Latest news with #WSDOT
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
WSDOT warns of '7-mile backups' Monday and Tuesday in south Thurston County. Here's why
Daytime travelers could see seven-mile backups on southbound Interstate 5 approaching Grand Mound on Monday and Tuesday, the state Department of Transportation announced. WSDOT maintenance crews plan to reduce southbound I-5 to one lane in order to fill gaps and potholes in the road. Lane closures begin at the U.S. Highway 12 ramp to southbound I-5. The work will take place from 6 a.m. to noon, Monday and Tuesday. WSDOT asks the following of motorists: ▪ Consider rescheduling discretionary trips. ▪ Travel before or after work hours. ▪ Add two hours of extra travel time. ▪ Check your vehicle's gasoline tank or have a fully charged vehicle. Crews need warm and dry conditions to perform the repairs. The forecast high is 74 and 75 degrees Monday and Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle. The repairs will help reduce the rate of deterioration on the roadway, according to WSDOT.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Colossal closures could challenge drivers this weekend in and around Seattle
This story was originally published on The busy construction season is upon us and this weekend drivers will be tested with three major closures between Everett, Seattle, and near North Bend. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is in the middle of repairing and repaving the network of bridges between Everett and Marysville, including the Snohomish River Bridge, the Steamboat Slough Bridge, and the Ebey Slough Bridge. This weekend work moves to the Steamboat Slough Bridge in the southbound direction. Originally built in 1927, this section of bridge will undergo rehabilitation work on the end lift upper wheels and the movable span, which have deteriorated over the years from the marine environment. Other preservation work involves seismic retrofitting, repaving and replacing panels on the bridge deck, and a fresh coat of protective paint. This project will close State Route 529 (SR 529) southbound between the Ebey Slough and Steamboat Slough beginning Friday, May 30th at 11 p.m. through Tuesday, June 3rd at 11 p.m. During this closure drivers can only access Smith Island via northbound SR 529, but can leave the island via north and south SR 529. WSDOT plans a similar closure next weekend between Friday, June 6th and Tuesday, June 10th. This weekend's scheduled closure at the Ballard Bridge has been postponed, but the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will still close the Leary Way Bridge at the north end of the Ballard Bridge. People driving south on 15th Ave NW will need to travel down to Leary Way NW, then use the on-ramp to access the Ballard Bridge. People traveling north from Interbay via the Ballard Bridge will need to exit down to Leary Way NW using the off-ramp to continue into Ballard. SDOT suggests to take the Aurora Bridge as a detour route to avoid increased traffic. There is a weekend closure on the Ballard Bridge scheduled for next weekend. WSDOT is moving forward on the behemoth Interstate 90/State Route 18 Interchange Improvements project through early Wednesday morning. Both directions of State Route 18 (SR 18)will close under the I-90 bridges from 9 p.m. Thursday, May 29, to 5 a.m. Wednesday, June 4, for construction of the diverging diamond interchange. People can detour using eastbound and westbound I-90 and using adjacent interchanges to loop around — exit 20 (High Point Way) or exit 22 (Preston-Fall City) to the west of SR 18 and exit 27 (Southeast North Bend Way) to the east of SR 18. Additionally, SR 18 will be reduced to a single lane with flaggers and pilot vehicles alternating traffic from 9 p.m. Sunday, June 1, to 5 a.m. Monday, June 2, near the Raging River and Deep Creek bridges to shift eastbound SR 18 traffic onto the new bridges.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
What to do with Bellingham's iconic graffiti rock? Two new options emerge
Two landowners have come forward with proposals for relocating the iconic graffiti rock, a community billboard along northbound Interstate 5 south of Bellingham that has displayed hand-painted personal messages for more than 50 years. The owners of two private but publicly accessible sites are looking at the steps they need to take to move the Bellingham Rock, which is in the way of a Washington State Department of Transportation road project. WSDOT sets deadline to move Bellingham's graffiti rock; demolition an option One possible site is near I-5 and Slater Road south of Ferndale. The other is on Bill McDonald Parkway, between Western Washington University and Sehome High in Bellingham. Those two proposals emerged in recent weeks, as a WSDOT deadline looms. Frank Youngblood, who owns the Timberline Apartments at 3000 Bill MacDonald Parkway, is working with city of Bellingham and WSDOT officials to satisfy the conditions set for moving the rock, including an easement for public access, logistics of the move, and environmental considerations because the rock is covered in paint. 'It's a big open area that becomes obvious for a location. Everyone I've talked to hopes we can make this happen,' Youngblood told The Herald in a phone call. Keith Cook, who manages the Bellingham Rock page on Facebook with 5,500 followers, told The Herald he hopes that one of the proposals is accepted. 'There's a whole process that you have to go through, and it's not easy,' he said in a phone call. WSDOT's R.B. McKeon told The Herald in a phone call that the process to save the rock us nearing a deadline. 'We need to know by early June if there is someone pursuing the process,' McKeon said. If no one is able take the rock, it could be preserved in smaller pieces, perhaps by a museum, she said. Because of its age and importance to the community, the Bellingham Rock is being registered as historic property through the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Cook said. The rock is also eligible for listing on the the National Register of Historic Places, according to the WSDOT website. 'We've signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Federal Highway Administration and the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, laying out the process we must follow,' WSDOT said.
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
These speed cameras raise awareness, but do not issue tickets
This speed camera flashes motorists exceeding the speed limit without ticketing them. (WSDOT pic) PARIS : Since April, the US State of Washington has been testing a novel system of 'educational' speed cameras on some of its highways, namely Interstate 5 in Skagit County and Interstate 90 near Liberty Lake. What makes these speed cameras unique is that motorists who get flashed exceeding the speed limit are not ticketed. Instead, they receive a letter informing them of the offense they have committed and the potential cost of a fine they would have had to pay, ranging from US$135 to US$432. Moreover, these offenses are neither recorded nor passed on to insurance companies. The locations of these first two speed cameras were not chosen at random, but based on accident data, targeting areas where speed has already been a major factor in serious or fatal collisions. In just a few weeks, over 8,000 drivers have already received this type of warning letter. This pilot programme is being implemented by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Its aim is to make drivers aware of the dangers of excessive speed and encourage safer behaviour on the roads. Indeed, speeding is often the cause of tragic accidents. In 2023, the state recorded 810 deaths on the roads, and there were 358 fatal or serious injury crashes where speeding was cited as a factor on state-run highways. The programme is due to run until the end of June 2025, at which point WSDOT will analyse the data collected and public feedback to decide whether it should be continued. At the same time, Washington State is increasing the number of speed cameras in active road construction work zones. Fines of up to US$248 for repeated violations are levied there, after an initial 'warning' incurring no charge.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Semi truck hits cars on I-5 in north Seattle, blocks all SB lanes of traffic
All lanes of traffic on Interstate 5, just north of Northgate at 85th, are blocked in the southbound lanes after a semi-truck appears to have crossed over all lanes of traffic, through a concrete barrier and hit other cars. The crash happened in the southbound lanes near 120th Street. All lanes are blocked and traffic is at a standstill. Two northbound lanes directly across it are blocked due to another crash. One car appears to be under the semi. It's unclear if anyone was injured but WSDOT cameras overlooking the highway show several people running to two cars. This is a developing story. KIRO 7 will have updates as they become available.
