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Tacoma I-5 HOV Project

Started by brownpelican, July 14, 2014, 04:42:07 PM

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brownpelican

Washington's DOT is adding HOV lanes on I-5 between M Street and Portland Avenue. Starting in September, crews will close, tear down and rebuild the Pacific Avenue overpass. It will reopen Aug. 2015 as one lane. Full reopening is set for October 2015.

The McKinley Way overpass will close in August 2015 and reopen in the winter of 2017.

Pacific Ave. detour:


McKinley Way detour:


When the bridges are done, the HOV lanes won't open until two other projects to build HOV lanes across the Puyallup River are done. Bids for those go out this fall.

http://www.king5.com/news/cities/tacoma/I-5-Tacoma-HOV-project-267054791.html


KEK Inc.

About time.  Next Up:  JBLM needs HOV badly.
Take the road less traveled.

Bruce

Quote from: KEK Inc. on July 15, 2014, 05:13:31 AM
About time.  Next Up:  JBLM needs HOV badly.

After that: HOV to Marysville.

KEK Inc.

Oh and a better 405 between Renton and Lynwood :bigass:
Take the road less traveled.

jakeroot

After that, I-7 Seattle bypass and then a freeway from Puyallup to Graham.

:bigass:

KEK Inc.

And later tonight, the Reginald H. Thompson Freeway.  :bigass:
Take the road less traveled.

Bruce

And tomorrow, the Vashon Island Suspension Bridge.

KEK Inc.

Later this week, the Whidbey Island Freeway & connector to Kitsap County!
Take the road less traveled.

Kacie Jane

Quote from: KEK Inc. on July 16, 2014, 12:27:46 AM
Oh and a better 405 between Renton and Lynwood :bigass:

As amusing as the rest of the posts are, this one's genuinely in progress. Bellevue to Bothell is under construction now, with the rest in planning stages. (The main point of the project is HOT lame that will connect directly to the 167 ones.)

jakeroot

Quote from: Kacie Jane on July 20, 2014, 11:07:37 PM
Quote from: KEK Inc. on July 16, 2014, 12:27:46 AM
Oh and a better 405 between Renton and Lynwood :bigass:

As amusing as the rest of the posts are, this one's genuinely in progress. Bellevue to Bothell is under construction now, with the rest in planning stages. (The main point of the project is HOT lame that will connect directly to the 167 ones.)

Do you think WSDOT will convert 405's HOV's completely to HOT? So you could have (potentially) HOT lanes all the way from Puyallup to Lynnwood?

Bruce

Quote from: jake on July 21, 2014, 12:06:41 AM

Do you think WSDOT will convert 405's HOV's completely to HOT? So you could have (potentially) HOT lanes all the way from Puyallup to Lynnwood?

That's the plan, according to WSDOT. SR 522 to SR 167 might get 2 HOT lanes, as well.

jakeroot

Quote from: Bruce on July 21, 2014, 12:36:25 AM
Quote from: jake on July 21, 2014, 12:06:41 AM

Do you think WSDOT will convert 405's HOV's completely to HOT? So you could have (potentially) HOT lanes all the way from Puyallup to Lynnwood?

That's the plan, according to WSDOT. SR 522 to SR 167 might get 2 HOT lanes, as well.

The plan you linked to shows the proposal as being two ETLs between Renton and Bothell. Without a doubt, two ETLs would be a first for Washington. We have the express lanes but they aren't toll roads. I'm all for as many ETLs as Washingtonians are willing to fund.



EDIT: Here's Washington's plan for HOT lanes:


Alps

I'd just as soon see an extra general lane, and keep one lane as ETL. Building a second ETL is ridiculous, based on usage in other places. Provide SOME relief for people; the 405 is one of the worst bottlenecks in Seattle!

jakeroot

Quote from: Alps on July 21, 2014, 12:46:56 AM
I'd just as soon see an extra general lane, and keep one lane as ETL. Building a second ETL is ridiculous, based on usage in other places. Provide SOME relief for people; the 405 is one of the worst bottlenecks in Seattle!

From WSDOT's HOV Lane Page:

Quote from: WSDOT on HOV Lanes
What problems is the freeway HOV system experiencing?

The freeway HOV system is very well utilized during the seven hours per weekday that are considered peak commuting periods: 6-9 am and 3-7 pm. These typical peak hours often spread into the early morning, mid-day, and evening hours, when HOV volumes can be high as well. In many locations there is high demand for HOV lanes in both directions, not just the "main direction"  of travel during each peak period.

The HOV lanes on I-5, I-405, and westbound SR 520 are so well utilized that they are usually congested during the peak periods and no longer meet our established performance standard of 45 mph. This makes it difficult for express buses to stick to their schedules, impedes speed and travel time reliability for vanpoolers and carpoolers, and reduces the incentive for all users to share rides. WSDOT is working to address both over- and under-use of freeway HOV lanes through conversion of HOV lanes to HOT lanes.

They've considered extra lanes but most studies suggest that it would not increase traffic flow.

Kacie Jane

Quote from: Alps on July 21, 2014, 12:46:56 AM
I'd just as soon see an extra general lane, and keep one lane as ETL. Building a second ETL is ridiculous, based on usage in other places. Provide SOME relief for people; the 405 is one of the worst bottlenecks in Seattle!

Sorry for the late reply and bump.  I always forget to check the Regional boards.

I definitely agree with you to an extent. I'm okay with the second HOT lane between Bellevue and Bothell.  Adding another GP lane there might get a lane (maybe two?) on the left to be a little more free-flowing, but you'd still have stop and go traffic on the right with all the weaving.  Also, if you get the left GP lane *too* free-flowing, HOV traffic will use it for passing, which can be dangerous.

But a 2 HOT/2 GP setup between Renton and Bellevue is frickin ridiculous.  I haven't figured out why, but during the morning rush, SB 405 likes to back up around exits 6 and 7, but the HOV lane is still completely free-flowing.  Not the case for the north half.  Definitely need a third GP lane on the southern half long before a second HOT lane.

I'm also curious if there are any related plans regarding bus stops.  When they rebuilt 520 between the bridge and 405, the bus stops moved from the outside to the median.  Are there any plans to do the same here?  Sound Transit 560 (from Seatac Airport to Bellevue) right now gets off 405 at Exit 2 to serve Renton, gets back on at Exit 5, then has to serve outside bus stops at Exits 7 and 9, then gets off , so it can't really use the HOV lanes anyway.  (The other two Sound Transit routes both bypass the freeway stops -- the 567 also bypasses Renton -- so they could, but all the Metro commuter routes serve the stops at Exits 7 and 9.)  If they're not going to build new median bus stops (and i can't imagine there would be room to), that's another good reason to build another general purpose lane instead of a HOT lane, since transit can't use it anyway.

I94RoadRunner

Quote from: Kacie Jane on July 29, 2014, 02:45:09 PM
Quote from: Alps on July 21, 2014, 12:46:56 AM
I'd just as soon see an extra general lane, and keep one lane as ETL. Building a second ETL is ridiculous, based on usage in other places. Provide SOME relief for people; the 405 is one of the worst bottlenecks in Seattle!

Sorry for the late reply and bump.  I always forget to check the Regional boards.

I definitely agree with you to an extent. I'm okay with the second HOT lane between Bellevue and Bothell.  Adding another GP lane there might get a lane (maybe two?) on the left to be a little more free-flowing, but you'd still have stop and go traffic on the right with all the weaving.  Also, if you get the left GP lane *too* free-flowing, HOV traffic will use it for passing, which can be dangerous.

But a 2 HOT/2 GP setup between Renton and Bellevue is frickin ridiculous.  I haven't figured out why, but during the morning rush, SB 405 likes to back up around exits 6 and 7, but the HOV lane is still completely free-flowing.  Not the case for the north half.  Definitely need a third GP lane on the southern half long before a second HOT lane.

I'm also curious if there are any related plans regarding bus stops.  When they rebuilt 520 between the bridge and 405, the bus stops moved from the outside to the median.  Are there any plans to do the same here?  Sound Transit 560 (from Seatac Airport to Bellevue) right now gets off 405 at Exit 2 to serve Renton, gets back on at Exit 5, then has to serve outside bus stops at Exits 7 and 9, then gets off , so it can't really use the HOV lanes anyway.  (The other two Sound Transit routes both bypass the freeway stops -- the 567 also bypasses Renton -- so they could, but all the Metro commuter routes serve the stops at Exits 7 and 9.)  If they're not going to build new median bus stops (and i can't imagine there would be room to), that's another good reason to build another general purpose lane instead of a HOT lane, since transit can't use it anyway.

What is frustrating about the Seattle area roads is that once a major road project gets built, it is already obsolete! I lived there 23 years and along with high cost for housing prices couldn't take it anymore!
Chris Kalina

“The easiest solution to fixing the I-238 problem is to redefine I-580 as I-38

Bruce

Quote from: I94RoadRunner on August 21, 2014, 08:33:44 PM

What is frustrating about the Seattle area roads is that once a major road project gets built, it is already obsolete!

The Seattle process delays every public works projects by decades, thus ensuring that everything (both good and bad) gets canceled or takes massive compromises. At least it prevented the R.H. Thomson and the Mercer Street Freeway...

I94RoadRunner

Quote from: Bruce on August 22, 2014, 10:17:07 AM
Quote from: I94RoadRunner on August 21, 2014, 08:33:44 PM

What is frustrating about the Seattle area roads is that once a major road project gets built, it is already obsolete!

The Seattle process delays every public works projects by decades, thus ensuring that everything (both good and bad) gets canceled or takes massive compromises. At least it prevented the R.H. Thomson and the Mercer Street Freeway...


I never really cared about the R.H. Thompson Parkway, however that Mercer St freeway could have been a useful connector had it been built correctly.

It would have been nice to see the WA 522 freeway get finished into Seattle before that proposal died. It was a much needed alternate route that now will never happen.
Chris Kalina

“The easiest solution to fixing the I-238 problem is to redefine I-580 as I-38

Plutonic Panda

There are trying to find ways to expedite this project which has been ongoing for awhile:

QuoteConstruction crews building the I-5 Portland Avenue to Port of Tacoma Road southbound HOV project have found a way to speed up their construction schedule. It means another change is coming for travelers exiting to Tacoma's city center.

Crews from Guy F. Atkinson Construction began moving the location for southbound I-5 exit 133 north to the vicinity of the Port of Tacoma Road overpass. Travelers headed to I-705 and SR 7 will use the same exit and temporary collector/distributor lane as travelers exiting to Portland Avenue and Bay Street.

- https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/crews-find-way-to-speed-up-construction-on-i-5-project/52062

OCGuy81

I don't think I've ever been through Tacoma where there hasn't been some kind of construction on the 5....

jakeroot

The shared exit situation has already come and gone. I don't know why they reported on it so late. Here's a video I recorded:

https://youtu.be/luAStIVp5sI

stevashe

Well that's a wrap, folks.  After over 20 years, the I-5 HOV lanes are finally complete and open to SR 16 as of this morning. There are still a few loose ends to tie up (most notably rebuilding the SR 167 ramp to SB I-5), but there won't be any more construction impacts on the mainline lanes after today!

https://wsdot.wa.gov/about/news/2022/after-two-decades-southbound-i-5-hov-lane-opens-fife-tacoma

jakeroot

Drove it today, didn't brake once. That's a rarity, even on a Sunday afternoon.

The freeway is simply massive, especially by the Dome. I think 13 lanes at one point, seven northbound, six southbound. 14 if you include the merge lane from Portland Ave.

Bit staggered by the lack of an APL for southbound I-5 to I-705. They have this faux-APL (not pictured), but northbound has a beautiful APL and I'm not sure why they didn't do that for the other direction too.

Grabbed this picture looking southbound ('west') coming over the Puyallup River Bridge:


Southbound I-5, Tacoma, WA by Jacob Root, on Flickr

KEK Inc.

Take the road less traveled.

Bruce

A blissful few years of normalcy before the new SR 167 interchange is underway in Fife. I'll have to try the finished HOV lane out for myself when I leave for my trip in a few days.

I've also seen some conflicting reporting that says that the Tacoma projects began as early as 1993. Time to go look up if there was a continuous span of construction going back 29 whole years.



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