Washington

[kkt]

Delays on I-5 northbound in Marysville due to brush fire

mileposts 203-206

Only one lane open, backup reported as 5 miles, obvious detour route of Smoky Point Blvd is restricted to firefighters.  Try to find alternate route or postpone trips...

[Bruce]

Delays on I-5 northbound in Marysville due to brush fire

mileposts 203-206

Only one lane open, backup reported as 5 miles, obvious detour route of Smoky Point Blvd is restricted to firefighters.  Try to find alternate route or postpone trips...

Went around it on SR 9, which wasn't particularly crowded. Anyone who tried the country roads in between were in for a surprise, since they have no shoulder and seem to have been rear-end hotspots.

[Bruce]

I-5 now has 3 northbound lanes in downtown Seattle and a ramp meter for the collector/distributor lane. Should improve the weaving situation a bit, but one should still expect time savings to be shaved away in a few months.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattles-i-5-squeeze-finally-not-so-tight-as-new-lane-opens/

[jakeroot]

I-5 now has 3 northbound lanes in downtown Seattle and a ramp meter for the collector/distributor lane. Should improve the weaving situation a bit, but one should still expect time savings to be shaved away in a few months.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattles-i-5-squeeze-finally-not-so-tight-as-new-lane-opens/

WSDOT made a video:

https://youtu.be/DqxVc3vjIfw

[jakeroot]

WSDOT has released new plans for the Steilacoom-Dupont Road interchange project (part of the larger HOV project in the area), which aims to realign the overpass to eliminate the level crossing and relieve congestion.

The off-set DDI design seems to result in one of the longest "wrong-way" sections of roadway that I've ever seen.

Construction starts this month.

https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-projects/i-5-mounts-rd-steilacoom-dupont-rd-corridor-improvements


Design visualization for new overpass at I-5 and Steilacoom-DuPont Road in Pierce County by Washington State Dept of Transportation, on Flickr

[Amaury]

That looks confusing.

[Bickendan]

That looks amazing... pun applicable, if not intended.

But is that a JBLM base gate at the bottom?

[jakeroot]

That looks confusing.

From the visualization is seems confusing, though I bet in-person it won't be as confusing.

That looks amazing... pun applicable, if not intended.

But is that a JBLM base gate at the bottom?

It is pretty a-maze-ing, indeed. I don't know how they came to this design.

That is indeed a JBLM gate. I'm surprised they aren't rebuilding it as part of the project, the DOD has been spending money all over the world to rebuild base gates. This is an old standard with arrow-straight approach roads.

[Bruce]

The Washington State Transportation Commission is considering two route jurisdiction transfer requests. Final findings to be presented in October.

The City of Snoqualmie wants to transfer a portion of Snoqualmie Parkway between SR 18/I-90 and SR 202 to the state. It would presumably be an extension of SR 18.

The City of Ridgefield wants to take over the northern, disconnected section of SR 501 that runs from downtown to I-5.

[jakeroot]

That section of 501 should be given to Ridgefield. It's clear that the highway will never be finished.

[Amaury]

US Route 2 between mileposts 163 and 170 has reopened, about a week ahead of schedule, following an emergency closure due to a washout: https://www.facebook.com/WSDOT/posts/pfbid0pgqfwLytCK33aH38MQN8gVUU8dPTqo3odnVtUN5e7iFER9tdaSd6yQoFQiXCc7EZl

[Amaury]

Washington State Route 902 and sections of Washington State Route 904 and Interstate 90 are closed in Spokane County due to the fast-moving Gray Fire. Interstate 90 westbound is closed at the US Route 2 interchange (Exit 279) and Interstate 90 eastbound is closed at the Washington State Route 904 interchange (Exit 257). The entire city of Medical Lake has been evacuated.

More information here, with photos: https://www.facebook.com/WSDOT/posts/pfbid02pHguvZv6zGLwEY9SWXTV8x9qa3eiva9rBFcuNfaCYzXGyd1WQ1SpaDsi8jcEzzQ5l

UPDATE 9:17 p.m. Sunday: At midnight this evening, the closure points for I-90 around the Gray Fire will move to utilize SR 904 through Cheney as the detour for both directions. I-90 will remain closed between Tyler and Four Lakes and SR 902. Until midnight, US 2 and other alternate routes will need to be used if you plan to travel between Spokane and Sprague. Any commercial vehicle with oversized load permits for I-90 are NOT permitted to use the detour route unless previous permit was approved for SR 904.

Fire activity and hazardous trees in the area continue to create unsafe conditions along I-90 within the closure points. Efforts to remove the hazards will continue to be able to safely open the highway.

UPDATE 1:09 p.m. Sunday: We're seeing SIGNIFICANT delays on westbound US 2 near Davenport as people detour around the I-90 closure. Please be patient and be safe. Everyone wants to get where they're going safely.

UPDATE 11:57 a.m. Sunday: Thorpe Road at US 195 in Spokane is now closed due to a fire.

UPDATE 10:09 a.m. Sunday: It's not just that the fire remains active near the roads, it's that burned trees are also falling on and near the roads. Just posted a picture of that in the comments here. Please continue to follow the detour routes and never go around road closures.

UPDATE 8:47 a.m. Sunday: No significant updates as far as closures. I-90, SR 902 and SR 904 all remain CLOSED as fire continues to burn near the roads. I-90 is closed between Sprague and US 2, mileposts 245-277. SR 904 is closed at the I-90 interchange (milepost 257) toward Cheney and is only open from Cheney to eastbound I-90 (milepost 270).

Semi trucks can detour from eastbound I-90 by using SR 23 east to US 195 or SR 23 to SR 28 and US 2. Semis going westbound can use US 2 west to Davenport to SR 28 and SR 23 back to I-90. South SR 231 is only open to local traffic.

Passenger vehicles detouring from eastbound I-90 can use SR 23 to SR 231 and US 2 or SR 23 to SR 28 and US 2, or SR 23 to US 195. For westbound I-90, use US 2 west to SR 28 in Davenport to SR 23 back to I-90.

UPDATE 2:27 p.m. Saturday: I-90 is now closed in both directions from Sprague at milepost 245 to US 2 at milepost 277. The eastbound detour is SR 23 to SR 231 to US 2; SR 23 to US 195; or SR 23 to SR 28 and US 2. Expect SIGNIFICANT delays. The westbound detour remains US 2 to SR 231 to SR 23 to I-90. Semi-truck traffic is asked to avoid SR 231 southbound and continue on US 2 to Davenport and use SR 28 to SR 23.

UPDATE 9:13 a.m. Saturday: SR 904 from Cheney to I-90/Four Lakes has reopened. Eastbound I-90 detour is currently to utilize all of SR 904.

UPDATE 7:13 a.m. Saturday: There are no significant updates this morning. I-90 remains closed between the Tyler interchange and the US 2 interchange, mileposts 257-277. SR 902 is completely closed and SR 904 is closed between Cheney-Spokane Road and I-90. Westbound drivers can detour through Rearden to SR 231 south to Sprague. Eastbound detours via SR 904 to Cheney-Spokane Road and US 195.

UPDATE 7:36 p.m.: SR 904 between Cheney at milepost 12 up to I-90 at Four Lakes is now CLOSED. Drivers are being detoured onto Cheney-Spokane Road to US 195. This includes the already detoured drivers from I-90 onto SR 904 into Cheney.

UPDATE 6 p.m.: To clarify, westbound I-90 is CLOSED at the US 2 interchange in Spokane. No signed detour is available. Avoid I-90/Medical Lake and SR 902 at this time due to the wildfire. Eastbound I-90 is CLOSED at the Tyler/SR 904 interchange. Detour available via SR 904 through Cheney.

UPDATE 5:44 p.m.: Westbound I-90 is now closed at the US 2 interchange in Spokane. Eastbound is closed at the Tyler interchange. We are advising people who can to use US 2 and avoid I-90.

UPDATE 5:20 p.m. Friday: Crews are in the process of CLOSING I-90 at milepost 257/Salnave Road and milepost 270 at Four Lakes as the fire has jumped the highway. Drivers will need to detour using SR 904 at this time. There is no ETA to reopen the roadway. Please avoid the area if you can.

ORIGINAL POST: Heads up: SR 902 is FULLY CLOSED due to a fast-moving fire. The town of Medical Lake is being evacuated - those evacuating may use the highway but there is no access INTO Medical Lake. Smoke is also impacting visibility on I-90 causing drivers to slow between mileposts 264 and 270, about 10 miles west of Spokane. Please avoid the area and if you are traveling nearby please be prepared for other possible closures. We will update when we have more information.

EDIT #1 on August 20 at 1:06 PM: Updated with updates.
EDIT #2 on August 21 at 2:38 AM: Updated with updates.

[Amaury]

I deleted my previous post from yesterday and will just update my original post regarding the fire when there are updates to avoid bloat.

[jakeroot]

Never heard about this when it happened. The 11th Street Viaduct in Tacoma was demolished last summer. It contained the last visible remnants of Tacoma's original streetcar network. The rails were filled in with concrete but remained visible until it was demolished:

In terms of non-rehabilitated bridges in Tacoma, it was either the second or third oldest, behind the remaining portions of the Eells Street Bridge and potentially tied with the Lincoln Avenue Bridge. The lift-portion of the crossing, over the Puyallup River, was replaced in the 1970s with a fixed-span structure, with the roadway surface and western approach replaced during this time frame. This left the viaduct as the only untouched portion of the crossing, and thus the only remaining stretch with the visible streetcar tracks.

Google Maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/Y2XvchQXSoxvEt337

I have photos of my own somewhere, but it'll be a while before I track them down. In the mean time, here is a street view image:


11th Street Viaduct by Jacob Root, on Flickr

The viaduct was quickly demolished early last summer (2022) under an emergency order due to falling debris from the underside of the viaduct, primarily bits of concrete. It had been closed to cars for almost ten years due to the poor structural state of the viaduct.

Here is a news story on it:

https://youtu.be/irT-2uIZqWw?si=wBoX6Bako91WtIYi

[Amaury]

Does anyone know what WSDOT is doing here? https://maps.app.goo.gl/nJgHem9aU3DUTw6cA

This is on Interstate 82 westbound, just past milepost 33. Looking at Google Maps, the sign has been there since at least October 2018, but it's possible it's been there a little longer. There are no captures for 2014–2017, but it's not there in the August 2013 capture. I haven't seen any kind of changes, though, since the sign's installation.

I do know that farther up at Exit 31 westbound, currently the ramp to North 1st Street is closed, and you are only able to take the ramp to US Route 12 westbound, where it splits from the concurrency. I don't know if that has anything to do with what the sign is talking about, though.

[Plutonic Panda]

Never heard about this when it happened. The 11th Street Viaduct in Tacoma was demolished last summer. It contained the last visible remnants of Tacoma's original streetcar network. The rails were filled in with concrete but remained visible until it was demolished:

In terms of non-rehabilitated bridges in Tacoma, it was either the second or third oldest, behind the remaining portions of the Eells Street Bridge and potentially tied with the Lincoln Avenue Bridge. The lift-portion of the crossing, over the Puyallup River, was replaced in the 1970s with a fixed-span structure, with the roadway surface and western approach replaced during this time frame. This left the viaduct as the only untouched portion of the crossing, and thus the only remaining stretch with the visible streetcar tracks.

Google Maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/Y2XvchQXSoxvEt337

I have photos of my own somewhere, but it'll be a while before I track them down. In the mean time, here is a street view image:


11th Street Viaduct by Jacob Root, on Flickr

The viaduct was quickly demolished early last summer (2022) under an emergency order due to falling debris from the underside of the viaduct, primarily bits of concrete. It had been closed to cars for almost ten years due to the poor structural state of the viaduct.

Here is a news story on it:

https://youtu.be/irT-2uIZqWw?si=wBoX6Bako91WtIYi

Are they replacing it? Why are they tearing it down?

[jakeroot]

Does anyone know what WSDOT is doing here? https://maps.app.goo.gl/nJgHem9aU3DUTw6cA

This is on Interstate 82 westbound, just past milepost 33. Looking at Google Maps, the sign has been there since at least October 2018, but it's possible it's been there a little longer. There are no captures for 2014–2017, but it's not there in the August 2013 capture. I haven't seen any kind of changes, though, since the sign's installation.

I do know that farther up at Exit 31 westbound, currently the ramp to North 1st Street is closed, and you are only able to take the ramp to US Route 12 westbound, where it splits from the concurrency. I don't know if that has anything to do with what the sign is talking about, though.

Wasn't familiar with this project, but it appears to be (as the sign suggests) a new east-west corridor to connect Terrace Heights to Yakima proper:

https://cityofyakima-terraceheights.org/

According to permits, the timeline for construction has not yet been reached. So nothing is delayed or anything.

Here is a diagram from the above website. Phase 1 was the roundabout at Butterfield/Hartford in Terrace Heights. Potentially the roundabout at 10th/Lincoln was also an early phase.

[jakeroot]

[clipped]

Are they replacing it? Why are they tearing it down?

I figured my post made it decently clear the answer to at least your second question: the viaduct was ancient, had been closed for ten years already, and was beginning to collapse. For obvious safety reasons, it had to come down. Because it was a viaduct over land, and not a bridge, there was activity occurring beneath it, so the integrity of the structure was essential to allow things beneath it to continue; once it became apparent the structure was collapsing, it had to go.

I don't really know if it will be replaced. It was closed for over ten years already, and a new bridge was built to the south at Lincoln Avenue to pass over numerous railways and connect to the existing Lincoln Avenue bridge over the Puyallup River. The 11th Street corridor has become substantially less important over the years, not least because of WA-509 switching to a freeway bypass in the 1990s, but also the demolition of the Blair Waterway Bridge in 1997, making the corridor discontinuous.

[Plutonic Panda]

[clipped]

Are they replacing it? Why are they tearing it down?

I figured my post made it decently clear the answer to at least your second question: the viaduct was ancient, had been closed for ten years already, and was beginning to collapse. For obvious safety reasons, it had to come down. Because it was a viaduct over land, and not a bridge, there was activity occurring beneath it, so the integrity of the structure was essential to allow things beneath it to continue; once it became apparent the structure was collapsing, it had to go.

I don't really know if it will be replaced. It was closed for over ten years already, and a new bridge was built to the south at Lincoln Avenue to pass over numerous railways and connect to the existing Lincoln Avenue bridge over the Puyallup River. The 11th Street corridor has become substantially less important over the years, not least because of WA-509 switching to a freeway bypass in the 1990s, but also the demolition of the Blair Waterway Bridge in 1997, making the corridor discontinuous.

Sorry I should've worded my question better. I was more interested in a replacement and the reason why they let it get to the state it did. I need to look at it closer on Google but looks mostly in industrial setting. Low ADTs? Just curious.

[jakeroot]

Sorry I should've worded my question better. I was more interested in a replacement and the reason why they let it get to the state it did. I need to look at it closer on Google but looks mostly in industrial setting. Low ADTs? Just curious.

No worries. It is 100% an industrial area, the Port of Tacoma is the second largest port in WA (virtually tied for first with the Port of Seattle) and 11th Street runs right through the heart of the port.

The 11th Street Bridge over the Puyallup River (not the viaduct portion) was replaced in the 1960s or 1970s with a fixed span; it was previously a lift bridge like the Murray Morgan Bridge (over the Foss Waterway to the east). Because it carries some utility lines, it will not be demolished. This perhaps bodes well for the corridor overall; unlike the Blair Waterway, the Puyallup River is not an active waterway with shipping traffic, so there is no reason to remove 11th Street across it (hence why the lift portion of the bridge was replaced with a fixed span). Plus the bridge seems to be in "good" shape (not great), and doesn't sit above any critical infrastructure, so it can remain.

The question is indeed, yes, why the viaduct portion was left in the state it was. My guess is a few things. One, when the lift portion of the bridge was removed, the viaduct portion was still in adequate shape, so it was not modified (as it was not related to the project anyways). Two, when WA-509 was removed from the 11th Street corridor and the Blair Waterway bridge demolished, traffic levels seriously dropped off as it was only useful for traffic going to/from that part of the port; the reduced traffic levels logically reduced wear and tear, theoretically extending the life of the viaduct. And third, a lot of bridges were built around that time frame, and many are in poor shape, and there just isn't the money to replace them all at once. And it's not for a lack of trying; the Murray Morgan, Yakima Avenue, Eells Street (western span), Lincoln Avenue (over BNSF railway), Hylebos, East D Street, and Port of Tacoma Road bridges have all been either replaced or built in the last 20-ish years. I'm sure there are plans to replace the viaduct, but they just haven't gotten to it yet.

[Bruce]

Speaking of Tacoma bridges, another one has just been closed for structural issues. The Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge (which carries Puyallup Avenue/Pacific Highway across the Puyallup River) is 95 years old and now deemed "fracture critical".

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/tacoma-closes-fishing-wars-memorial-bridge-after-federal-recommendation/

[Plutonic Panda]

Thanks for the response I went and checked out on Google Maps. Very interesting. Fascinating history behind it. Hopefully they are able to replace it soon.

[jakeroot]

Speaking of Tacoma bridges, another one has just been closed for structural issues. The Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge (which carries Puyallup Avenue/Pacific Highway across the Puyallup River) is 95 years old and now deemed "fracture critical".

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/tacoma-closes-fishing-wars-memorial-bridge-after-federal-recommendation/

Ugh. Complete failure to mention anything about how the crossing is made up of two separate spans (hence "crossing" and not "bridge", as it incorrectly called in the article), the western span, which was rebuilt completely a few years ago, and the eastern river-crossing span, which is the oldest bridge in Tacoma. I expect this kind of half-assed reporting from KING or KOMO, but not the Times. This closure is entirely due to the eastern span which will be rebuilt, perhaps sooner than expected.

[jakeroot]

Thanks for the response I went and checked out on Google Maps. Very interesting. Fascinating history behind it. Hopefully they are able to replace it soon.

That whole area is quite fascinating, infrastructure-wise. Lots of ancient infrastructure built decades ago, lots of stuff moved and demolished. Realignments of roads and rivers, new waterways, demolished buildings, stuff that seems to have been abandoned decades ago (good example, now demolished). And because the Port of Tacoma and all of the infrastructure is right in the heart of Tacoma, it's so easy to find old photos, maps, diagrams, and whatnot.

[The Ghostbuster]

How is the state of Washington going to fund maintaining its roads and bridges?: https://jalopnik.com/washington-state-wont-pay-11b-to-fix-roads-bridges-1850963379.