge
19

20

Bored Tunnel Hybrid Alternative
21

Alaska Way Viaduct
Fly‐through Visuals
22

23

Program Timeline
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Relocate electrical lines between S. Massachusetts Street and
Railroad Way S.
Replace the viaduct between S. Holgate and
S. King streets
Implement Moving Forward transit
enhancements and other improvements
Mercer Street construction from I-5 to Dexter Avenue
Mercer West from Dexter to Elliott avenues
S. Spokane Street Viaduct Project construction
Bored tunnel construction
Transit capital
Transit service enhancements
Alaskan Way and waterfront
promenade construction
Seawall construction*
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*Seawall construction will take two years, but will be done seasonally based on environmental and other factors

I-405
25

I‐405 Master Plan:
Regional Consensus
EIS Record of Decision, 2002
Roadways
2 new lanes in each direction
Local arterial improvements
Transit & Transportation Choices
Bus Rapid Transit system
Potential managed lanes system
9 new transit centers added
50% transit service increase
HOV direct access ramps and flyer stops
5000 new Park & Ride spaces
1700 new vanpools
Environmental Enhancements
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I‐405 Funded Projects
2008 Budget (08 Leg Fin) Dollars in Millions
SR 520 to SR 527
NB 195th St. to SR 527 .....................................................38.74
Kirkland Nickel Stage 2 ....................................................104.56
NE 124th St. to SR 522 ....................................................173.92
NE 132nd St. Bridge ..........................................................27.75
NE 132nd St. Interchange Ramps .............................................................48.50
Kirkland Nickel Stage 1 ..............................................................................81.64
NE 8th St. to SR 520 Braided Ramps ......................................................255.30
NE 10th St. Bridge Crossing ......................................................................63.82
112th Ave. SE to SE 8th St.
Bellevue Nickel Project ......................................................179.60
112th Ave. SE to I‐90 ...........................................................19.96
NE 44th St. to 112th Ave. SE......................................................................150
Springbrook Creek Wetland Mitigation......................................................16.39
I‐5 to SR 169 Stage 1 Widening
Renton Nickel Project .........................................................126.41
I‐5 to SR 181 ........................................................................19.78
SR 167 SB: I‐405 to SE 180th St. ........................................17.38
I‐5 to SR 169 Stage 2 Widening and SR 515 Interchange
Renton Nickel Stage 2 ..........................................................55.46
SR 515 Interchange .............................................................113.36
NB SR 167 to SR 169 ..............................................................6.77
Thunder Hills Creek Emergency Culvert Replacement.....................................................................................................8.49
I‐405 Corridor Total State Investment ..............................$1507.83
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UPCOMING
Bellevue Braided Ramps
NE 8th to SR 520 Improvement Project
• Builds new structures to
separate NB traffic exiting to
SR 520 from traffic entering I‐
405 at NE 8th Street in
Bellevue
• Builds a new on‐ramp at NE
10th Street to SR 520
• Scheduled ad date Jan 2010
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Braided Ramps Configuration

Renton Stage 1 – Widening CONSTRUCTION
I‐5 to SR 169
• One new north and southbound
general purpose lane from I‐5 to SR
167
• One new southbound auxiliary lane
on SR 167
• Lengthen southbound HOV lane on
SR 167
• Scheduled completion 2010
$91.5 M

UPCOMING
Renton Stage 2 &
SR 515 Interchange
• One new north and southbound
lane from SR 167 to SR 169
• Creating new half‐diamond
interchange at SR 515
• Bids to be opened 2/4/09

I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East
Project Update
32

$595 million
Spring 2009
33

I-90 along Keechelus Lake 34

Avalanche over east
Snowshed Rockfall on I-90
Deteriorated Wildlife / vehicle
Pavement collision
Congestion on a
Sharp Curves 35
holiday weekend

• Draft Environmental
Impact Statement issued in
2005
• Preferred Alternative
identified June 2006
• Final Environmental
Impact Statement issued
August 2008
• FHWA signed Record of
Decision in October 2008
• Construction begins June
2009
36

• Add a lane in each direction
• Rebuild three new bridges and one culvert
• Address unstable rock slopes
• Extend chain up / off areas
Construction begins: 2010
• Build long-term detour bridge
at Gold Creek
• Replace lake storage • Add a lane in each direction
impacts in Keechelus Lake • Replace all existing concrete pavement
Construction begins: 2009 • Replace existing 500 ft. snowshed with a 1,100 ft.
structure
• Rebuild two bridges and one culvert
• Address unstable rock slopes
• Extend chain up / off areas
Construction begins: 2011

Columbia River Crossing
39

5-mile project area in red
I‐5 Columbia River Crossing
A bridge, transit, and
highway project aimed
at improving travel
efficiency and safety on
Interstate 5
Vancouver WA Portland OR
Columbia River
40

Project Purpose and Need
• Congestion
Travel demand exceeds capacity
• Freight
Mobility through the area is impaired
• Public transit
Service is limited by congestion
• Safety
Crash rates are too high
Draft EIS document
• Bicyclists and pedestrians
Facilities and connections are inadequate
• Earthquake safety
Bridges don’t meet current seismic standards
41

Project Elements
• Replacement bridge for Interstate 5
across the Columbia River
• Light rail extension from Expo Center
in north Portland to Clark College in
Vancouver
• Improvements to seven closely‐
spaced highway interchanges
• Wider path for bicyclists and
pedestrians
• Electronic tolling
42

Schedule
43

NSC Nickel Project Overview
Construct 8 contracts:
• Drivable link between Francis
and Wandermere.
• Estimated total cost was ~$190
million. Cost Range in projects
is $10 million to $45 million
• Open to traffic 2009, 2011

NSC Construction

Lake Washington Congestion Management
47

Lake Washington Urban Partnership
Designed to reduce congestion through
the “Four T’s”:
· Transit · Technology
· Telecommuting · Tolling
Awarded $154.5 million to assist
Artist’s rendering of what electronic tolling
WSDOT, Puget Sound Regional
might look like on the existing SR 520 Bridge
Council and King County in applying
Funded by: these innovative approaches to reduce
congestion in the 520 corridor in
Western Washington.
LAKE WASHINGTON URBAN PARTNERSHIP
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