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Washington

Started by jakeroot, May 21, 2016, 01:56:31 PM

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compdude787

I just noticed on WSDOT's website that they have put up a page on widening the I-405 express toll lanes between SR 522 and SR 527. They will obviously be rebuilding the interchange with SR 522 to accommodate an additional lane in each direction. They're going to be essentially making the interchange with SR 522 no longer be fully free flowing; I guess this is cheaper and requires less ROW acquisition. Here's a picture from their website:


I sort of have mixed feelings about it. I'm glad they're widening the NB->EB ramp to two lanes as it really needed it. I'm also glad they're adding direct access to the express toll lanes; this will probably result in less weaving south of the interchange. However, it looks like this design will result in three new traffic signals being added to SR 522. I'm just hoping that this won't cause too much backup on 522. Part of me thinks it won't be too bad considering that (per my estimate) 60% of traffic on WB 522 does not continue on that highway west of I-405, but then again, I'm always skeptical when it comes to adding additional traffic signals. To me, traffic signals are at best a necessary evil. But hey, this will save money that can actually go towards maintenance.

Anyway, they also posted a picture showing a new direct-access ramp at the 527 interchange. I think it looks quite nice, but I'm really hoping they can leave enough room to add a second express toll lane. Unfortunately it doesn't quite look that way in this picture:


Anyway, I'm glad to see that they have finally put forth improvements to this part of I-405.


Bruce

Note that SR 522 isn't a freeway west of I-405, so the signals wouldn't be drastically worse than current conditions. As long as the north-to-east connections are grade-separated, it's fine.

These projects are all being done for the I-405 BRT project using Sound Transit funds, but WSDOT is obviously taking the lead on designing ramps (as it's their jurisdiction). I'm not too fond of splitting the existing pedestrian bridge and forcing pedestrians to endure a longer and noisier walk, but at least the buses won't have to weave in and out at this one interchange (the others haven't been fully designed yet, and I fear that serving UW Bothell will be complicated).

Bruce

Does anyone know where this pedestrian overpass was located? Spotted it in a 1970 issue of Washington Highways and it was apparently on I-5 in Seattle, but there's none of this design. Closest is 192nd, which has a different type of column.


ErmineNotyours

Quote from: Bruce on September 11, 2018, 11:56:29 PM
Does anyone know where this pedestrian overpass was located? Spotted it in a 1970 issue of Washington Highways and it was apparently on I-5 in Seattle, but there's none of this design. Closest is 192nd, which has a different type of column.

https://i.imgur.com/7KS1N4U.png

North of S 38th Street in Tacoma.  It's since been replaced by a different pedestrian bridge to the south.

jakeroot

Quote from: ErmineNotyours on September 12, 2018, 12:15:05 AM
Quote from: Bruce on September 11, 2018, 11:56:29 PM
Does anyone know where this pedestrian overpass was located? Spotted it in a 1970 issue of Washington Highways and it was apparently on I-5 in Seattle, but there's none of this design. Closest is 192nd, which has a different type of column.

https://i.imgur.com/7KS1N4U.png

North of S 38th Street in Tacoma.  It's since been replaced by a different pedestrian bridge to the south.

It's odd that they wouldn't say "Tacoma", especially since it's a Washington-specific newsletter. Nevertheless, that's definitely the right overpass (and oddly, the one I'm most familiar with).

Bruce

Thanks.

In return, I present a good find from a 1969 issue of Washington Highways, which lays out some of the rough opening dates for sections of I-5:



There's a few typos in there (including a few switched lines), but otherwise it backs up newspaper records I have scoured for.

So far, I've tracked down the opening dates for all the urban sections of I-5, but I still have gaps for some of the rural sections, namely Salmon Creek (I-205) to Kelso and Marysville to Alger (ironically, a stretch I drive often).

If anyone has similar lists for I-82 and I-90, I'd love to see them (especially the former). I've been picking away at its Wikipedia entry for a few months and so far haven't found solid sources for any of the sections between Union Gap and the Umatilla Bridge, beyond some general years. There's apparently an online archive of newspaper articles at the Mid-Columbia Library, but it is one of the only libraries in the state that doesn't have a reciprocal agreement...so I'd have to pony up some cash for a card.

Bruce

Two interchange notes from Marysville:

There's a long-range proposal to rebuild Exit 199 and widen SR 528, but without rebuilding the overpasses, like so:



Just to the south, there's a funded plan to build new ramps for SR 529 and this report includes some conceptual signage:



The "Next 2 exits" sign would be misleading, though, since Marysville stretches for 7 miles along I-5 and will have 6 exits by the time the last interchange is built under Connecting WA.

compdude787

Quote from: Bruce on September 11, 2018, 10:51:00 PM
Note that SR 522 isn't a freeway west of I-405, so the signals wouldn't be drastically worse than current conditions. As long as the north-to-east connections are grade-separated, it's fine.
Yeah, I'm hoping this won't be too bad. The only ramps that will have lights are the ones that don't get as much use. We'll wait and see, and hope that the lights get synchronized (the cynic in me is thinking that this won't happen).

Quote from: Bruce on September 11, 2018, 10:51:00 PM
These projects are all being done for the I-405 BRT project using Sound Transit funds, but WSDOT is obviously taking the lead on designing ramps (as it's their jurisdiction). I'm not too fond of splitting the existing pedestrian bridge and forcing pedestrians to endure a longer and noisier walk, but at least the buses won't have to weave in and out at this one interchange (the others haven't been fully designed yet, and I fear that serving UW Bothell will be complicated).

Yeah, I didn't notice the thing with the pedestrian bridge. How are people going to get across the freeway now? Is there a crosswalk planned to go across the freeway station?

Quote from: Bruce on September 12, 2018, 03:01:21 AM
Two interchange notes from Marysville:

There's a long-range proposal to rebuild Exit 199 and widen SR 528, but without rebuilding the overpasses, like so:
Wow, I'm impressed that they can fit that many lanes in there without having to rebuild those overpasses. Had to check Street View to verify whether they could do this. I like the idea of putting one of the lanes between the bridge pylons and the abutments.

Quote from: Bruce on September 11, 2018, 10:51:00 PM
Just to the south, there's a funded plan to build new ramps for SR 529 and this report includes some conceptual signage:

I'm glad that they're doing this. It will allow traffic going into Marysville to avoid having to cross over those RR tracks. I'm surprised they didn't do it sooner.

Bruce

March 28, 1967 article in the Seattle Times claims that 400-500 signs were installed in downtown in preparation for the opening of I-5's southern leg (in January 1967, from Dearborn Street to SR 516).



I wonder how many originals remain.

nexus73

Quote from: Bruce on September 13, 2018, 02:47:42 AM
March 28, 1967 article in the Seattle Times claims that 400-500 signs were installed in downtown in preparation for the opening of I-5's southern leg (in January 1967, from Dearborn Street to SR 516).



I wonder how many originals remain.

When I lived in Seattle for the summer of 1975, I was impressed by the amount of I-5 trailblazer signs in that city.  They struck me as a good idea.  I wonder how many other cities deluged the motoring public with them?  Put me in an unfamiliar place and I love having lots of signs around to guide me.

Rick
US 101 is THE backbone of the Pacific coast from Bandon OR to Willits CA.  Industry, tourism and local traffic would be gone or severely crippled without it being in functioning condition in BOTH states.

Bruce

I've been reading into some of the legislature's exact wordings for highway definitions and was surprised to find that the south end of SR 99 was planned to be truncated to Federal Way when the freeway portion of SR 509 was originally planned to be completed in the 1980s. That didn't pan out until now, but the provision remains on the books...so potentially SR 99 could get pruned after the Gateway Program is completed.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=47.17.160

jakeroot

Quote from: Bruce on September 16, 2018, 02:05:31 AM
I've been reading into some of the legislature's exact wordings for highway definitions and was surprised to find that the south end of SR 99 was planned to be truncated to Federal Way when the freeway portion of SR 509 was originally planned to be completed in the 1980s. That didn't pan out until now, but the provision remains on the books...so potentially SR 99 could get pruned after the Gateway Program is completed.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=47.17.160

I seem to recall a rather grand plan, where the 509 extended all the way into Federal Way (via what must have been a pretty steep grade), replacing S 348 St.

I remember reading this RCW before, and doing a double take, since that freeway would run through [what is today] a series of very tightly-packed suburban estates.

compdude787

I was looking at Sound Transit's I-405 BRT project page and I found some proposals for a complete reconstruction of the I-405 interchange with NE 85th Street in Kirkland. It's currently a cloverleaf, but the plan is to convert it to a three level roundabout which reminds me a lot of the ones that are scattered around the UK. The bottom level is NE 85th Street, and it is a dogbone interchange with the main lanes for I-405. The middle level is the actual UK-style roundabout interchange with the express toll lanes on I-405. There are also bus stops on that level. Finally, the top (3rd) level of that interchange is I-405. Here's what it'll look like: (view from the southeast)



Viewed from the south:


I think this is a pretty neat design. I'm really looking forward to actually seeing it built.

Bruce

I'm heading out tomorrow on a spontaneous weekend road trip with some friends. We're planning to drive through Yakima, Hanford, the Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, and Boise...anything in particular that I should look out for?

They're mild roadgeeks who are more interested in getting to the places in a relatively timely manner, which means no massive diversions. But we're going to be stopping at monuments along the way (and getting a Hanford tour).

nexus73

Quote from: Bruce on September 26, 2018, 08:47:29 PM
I'm heading out tomorrow on a spontaneous weekend road trip with some friends. We're planning to drive through Yakima, Hanford, the Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, and Boise...anything in particular that I should look out for?

They're mild roadgeeks who are more interested in getting to the places in a relatively timely manner, which means no massive diversions. But we're going to be stopping at monuments along the way (and getting a Hanford tour).

Take time to check out downtown Walla Walla.  It is more upscale and fancied up than one would expect!  Since this is a smaller city. one can cover the entire downtown district on foot with relative ease.  Read the Yelps on the restaurants down there beforehand too.  There are some fine looking dining places to head to.

Rick
US 101 is THE backbone of the Pacific coast from Bandon OR to Willits CA.  Industry, tourism and local traffic would be gone or severely crippled without it being in functioning condition in BOTH states.

jakeroot

#440
The Thorne Lane / Berkeley St interchanges are finally seeing a makeover starting next month. The Thorne Lane interchange was seriously modified from when I last saw it, though I quite like the final design (very clever IMO).

http://wsdot.wa.gov/news/2018/09/26/work-add-new-lanes-replace-overpasses-i-5-lakewood-begins




Plutonic Panda

I'm really looking forward to checking Washington out! I will do two trips, one by car and checking out the roads then perhaps around summertime I will take the train and explore by bike and rail. I might spend more time then.

Bruce

A neat article and video of ghost signs near Seattle, including our favorite viaduct onramp sign.

http://mynorthwest.com/1081314/searching-ghost-signs-seattle/?

jakeroot

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on October 02, 2018, 01:51:19 PM
I'm really looking forward to checking Washington out! I will do two trips, one by car and checking out the roads then perhaps around summertime I will take the train and explore by bike and rail. I might spend more time then.

Are you thinking of flying up north somewhere and then switch to train, or train all the way from LA? That's on my bucket list.

Quote from: Bruce on October 09, 2018, 02:51:27 AM
A neat article and video of ghost signs near Seattle, including our favorite viaduct onramp sign.

http://mynorthwest.com/1081314/searching-ghost-signs-seattle/?

That was a great article. Now I have to get some photos of that scenic route sign. Never noticed it before.

Plutonic Panda

Quote from: jakeroot on October 09, 2018, 01:02:10 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on October 02, 2018, 01:51:19 PM
I'm really looking forward to checking Washington out! I will do two trips, one by car and checking out the roads then perhaps around summertime I will take the train and explore by bike and rail. I might spend more time then.

Are you thinking of flying up north somewhere and then switch to train, or train all the way from LA? That's on my bucket list.
I'm thinking of train all the way. Seems beautiful and I'd have clinched the farthest west Amtrak like at least to Seattle. Then at some point I'd do Vancouver in the future. 

sparker

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on October 09, 2018, 01:19:08 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 09, 2018, 01:02:10 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on October 02, 2018, 01:51:19 PM
I'm really looking forward to checking Washington out! I will do two trips, one by car and checking out the roads then perhaps around summertime I will take the train and explore by bike and rail. I might spend more time then.

Are you thinking of flying up north somewhere and then switch to train, or train all the way from LA? That's on my bucket list.
I'm thinking of train all the way. Seems beautiful and I'd have clinched the farthest west Amtrak like at least to Seattle. Then at some point I'd do Vancouver in the future. 

If you're going to use the Coast Starlight from L.A. to Seattle, try to book a mid-week departure; weekend starts tend to find ways to get delayed -- such as attaching private cars to the end of the train, which slows down the ascent of Cuesta Pass out of San Luis Obispo, and a subsequent delay when those cars need to be switched off the train at some point -- this has happened to either myself or friends more than once!.  The sole saving grace of all that is you sometimes get to pass Mt. Shasta at daybreak rather than in the dead of the night -- great views ascending the grade out of Dunsmuir.  Also you get to see just how fast a conventional Amtrak passenger train can go when the crew tries to make up time on the straight stretches between Marysville and Chico and up along US 97 north of Shasta (we're talking close to 100 at times!).  In any case, have a good trip! 

Bruce

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on October 02, 2018, 01:51:19 PM
I'm really looking forward to checking Washington out! I will do two trips, one by car and checking out the roads then perhaps around summertime I will take the train and explore by bike and rail. I might spend more time then.

If you want a preview of the Vancouver ride, you can take the Sounder North line commuter train up to Everett and circle back on a double-decker freeway bus (or ride the Interurban Trail). Great views, especially around sunset on a clear summer day.

The Ghostbuster

Are there any plans to build the "missing link" of the SR-167 freeway (the portion from Interstate 5 in Tacoma to N. Merdian Ave, where the freeway currently ends)?

jakeroot

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on October 11, 2018, 05:40:16 PM
Are there any plans to build the "missing link" of the SR-167 freeway (the portion from Interstate 5 in Tacoma to N. Merdian Ave, where the freeway currently ends)?

Yes. That's part of the Puget Sound Gateway Project: https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Gateway/default.htm

Completion by the late 2020s. The project is almost entirely state-funded, so the whole program won't be complete until around 2030 (money won't arrive any faster than that).

Bruce

WSDOT is adding a meter to a roundabout in Richland to control inbound vehicle flow.




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