Gov. Gregoire and WSDOT announces first advertisements for transportation contracts in Kittitas, Pacific counties

For Immediate Release: March 9, 2009

OLYMPIA - Gov. Chris Gregoire along with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) today announced Washington�s first state highway construction �Washington Jobs Now� projects funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (AARA) were advertised to contractors.

The WSDOT advertised three contracts worth nearly $9 million this week that will ensure the continued availability of Interstate 90 as a safe and reliable cross-state corridor and will preserve US 101 and SR 103 in Pacific County.

In all, WSDOT will build 34 Washington Jobs Now stimulus projects valued at $341 million, supporting an estimated 3,300 jobs.

�The projects announced today represent the beginning of our state�s journey out of the recession,� said Gregoire. �This is a perfect example of what President Obama and his administration were expecting in their efforts to get money back into the economy through jobs and paychecks.�

The three paving projects - west of Ellensburg and east of Keechelus Dam in Kittitas County, and on the Long Beach Peninsula in Pacific County � are the first of several preservation projects in Washington funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. WSDOT has reduced the typical one-month advertisement to three weeks so crews can mobilize and begin work as early as April.

�We will be putting people to work through the investments being made by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,� said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary. �These projects support nearly 90 construction-related jobs and indirectly, numerous private businesses, industries, suppliers, and neighboring communities in central and southwest Washington.�

Kittitas County

Construction on the $3 million west Ellensburg I-90 paving project is scheduled to start as early as April. Contractor crews will grind the existing asphalt pavement and re-pave with asphalt concrete on all lanes and the left shoulders of east and westbound I-90 from the Yakima River to west Ellensburg. Crews will also update safety features such as guardrails, striping, and signing. During off-peak hours, drivers may encounter single-lane closures through the construction zone.

The second I-90 contract, a $4 million paving project east of Keechelus Dam, is slated to begin construction in June. WSDOT and our contractor will replace sections of badly deteriorated, cracked, and damaged concrete pavement. When roadway temperatures allow for paving in July, the existing deteriorated concrete pavement will be overlaid with asphalt in the eastbound lanes of I-90 from the Keechelus Dam vicinity to Cabin Creek Road interchange. The project will also include safety upgrades, such as new guardrails and signage.

�As a vital cross-state corridor, the continued availability and reliability of I-90 is important to our quality of life and the state�s economy,� said Don Whitehouse, WSDOT Regional Administrator for South Central Region. �These two rehabilitation projects will not only help preserve this route, but make it smoother for the tremendous amount of freight that crosses the pass.�

In all, WSDOT will advertise and begin construction on more than $53 million in projects preserving I-90.

Pacific County

In Pacific County, WSDOT�s has planned a roughly $690,000 pave and chip seal project on SR 103 from Long Beach to Ocean Park and a section of US 101 near Fort Columbia. This work will maintain efficient traffic flow and enhance safety for the traveling public. In addition, ADA facilities along SR 103 will be upgraded to meet current federal standards. Resurfacing work will begin in June and be complete by late July. Chip seal work is expected to be complete in late August. Early in construction, SR 103 will be fully closed for four and a half days to allow the contractor to pave within the city limits of Long Beach. A local detour will be available. During chip seal work, drivers can expect daytime single-lane closures and minor delays.

�The quality of these coastal highways has a direct impact on the economic vitality of Pacific County,� said Don Wagner, WSDOT Regional Administrator for Southwest Region. �Preserving US 101 and SR 103 improves the safety and satisfaction of travelers and encourages growth in local communities.�

In 2009, WSDOT will advertise and construct a total of six American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects in Southwest Washington. Five of these will preserve sections of I-5, US 97 and SR 14 in Cowlitz, Lewis and Klickitat counties.

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Washington state is administering the Recovery Act investments with an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability. Gov. Gregoire created a new website, www.recovery.wa.gov enabling every Washingtonian to see where their tax dollars are going and hold government accountable for the results. On the federal level, President Obama has appointed Vice President Biden to oversee all states' recovery efforts and to root out waste and fraud. This combined oversight will ensure taxpayer dollars are put to good use and recharge the economy.

WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic or by dialing 5-1-1.