Hood Canal Bridge Newsletter

 

January 2009

In this issue of the Hood Canal Bridge Project Newsletter:

 

Construction countdown: As of January 29, 2009 , there are 91 days until the closure.

Carpool and vanpool options through Rideshare program

The upcoming bridge closure offers a good opportunity for workers, students and others to try carpooling and vanpooling. It saves gas, decreases carbon emissions and reduces the number of vehicles on the road. The last benefit is especially significant during the closure, when more drivers take alternate routes to and from the Olympic Peninsula.

RideshareOnline.com is a statewide program that matches individuals who wish to carpool or vanpool with others who are traveling along similar routes to the same destination. Commuters can seek fellow carpoolers or vanpoolers for their daily work or school commutes or for one-time events such as a fair or ball game.

RideshareOnline.com provides information about public vanpool programs available in the region that provide vans to groups of five to 15 commuters. (Use "public vanpool" as the link to the webpage). Start or join a vanpool in Kitsap, Jefferson and Clallam county, and pay a low monthly fare that includes gas, insurance, maintenance and roadside assistance.

Registration is easy. Simply log on, provide information about your starting point, destination and work or school schedule. Within minutes, you will see a list and map of others with a similar commute who you can e-mail about a rideshare. The program takes into account personal safety and confidentiality by allowing commuters to use their home address or a nearby street intersection for matching purposes. This information is never revealed to others on the match list.

You can register at the rideshare Web site, or call 1-888-814-1300.

 

Night ferry to transport freight, vehicles and passengers during closure

Washington State Ferries recently announced it will run a nighttime car ferry between Port Townsend to Edmonds during the six-week bridge closure. The 124-car ferry, which currently runs between Edmonds and Kingston , will operate as a freight ferry and provide people another transportation option.

With a crossing time of one hour and 45 minutes, the ferry is currently scheduled to depart from Edmonds at 8:40 p.m. and from Port Townsend at 10:40 p.m. It can accommodate up to six 82-foot tractor trailers and 86 cars and smaller trucks — as well as 1,200 passengers.

The service will be a tremendous help to the commercial trucks and businesses that operate in the Olympic Peninsula, allowing for more efficient transportation of goods to and from the local communities.

Reservations will be taken for travel on this route beginning in April, with priority given to commercial vehicles. Fares will be WSF’s regular Peak Season cross-Sound fare (same as the Edmonds/Kingston route):

 

Tune in during the closure

As the bridge project continues through May and June 2009, commuters can reach their destinations more quickly by tuning into up-to-date traffic information on alternate routes as well as construction progress on various local radio stations.

Radio stations will also announce construction updates and the re-opening of the Hood Canal Bridge .

KOMO AM 1000 News Radio, KMAS 1030 AM, KONP 1450 AM, KNWP 90.1 FM, KSQM 91.5 FM, KRXY 94.5 FM and KLLM/KVAC 103.9 FM will provide regular information to keep drivers informed on the latest news. During the closure, WSDOT will send these radio stations information on the daily alternate driving routes in the morning and afternoon. Bridge replacement construction updates will also be communicated once a day mid-morning.

 

Meeting construction milestones

In December, WSDOT completed the second of two transition trusses, which connect the Hood Canal Bridge ’s pontoons to the approach spans in Kitsap and Jefferson counties. The completed east truss is 288-feet long, 71-feet wide and 40-feet tall, and now rests next to the completed west truss. Crews will place the concrete for the roadway and reinforce the structure before transporting both of them to Port Gamble Bay in March.

The trusses are designed to handle the harsh marine environment of the Hood Canal . They will strengthen the bridge without adding excessive weight and accommodate the movements of the floating bridge as it adjusts to tidal changes. Because both trusses are 30 feet wider than the existing structures, WSDOT will be able to add two additional lanes to the bridge in the future without having to replace the structures.

Overall, the Hood Canal Bridge Project is now 88 percent complete.  When finished, the Hood Canal Bridge will feature wider, safer lanes and improved mechanical connections for more reliable bridge openings.  View pictures and learn more about construction progress.

 

Getting around

The Hood Canal Bridge , a 1.5-mile link between the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas, will be closed starting May 1, 2009 for six weeks while the east half is replaced.

During the bridge closure, people can take various alternate driving routes to their destinations.  The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is making highway improvements in anticipation of increased traffic throughout Kitsap, Jefferson and Mason counties.

For additional information about transportation during the Hood Canal Bridge closure (including estimated travel times, water shuttle schedules and transit options), visit www.HoodCanalBridge.com or call toll-free 1-877-595-4222.

 

Get involved

Organizations are already helping prepare for the spring 2009 closure by learning more about the travel options available, planning trips ahead of time and sharing closure information with others.

One way to share information with customers, employees and others is to include an envelope stuffer about the closure in church bulletins, bills, payroll mailings and newsletters. Different organizations—from community centers to employers and utility companies—have already agreed to insert a stuffer in their future mailings.

To obtain an envelope stuffer or to get involved in other easy ways:

·    Sign-up to receive project e-mail updates and learn more at www.HoodCanalBridge.com

·    Schedule a bridge or construction site tour for your group

·    View the live construction site Web cameras

·    Post a display board at your office or workplace

·    Request a speaker from the Hood Canal Bridge Project team to speak to your members or colleagues

·    Contact us . . .


Becky Hixson, HixsonB@wsdot.wa.gov, 253-305-6450

Joe Irwin, irwinj@wsdot.wa.gov, 253-305-6412

Becky Dolan, dolanb@wsdot.wa.gov, 253-305-6413

 

WSDOT Hood Canal Bridge Project
950 Broadway Suite 501 , Tacoma , WA 98402

 

 

Moving Forward…

 

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