AASHTO Journal, 10 June 2016
The Washington State Department of Transportation awarded a $115.9 million design-build contract to construct a “Direct Connector” flyover ramp in Renton that will address heavy congestion at the Interstate 405/SR 167 interchange.
The agency said that will be the first Seattle-area project funded under the “Connecting Washington” revenue package the Legislature approved in 2015, which raises motor fuel excise taxes and various vehicle fees.
State departments of transportation and other agencies increasingly use the design-build method to speed up projects and perhaps lower costs, since one team shares responsibility for both phases and no time is lost between design and taking construction bids.
“The Direct Connector has long been a top priority for the I-405 program, and we are looking forward to breaking ground on these important improvements,” said Kim Henry, I-405/SR 167 project director. “Once completed, traffic across all lanes in the area will flow much more smoothly.”
The agency said that commuters now experience up to eight hours of congestion at the I-405/SR 167 interchange each day.
The project will build a new flyover ramp in Renton that links the northbound SR 167 high-occupancy toll lane with the northbound I-405 carpool lane, and the southbound I-405 carpool lane with the southbound SR 167 HOT lane. Contractor crews will also rebuild portions of local streets and make improvements designed to reduce highway noise in neighboring communities.
The Direct Connector is scheduled to open to traffic by mid-2019. It is part of the I-405 Master Plan improvements that include a Renton to Bellevue widening and express toll lanes project, which is expected to begin construction in 2019.
The Direct Connector and related projects, the agency said, will ultimately connect new express toll lanes on I-405 between Bellevue and Renton with the SR 167 HOT lanes, “creating a 40-mile continuous corridor of express toll lanes that give drivers an option for a faster, more reliable trip.”
