Project Progress

Projects and Progress:
Transportation in the Greater Newcastle area is growing a little more complicated each day. Gas is over $3.50 and they say it’ll keep going up. This annoys people because they know all that stop and go traffic is burning gas. So they try harder to get there fast and bump into each other more.

What’s being done to improve the situation? Are we improving the roads and public conveyances to help get the hordes of workers to their jobs? Let’s see:

Coal Creek Parkway is entering a phase which includes reader boards that warn you to “expect long delays.” I took a look at the project and they’re still cutting away at the hill on one side and filling in the creek bed on the other side. Crews have set up scoreboards to keep track of whose big orange digger moves the most dirt each day. There’s a big new retaining wall but it’s hard to tell if that’s the final version because it leans in toward the road a little. That can’t be right. The May Creek Bridge just needs pavement and approaches so people can drive on the north bound side. Then they begin work on the south bound side.

Duvall Ave is due to be closed in April for a year. That’ll take some pressure off the May Creek Bridge part of the project because the detour goes around both. I think the detour is via I-5 thru Everett, but I’m not sure.

Link Light Rail is adding the overhead electric wires for the trains. The guys down at the procurement office are scrambling because the trains they ordered are the “third rail” type. Oops, big design change.

BNSF has completed the four bridge replacement project in Renton so the 737 fuselage sections can get to the Boeing plant the short way. That will allow the closing of the remainder of the eastside rail line. We still don’t know the outcome of the crazy proposal to use it for rapid transit. But we know Ron Sims is going to build a bike path as soon as the Coal Creek Parkway project is done with the paver.

I-405 widening has been in progress since 1957 but they’re up to three lanes each way already. Now that the rail line can be closed they can begin the South Bellevue part. That’s where they remove the Wilburton Tunnel and disrupt everyone who commutes that way.

Alaska Way is bracing for the collapse of the viaduct because we’re no closer to a replacement plan. Christine already said if it’s not down by 2010 she’ll knock it down herself. It’s not safe. It’s urgent. Everyone has said so for 8 years but nobody can agree on what to do about it.

Evergreen Point Floating bridge is supposed to become a combo of float and tunnel. You drive half way over the lake and then drop below the waves for the rest of the trip. When you arrive under the UW football stadium you have to get out and climb a ladder to the surface because there are no plans beyond that. It’s OK, though; there’ll be a massive parking garage under there.

Seattle’s Sonics are probably not going to Oklahoma City after all. The Okies voted to increase their sales tax by one percent to pay for the upgrade to their arena. They want a team and it seems most voters are willing to pay extra to get it. Given the way things work in real life it won’t happen. Also, our local team keeps adding more rich sponsors who want to keep them here, which means they may move anyway. It’s a soap opera.

Any comments?

Al