Yelm Highway Project Information

Making Hay While the Sun Shines... or Construction in the NW

2012-02-01T08:27:00.000-08:00

Winter looks like it is going to take few days off so Theresa, her County Inspectors, and the the gang from Miles have snuck out to Yelm Highway and are going to try to get a bunch of things done this week. Here is what you might be seeing:

Miles will be paving some driveways and accesses Wednesday and maybe Thursday.

The video vehicle detection system is being installed at the Rich Road signal and should be reactive to traffic by the end of the week.

Concrete work is continuing in different places along the roadway.

Work on the illumination system east of Boulevard Road continues and we are working with Puget Sound Energy to get that leg of the street lights up and running.

Landscape work will continue.

Street sweeping and clean out of catch basins will occur over the next week.

Assorted other work along the back of the sidewalk and the retaining wall continues to dress up and stabilize the soil.

Please watch for workers and follow directions of traffic control signs and personnel.

If the weather continues to cooperate, the project team hopes to have the majority of the project wrapped up by March or early April. We again want to thank you for your patience during this long construction phase.

Back to Work 1/26/2012

2012-01-26T15:33:00.000-08:00

One crew is out today and Friday reconstructing Boulevard Extension. 50th Court SE and the old Blvd Ext. road had been cut up and patched a few times before this project, so to ensure a good product and proper matching the asphalt was cut further back than originally planned. When weather permits the area will be re-paved.

Crews will also be out installing light poles on the East end of the project, so make sure to drive carefully until the light comes on in those areas.

The good news came with the bad weather! The snow, rain and debris blown wind put the Yelm Highway drainage system to the test....and it passed with flying colors!

January 12th, 2012

2012-01-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

Holiday Schedule:

Monday January 16th: The contractor is planning on working Monday unless weather does not permit.

This week a few more street lights should have been visible at night as the electricians flip the switches on their work. As more and more sidewalks and ramps have been installed there has be an increasing amount of pedestrians utilizing the new Yelm Highway, so please be wary of crossing pedestrians whether or not the crossing systems and lighting are fully functional.

The west half of the project is coming to a near finish! Just a few areas of cleanup and a layer of bark around the plants to go!

This Friday January 13th the contractor plans on paving a few driveways, weather permitting of course, which most often requires a lane closure.

Rich Road Signal Question- REPOST

2012-01-11T08:16:00.000-08:00

There were some issues with the formatting on the post about the Rich Road signal, so I have reposted it below. Sorry for any inconvenience.

"What's Up With The Signals?" As webmaster, I have seen this question a lot lately so I asked Yelm Highway Project Coordinator Theresa Parsons the same question, specifically with regard to the intersection of Rich Rd and Yelm Highway.

Here's what she said, "Your concerns have been voiced by several other people, so I do understand that this is an irritating situation. The vehicle detection loops were damaged during utility installation and the signal has reverted to a timed sequence that does not fit traffic patterns. The City of Olympia provides signal technical support for the County and their technician is working on an interim signal timing program prior to the final lane channelization layout and installation of the new camera vehicle detection system.

Setina's (the business at the intersection) has always had the protected left turn movement because the more necessary one on the west bound turning left onto Rich Road was in place. It is better lane channelization-wise to have the opposing lane configuration the same at an intersection, avoiding sharp changes in lane location. We will see if Olympia can minimize that turning movement time in the interim and then when the new lanes are defined and the new vehicle detection system is in place, the unnecessary left turn into Setina's will not occur."

Thank you, Theresa, for the explanation of the issue, and thank you, Readers, for your patience.

If you have any other questions about the projects that you would like us to address, you can contact us at publicworksinfo@co.thurston.wa.us and we will answer you directly, and we might address your question here in the blog. You can also Tweet us a question at @yelmhighwayinfo on Twitter.com

Rich Road Congestion Question Addressed

2012-01-06T11:32:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Theresa, for the explanation of the issue, and thank you, Readers, for your patience.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

2012-01-05T15:34:00.000-08:00

Work to be done in the following week on the Yelm Highway project is as follows. Crews will continue working on the illumination system. The Landscapers will continue their planting along the roadway and will also begin installing the irrigation system. Crews will also continue prepping driveways and sidewalks to be poured with concrete soon there after. The concrete work should be the only portion of work that could cause traffic delays.

**Note due to current and projected weather conditions final paving between Boulevard Rd and Rich Rd will not be completed until March or April.

December 20th, 2011

2011-12-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

It looks like crews are up to their usual this week with exception to trees and plants being placed along the project. Most likely to impact traffic will be the plantings down the center median, and some additional asphalt patching and driveway paving coming Wednesday and Thursday, weather permitting.

Tomorrow the contractor has planned to finish the work on the Rich Rd intersection signal system. If all goes well it should be up and running!

December 15th, 2011

2011-12-15T11:07:00.000-08:00

Holiday Schedule: No work will be performed Monday December 26th.

The contractor is busy finishing up the loose ends for the winter. We were fortunate the weather warmed up a few degrees today, allowing the contractor to work on some much needed paving! They would have started earlier this week but the ground and air were far too cold.

The main tasks for this week and next are block walls, pouring sidewalk & driveway approaches, and electrical work for the illumination.

Dec 7th, 2011

2011-12-07T08:51:00.001-08:00

Crews will be out patching asphalt Thursday and Friday this week, Boulevard to Rich Rd, and will be paving on Blvd. Ext., Glemore Drive, and Laura Street. Please expect delays while the crews are paving and for a while after until it is cool enough to drive on.

Curb and gutter has been placed for the remainder of the project, minus a short section near Rich Rd due to some conflicts with utilities. Crews are busy pouring concrete sidewalk today and for the rest of the week.

Concrete Plans?

2011-11-29T13:29:00.001-08:00

Thanks to the relatively dry weather crews have been able to continue pouring concrete for sidewalks and driveway entrances between the Brassfield and Boulevard roundabouts. Thursday and Friday a curb machine will be coming in and placing curb on both sides of Yelm Hwy between Boulevard and Rich Rd. Although there will be a lane designated for construction traffic, there will be significant flow of concrete trucks and other vehicles entering and exiting the highway, so some delays can be expected.

If good weather continues next week, the contractor may be paving driveways. This may also cause some delays as the paving machine and trucks work near the highway.

There may be some concrete work on Saturday, December 3rd at the Mini-Skool daycare. The work will be done on the property and so this should not significantly impact traffic flow.

Holiday Week schedule

2011-11-15T15:20:00.001-08:00

No work will be performed for the Thankgiving holiday, November 24th through the 27th.

Crews will try to come in tomorrow, if the weather permits, do a little patching of the main roadway, but mainly work on driveways. They will work from Henderson and head east.

Of course, curb will be poured tomorrow, signs, landscaping, and electrical.

Crews are racing to get a few things buttoned up for the winter so driving is smoother through the project area.

November 8th, 2011

2011-11-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

Crews are still busy scurrying around finishing the storm system between Boulevard and Rich Rd...and it looks like that is quickly nearing its end fortunately!

You will also see a a couple people and a truck parked in various random locations on the project. They have been raising various covers for sewer or water structures to the surface of the finished roadway. These have to be raised after paving is done, otherwise you either drive over a big bump, or have to drive around them!

Paving? Yes, between tomorrow and Friday you will see a paving crew out patching trenches near Rich Rd., and also placing the first layer of asphalt on the last section of Boulevard that is still gravel.

Concrete forming and pouring crews will be gone this week and next week.

November 1st, 2011- Then and Now...

2011-11-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

Some Before and after pictures looking West from the Brassfield roundabout.

Fortunately, these roads can now handle downpours like this one!

The contractor is as busy as ever finishing up little details on the West half of the project. Now that the light poles have been placed, lights are being wired up and road signs bolted in. Except for the planting, it seems much of that half of the project has been completed!

Crews are busy today in the Boulevard roundabout pouring concrete for the stamped truck aprons, and just West of Bouleavard setting up forms and pouring concrete for the sidewalks. This unfortunately has been causing more of a backup than usual.

Week of Oct 31st

2011-10-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

Next week should be a busier week than we've seen for a while. The contractor has scheduled excavation concrete pours for some of the new sidewalks from Boulevard to Rich Rd, continued installation of road signs all through the project, electrical for street lights, and landscaping. Though they will usually be out of the traffic lane, keep an eye out as you drive as small crews will be busy at their work all over the project, continually moving their locations.

Weekend of Oct 22nd... We Want Sun!!

2011-10-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

This Weekend

The contractor has a small amount of concrete pouring this Saturday, October 22, but only if the weather is good. It should be finished during the first half of the day.

Next Week

Crews are still busy finishing up the little details: curb, sidewalk, landscaping etc. Sound/Retaining wall looks to be about finished! The concentration is now between Boulevard and Rich Rd, where they will be performing a little roadway excavation on the sides of the roadway to install new curb and sidewalk, and hopefully onto paving over the existing road if the weather provides a few good days of warm, dry weather.

October Week Three, 2011

2011-10-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

The weather is good, so concrete work continues on as fast as they can, until they can't! This is good news, as it allows the contractor to prepare curb and gutter so they have something to pave against, leaving a good finished product. Crews are also near the end of storm sewer between Boulevard and Rich roads. It sounds like that work will be completed sometime early next week.

This Saturday, October 22, there will be a concrete crew on site for about half the day, pouring sidewalk just west of Boulevard, and also down Boulevard a little ways. There is already a lane set aside for construction, so this should disrupt traffic very little.

Lights, Dirt, & Weekend Work...

2011-10-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

While its been raining....no, POURING...

Crews have been busy putting the last few sections of wall panels in, and street light poles have been installed from Henderson to Laura Street. As soon as they put the light bulbs in we'll have a little more lighting on that stretch of Yelm Highway at night. Crews have also been scurrying to put down a thick layer of topsoil for the planting that will take place in the near future. It looks like it's starting to look like a finished product in sections!

A heads up for you Saturday travelers. There may be some work taking place this Saturday at the Mini-Skool Daycare along Yelm Highway (Just West of Boulevard), so traffic heading West will likely be directed into one lane at that location. We will know tomorrow afternoon whether the work will take place, so we will let you know then.

Next weeks weather seems to be clearing up for a few days, so expect the concrete crews to return!

Out with the old... In with the new

2011-09-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

Here is the last sewer connection made, bringing the pump station into full use. This brave fellow took on the task of cutting the existing sewer line, draining its contents out, pumping it out of the hole, and connecting to the new line! Of course, being quite the dirty job, he was paid a little extra for it, and probably didn't have to fight over the task!

Were you driving down Yelm Highway this week and smelled something foul in the air? Unfortunately, when these connections are made we don't have everybody stop flushing their toilets, so the waste just stacks up in the mean time. When completed, the valves are opened and the sewage goes sloshing down the pipeline, causing the waste to be a little more airborne than it normally would. The waste is treated with chemicals for smell, so once the sloshing subsides, so should the smell!

Next Week

Next week storm lines from Boulevard to Rich Rd are being installed, as well as landscaping(I must say, the swales with the new cover of soil look mighty nice), sound/retaining wall, curb, and sidewalks.

September 27th, Tuesday

2011-09-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

Note regarding our Twitter feed: Unless there is work that will directly impact mainline Yelm Highway traffic, our first posts will now be in the 8:00AM hour. We will still alert you to traffic delays as they happen and if there is work such as signal shutdowns in the 7:00AM hour. There will be sewer work going on that will cause delays and we will alert you to that.See the page about our Twitter feed for more info.

Also, as a bit of advanced notice, with the turn of the weather, work will necessarily have to slow down and cause some chance of the project extending into next year, not TOO far though. There is still quite a lot of work to do, but the contractor will do everything he can to meet the project time-lines.

Yesterday crews began switching the sewer systems over to the new sewer line and for the first time, the sewer pump station went into use. Sewage flowing from east of Brassfield makes it's way into a 14 foot wide wet-well, which, when the sewage reaches a certain height gets pumped up-hill towards Henderson. Crews will continue switching over the various sewer systems this week and through the first week of October.

Beginning next week the remaining storm drain installation will continue east of Boulevard. (It looks like we'll need it, watching the pouring rain we received today!)

What is happening with paving? Miles resources will be needing some good breaks in the wet weather in the coming months to finish up. We usually have a little break, so stay tuned!

Is Friday the day????

2011-09-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

The paving crews had to take a rain-day today as you may have seen, but plan on continuing on tomorrow if the weather permits. The plan for Friday is to finish the last corner of the Brassfield roundabout, the east-bound lane between Brassfield and Boulevard, and the side streets between Henderson and Boulevard, excluding Laura St. If you have avoided Yelm Hwy in the recent past, here's a couple pictures to prove it.

WHEEEEEEE!

That MIGHT be the inspector sending in a status tweet...

Condition "GREEN"

Next week the sound wall, landscaping, and curb/sidewalk crews will be back on site (not much room with the paving happening) and will continue with their work in various places. Hopefully this work will allow for free flowing traffic. Starting October 3rd, however, the remaining storm lines will be construction near the east end of the project and could cause some additional delays. (Hopefully not though!)

Update from the middle of Paving!

2011-09-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

The contractor is paving away! Currently, as of 12:29pm, the contractor is paving the Brassfield roundabout, and has finished the west bound lanes from Henderson to Brassfield. As the asphalt cools to acceptable temperatures lane striping is being applied and rolled into the asphalt. They will continue with the west bound lane from Brassfield to just short of Boulevard.

So far all is going well, and if it continues going well paving should be completed between Henderson and Boulevard, including side streets, by this coming Thursday.

Thurston County, the City of Olympia, and Miles Resources LLC greatly appreciates your patience during this period of construction.

Paving and Sewer

2011-09-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

Delightful Topics!
However...
Work on both will continue throughout the week causing heavy traffic delays throughout the length of the project. If at all possible, the project team is asking that you use alternate routes to your destination or allow sufficient travel time so that you will not be late. There is the possibility that signals will be turned off, and/or law enforcement will be directing traffic at the major intersections.

Miles Construction, the City of Olympia, & Thurston County Public Works want to thank you for your continued patience, cooperation, and understanding during the project.

PAVING HAPPENS

2011-09-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

The contractor is laying the final phases of the first lift of asphalt today (Saturday, Sept 17th). Expect major traffic impacts throughout the day. Follow us on Twitter for traffic updates throughout the day. We suggest that, if possible, you avoid the area by using one of the alternate routes suggested on the alt routes link to the right. Roads impacted are: Yelm Highway from Henderson to Boulevard, Brassfield, Clar-Mar, & Julie Ct.

Change in Plan for Henderson Closure

2011-09-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

City of Olympia has postponed the scheduled closure of Henderson Blvd until sometime in the spring. Notification of the closure will most likely be made via the City of Olympia's website and the Daily Olympian, since (crossing fingers) by that time Yelm Highway will be completed and this blog will be an archived memory.

Paving and Henderson Closure Ahead!

2011-09-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Henderson Closure

Starting Monday:

City of Olympia has scheduled a closure of Henderson Blvd. between Yelm Highway and Briggs Drive from Monday Sept. 19th until sometime after the first of next year. A detour route will be provided down Briggs Drive.

In other news...

Crews are scurrying to get the miscellaneous details out of the way before paving begins. These are the usual sound wall, curb, sidewalk and landscaping. Most of this will be put on hold during the upcoming paving, so at least that will be some traffic relief!

Paving Schedule:

Saturday, September 17th

Crews will be working this coming Saturday to finish paving the first layer of asphalt in areas that have not been finished. This is mainly along the center medians and in roundabouts where the curb was installed after paving. Paving up against the curb results in a greater finished product compared to pouring concrete against existing asphalt.

Monday, September 19th

The day we are sure that many have been waiting for! Once the first layer (usually called a "lift") of asphalt is down between Henderson and Boulevard the second and final layer will be put down. By the end of Monday crews expect to have the North half of Yelm Hwy paved between Henderson and Boulevard

Traffic will be shifted to the South side of Yelm Highway during this work.

Don't forget the Henderson Closure as well!

Tuesday, September 20th

By the end of Tuesday crews expect to have the south half of Yelm Hwy paved between Henderson and Brassfield, and the first layer on the west half of Brassfield. Traffic will be shifted to the north half of Yelm Highway between Henderson and Brassfield, and possibly further.

Wednesday, September 21st

Crews expect this to be the last day of paving for this phase. By the end of the day the final layer of asphalt should be placed between Brassfield and Boulevard, and traffic can expect to be moved to the north side of Yelm Highway through the same area.

As promised, This week's Post!

2011-09-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STEP SYSTEM CONVERSION

Date: September 8, 2011

Released by:

· Jim Rioux, Project Manager

· 360.753.8484

· jrioux@ci.olympia.wa.us

Wastewater System Transfer Begins the Week of September 12

During the week of September 12, 2011, the City of Olympia will begin the process of transferring wastewater flow from existing septic tank effluent pumping (STEP) systems near Yelm Highway, east of Boulevard Road, to a new gravity system on Yelm Highway.

When the process is complete, we will direct STEP flows to the new pump station near Brassfield Road on Yelm Highway. The process will take up to three to four weeks.

What to Expect:

· Odor control facilities will go online as flow is transferred to the gravity system. The City will test the odor control facilities to ensure everything functions properly before moving to the next step.

· You may briefly experience a sewer odor during the conversion. If this occurs, it will only be for a short duration.

· There is a chance that individual STEP systems will receive a high level alarm on their holding tanks. If people experience an alarm, they should contact the City of Olympia Public Works Dispatch at 360.753.8333, 24 hours a day.

For Additional Information:

· For additional information, please contact Jim Rioux, Project Manager, at 360.753.8484.

olympiawa.gov

The paving schedule has been changed and will now take place the week of September 19th. between Henderson and Boulevard. From now until then, the contractor will be concentrating on preparing for that by finishing curbing, asphalt repairs, grading at Boulevard Road and Laura Street that don't have the first lift of asphalt.

When the second lift of asphalt is laid, the pavement markings will be installed at the same time. This is a new process that uses thermoplastic and is laid while the asphalt is hot, so the pavement markings bond very strongly with the asphalt. This type of pavement marking has a much longer life than paint.

There will be additional storm and sewer pipe work to the east of Boulevard Road. Next week there will be cutovers of STEP system sewer services from the old pressurized main to the new gravity main. This may affect individuals for a couple of hours during their STEP system cutover. That work is scheduled for next week.

For people that have asked, the project is on schedule for completion late this year or early 2012. However, as with all construction projects, nothing can be stated with certainty except that nothing is certain.

Sept 2nd, 2011

2011-09-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

There will be no work taking place on Labor Day, Monday September 5th.

The weather is supposed to be pleasant, so enjoy the holiday and be safe!

The next couple weeks are scheduled to be the usual landscaping, irrigation, sound/retaining wall and sidewalk work, so traffic should flow is not expected to be too disrupted.

Coming up though...

Monday, Sept 12th, you will probably want to make use of our ALT ROUTES MAP.

Crews are prepping for the final layer of asphalt to go down on Monday, September 12th! There are a few spots here and there where the first layer of asphalt has not been put down, so crews will attempt to get those finished before the 12th. If not, the contractor will be out finishing up with some preparatory work on Saturday, September 10th.

On September 12th and 13th crews are also scheduled to make the final sewer connections at Boulevard, Rich Road, Siskiyou St., and near Rich Rd. Since space is tight in many of these areas, drivers can expect some traffic disruptions while this work takes place.

Roundabout Information

2011-08-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

The Washington State Department of Transportation has produced a series of five videos that explain the design, purpose, and features of roundabouts. They have graciously given us permission to share them with you to help you navigate the new design of Yelm Highway. (AND... the cars are going in the right direction! )

Used by permission from WSDOT -- Thank you!

Friday, Aug 19th

2011-08-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

The contractor is still busy with sound/retaining wall installation, miscellaneous locations of curb and sidewalk, irrigation, and a few leftover sewer connections. Fortunately much of this work is leaving one lane open each direction, and with the roundabouts functioning traffic has been moving much, much quicker. However, it still is a construction project (we're not trying to pull a fast one on you), so traffic disruptions unfortunately can still be expected!

Thanks to those who let me know about the little directional issue!

No news is good news, right? How 'bout we settle for a little news then.

So, after installing 5,600 feet of water line, 12,200 feet of sewer pipe, 500 vertical feet of sewer manholes, 3,100 feet of storm pipe, and all the fittings and gizmos that go with it, we're beginning to see a picture of what the final product will look like!

The OLD Boulevard intersection and the NEW Boulevard Roundabout

Third Week of August 2011

2011-08-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

The crews are doing a lot of small (relatively speaking) jobs this week. Other than the roundabouts, the sound/retaining walls, and a couple of storm lines, most of the major work has been completed! Crews are busy moving about finishing up the smaller details including the fencing, irrigation, plants, topsoil, signs.

At the roundabouts:
At Brassfield the crews are busy forming and pouring concrete for curbs, and at Boulevard the crews have paved as much as possible before moving onto some curbs. Once the curbs are installed the crews can go back to paving the rest of the roundabout.

Although some people are uncomfortable with roundabouts, they have been shown to help improve the flow of traffic in many cases, and his is the hope with Yelm Highway. For many years, it has been a nightmare for people to try to make left turns during peak times or to escape the side streets. By navigating the roundabouts, people will be able to make stop-free right turns thereby no longer holding up traffic behind them. For good information on how to navigate a roundabout, please visit The WSDOT roundabout information page .

Here are a couple of aerial views of our new roundabouts for you to either drool over or to print out and throw darts at.

BOULEVARD © Aerial Images NW

BRASSFIELD ©Aerial Images NW

In addition, we have these shots of the crew paving from ground level.

Aerial photos provided by Aerial Images NW.

Paving Schedule Update - Boulevard Intersection

2011-08-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

Paving Schedule Update - Boulevard Intersection

Signal demolition is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, August 12th.

Conversion to roundabout - concurrent with the signal demolition should be done on Friday.

Paving is rescheduled for Monday the 15th and Tuesday the 16th.

Paving has been delayed and will take place on Monday, August 15th and Tuesday the 16th. Since the roads will not need to be maintained for paving, the contractor will not need to work over the weekend. The delay also effects the demolition of the Boulevard signals, pushing it forward to tomorrow, Friday the 12th.

Stormwater

Crews have once again begun working on the stormwater system, east of Boulevard. This will involve running pipe completely across the road in various locations. Fortunately, this work is only scheduled for tomorrow, but is likely to pick back up in the future.

As for the rest of the project, the usual construction may be expected: Sewer connections, sound wall, landscaping. Some final testing of the sewer manholes will be needed on the east end of the project before the system is used so drivers can expect crews to be working in the center of the roads with minimal impact on traffic.

August 9th, 2011

2011-08-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

This Week

The usual sewer connections between Boulevard and Rich Rd, sound/retaining wall installation, installation of irrigation, and preparation of Boulevard-Yelm Hwy intersection, and paving on Friday, possibly Saturday, and paving Monday. Please expect significant delays at the Boulevard intersection throughout this process.

By the end of the week both the Boulevard and Brassfield roundabouts should be able to be used as a roundabout.

Please check out the Washington Department of Transportation website if you have any questions concerning roundabouts

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/safety/roundabouts/

Boulevard Intersection Schedule

Today (August 9th): Preparation for Paving Boulevard.

Wednesday August 10th:

Demolishing Traffic Signal/Conversion to roundabout using cones and signs. Preparation for Paving Boulevard

Thursday August 11th:

Preparation for Paving Boulevard

Friday August 12th:

Preparation for Paving Boulevard. Contractor will be paving the intersection.

Saturday August 13th:

If necessary the contractor will be paving on Saturday as well.

Monday August 15th:

Paving should be expected on Monday as well.

August 4th, 2011

2011-08-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

This Week

The contractor has been busy finishing up the few remaining sewer lines between Boulevard and Rich Rd. to individual properties along Yelm Highway, and from the sounds of it, will finish up these lines early next week.

The Remote Chemical Feed Station at Indian Summer (feeds odor-eliminating chemicals into the sewage) has been running for a week long test as part of an extensive checklist to avoid sickening odors, and a smooth switch over from the existing system to the new.

Concrete crews have been busy constructing and pouring forms at various locations which take a bit more handiwork than normal. In particular the Brassfield roundabout is coming along quite nicely! You may ask why the contractor hasn't completely paved the roundabout so it can be utilized? The reason comes down to placing asphalt against an existing curb results in a much higher quality and durable product, compared to pouring curb next to existing asphalt, which never matches tightly. Even the smallest of openings leaves room for dirt, weeds, and cracks

Next Week

The contractor will begin preparing and installing a couple STEP system conversions. These STEP systems are pumping sewage to higher elevations, and will be transferred to the new pump station. This will also impact traffic a couple of locations.

The contractor will also begin connecting individual properties to the new sanitary sewer lines once the pump station can begin accepting those flows. Since the lines were previously installed from the mainline in the center of the road to the connection on individual properties, this will hopefully have a minimum impact to traffic.

SK Landscape will be out next week installing the landscaping from Henderson to Brassfield. This work will take place mostly on the sides of the road, except in the center of the Brassfield Roundabout. Traffic will probably see a few more impacts.

Boulevard Roundabout: Expect significant traffic delays turning from or on to Boulevard Road as the contractor will be preparing the intersection for paving, and then, of course, paving. This will also be timed with the demolition of the Boulevard intersection signal on Wednesday, August 10th. The demolition will be followed by subsequent preparation of the intersection for paving and for curb installation. This intersection work will likely continue into the week of August 15th.

Of course, don't forget the miscellaneous.

Update from the Project Coordinator - Aug 2nd, 2011

2011-08-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

The contractor will go back to 5 days a week work, Monday through Friday starting next week.

The contractor will be working on sewer east of Boulevard Road and will be doing some finish work to the end of the sewer main at Rich Road. The work will include tying in to existing pressurized STEP mains. The design includes construction of odor control devices, but until they are up and running, there may be some unpleasant odors. Also, if you are on a STEP system and your alarm goes off, please contact the City of Olympia immediately. The City will be sending out an informational letter to each property connected to a STEP system that will be affected by this cut-over.

The conversion of the Boulevard and Yelm Hwy intersection from signalized to a roundabout will begin on Monday, August 8. It is anticipated to take the entire week to accomplish this and alternate routes are strongly encouraged. The contractor may even work on Saturday, August 13 on order to finish, depending on how the construction goes through the week. We will keep you updated on this schedule.

The sound/retaining wall work will also continue through the week.

This week - July 25-29th

2011-07-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

It will be a slow week on the west half of Yelm Highway, but not so much on the east side as crews continue to install sewer connections to individual properties. Otherwise work is the usual, pouring miscellaneous curb and sidewalks, sound/retaining wall installation. Pedestrians, please use care when traversing these areas, and follow the guidance of the folks in orange. They are there for your safety too.

Upcoming

However! Hopefully preparation for paving the Boulevard intersection will begin with the demolition of the intersection on August 8th and grading during that week, followed by (another hopefully) paving on August 15th and 16th. (Disclaimer:Remember that paving is weather, and other condition, dependent.)

The biggest hurdle at the moment is with the Sewer Pump Station, and taking the steps to bring it on-line. Crews are working with the City of Olympia to switch the existing sewer systems over to the new system without much of a stink.

Crews will, with detailed care, verify the odor control systems are functioning properly, and then begin switching over the old systems to the new one.

This Week In Review (and Next Week's Plan)

2011-07-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

This Week in Review

Sanitary Sewer

The contractor has run some more sewer lines to individual properties between Boulevard and Rich Rd, as well as finalizing the sanitary sewer manholes between Henderson and Brassfield by applying a coat of light blue epoxy (by Molecular Inc.) to their inside surface. This was necessary to prevent the concrete from being dissolved due to the natural production of acetic acid by the organisms which break down the solid waste, but also makes the insides more visible for maintenance. My does it look pretty!.....until its used that is.

As for the pump station itself, it's ready to be turned on and "all systems are go" as the saying goes. It's just waiting for the coatings to dry and the final list to be checked off.

Sound/Retaining Wall

So far, most of the walls constructed have been for sound reduction in the surrounding neighborhoods, so here's a photo of one of the retaining walls in action across from Brassfield!

Boulevard Roundabout

You keep hearing about this over and over, (kind of like the Yelm Hwy project) but when is it going to take place? With those pesky utility conflicts fixed the contractor has just today moved on to installing some remaining stormwater structures at the intersection which they previously couldn't. When you ask? Well, in reality the contractor is picking up where it left off, so it looks like a tentative date of August 9th.

Next Week

Most of the major work will be between Boulevard and Rich Rd installing storm water structures, but as always, crews will be installing sidewalk, curb, and Sound/Retaining walls between Henderson and Boulevard.

There also may be a bit of working going on at the Rich Rd. intersection trying to chase down an old and buried stormwater system and figure out where it goes; no sense in plugging up a perfectly good drainage system!

As an added bonus, here are two photos from last week's paving:

Paving Finished for a while, and other matters

2011-07-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

The first lift of asphalt has been placed between Henderson and Boulevard, but be careful, there are areas that have abrupt edges and sections of gravel. Please follow the speed limit for your safety and that of the workers.

Boulevard to Rich Rd

The contractor will continue running smaller sewer lines from the main line in the center of the roadway to individual properties for this week and the next several weeks until completed. This will likely reduce traffic flow to one-way during the course of the work, and will be in various locations between Boulevard and Rich Rd.

Boulevard and Log Cabin Rd Intersection

Puget sound energy will be out on Wednesday July 20th hooking up power to what is called a Remote Chemical Feed Station. This facility provides chemicals to the sewer line, keeping down the stinky smells that would otherwise be pretty foul. This work should be off the main roadway, but please beware of worker and vehicles in that location.

Other Construction Activities

As usual, the contractor will be constructing more of those missing sections of sidewalk and curb that had to be left out due to the many, many structures, pipe etc. that are in the way. While the majority of the concrete could be poured and formed quickly such as with a curb machine, these locations take much more hand work and care to ensure a safe walking surface.There will be miscellaneous work on the manholes and sewer system, and side sewer installation east of Boulevard Road.

Tired of cones? You will soon be seeing less of those as the road signs are put into place, especially those in the roundabouts.

Work continues on the illumination system with mostly underground work.

It may seem that we mention very few construction activities going on during any week, but be assured, the above construction work is the tip of the iceberg; there is much more going on behind the scenes and off the road to reduce the traffic flow.

Work is continuing on the wall construction adjacent to Sten Village and across from the sewer pump station at Brassfield.

Thank you to Project Coordinator Theresa Parsons, and Engineering Intern David Hall for their contributions to this blog.

Paving Update, Monday, July 18th

2011-07-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature threw us a curve ball over the weekend, just to prove that she was still in charge. However, the tenacious Yelm Highway crew from Miles Construction & Thurston County Public Works refuse to be beaten. They will pave today (Monday) and tomorrow to finish what was planned for Saturday and Monday. Paving will be on Yelm Highway from Brassfield to Boulevard, and also on Brassfield.

Sadly, this will mean long delays for the driving public if you have to use Yelm Highway for your commute. We have supplied a map with alternate routes (Link to the right), but if you cannot avoid the area, remember that the contractor will be on the road from 6:00 AM to 5:30 PM both days, and delays to traffic could be well beyond 30 minutes. Some driveways will be blocked for short periods while the asphalt cures (See our earlier posts on the paving). Additionally, there is sewer work going on east of Boulevard.

We understand that this is an inconvenience and truly appreciate your cooperation. If you have questions about the project, feel free to contact us via our email contacts, Theresa Parsons, Coordinator or Webmaster .

Special Update for Saturday, July 16

2011-07-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

Due to the weather, the contractor is not able to pave today. There is a small crew on site doing some grading work, so please watch for them. Paving work is planned for Monday, weather permitting.

Paving set to go!

2011-07-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

The contractor plans to pave Friday and Saturday, with additional paving on Monday. This will cause extreme backups and traffic delays in the work zone from Boulevard to Henderson and extending beyond both ends of the area. Project staff is advising that you avoid the area if at all possible. Access to businesses and homes in the area will be unavoidably affected during the paving operation, but these interruptions will be kept to as short a time as possible. Hot asphalt requires time to cool before traffic can be allowed to travel on it to prevent damage to the newly applied surface.

Here is the preliminary plan as it stands as of this morning:

Paving will start at Henderson and travel east to Brassfield. That section will be done Friday, and it will require at least 4 passes to cover the complete width of the road.

Then they will move from Brassfield east and plan on paving in front of the daycare on Saturday so that it will minimize access impacts to the daycare.

On Monday a smaller amount of asphalt will be put in place to finish up the first lift of asphalt from Henderson to Boulevard.

The final lift of asphalt will occur later, likely in the early fall.

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact the project coordinator Theresa Parsons

The link to our alternate routes map is available at the right. If you must travel through the area, please allow at least 30 to 60 minutes additional travel time (estimated only) and please be prepared for extended waits. There will be traffic control personnel in place to guide you through the work zone.

Thurston County Public Works & Miles Construction thank you for your patience.

Good News & Bad News

2011-07-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

The good news is, the contractor is tentatively planning to lay down the first lift (layer) of asphalt from Henderson to Boulevard next Friday and Saturday. This is, of course, weather, and other conditions permitting, but we wanted to let you know well in advance.

"What's the bad news?", you ask. "How can there be any bad news? They are PAVING!!!"

Well, here's the deal...

There will be delays... and they won't be short. In fact, they will be really, REALLY long. In our scale of Green to Black the delay condition will be, ( Hold on while I look up what is darker than BLACK...) well.. you get the idea. Please take advantage of our alternate routes in your travel planning for those days.

Also, some driveways will be closed while the asphalt cures enough to be able to support the weight of a vehicle. Depending (again) upon the weather, this can take a bit of time. Please heed any directions given by the contractor's crew to make sure their efforts aren't disturbed.

We will provide you with more information toward the end of the week.

A Little Courtesy

2011-07-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

As you are driving through the work zone on Yelm Highway, there will be times when you will be stopped for extended periods while traffic is confined to a single lane. When you do need to stop please make sure you are leaving enough space between you and the next vehicle for cars to enter the various driveways that lead to the residences and businesses throughout the work zone and also please try to not block those driveways when you stop.

We understand that this is not always possible, but our staff and the business owners and residents along Yelm Highway, and guests and patrons of those businesses and residents would be truly grateful if you could give it a shot whenever you could. Also remember, it is always illegal to stop in an intersection. If you cannot make it all the way through the intersection, stop prior to entering it.

Just a reminder, the contractor will be working in the roadway on Saturday, July 9th. Please plan to avoid the work zone if possible in your travels.

Update July 7th, 2011

2011-07-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

NOTE: CONTRACTOR IS WORKING FRIDAY AND SATURDAY (JULY 8th & 9th)

During this short week the contractor has made excellent progress pulverizing the roadway, all the way from Henderson to Brassfield. The majority of the old asphalt was removed seperately from the underlying rock and sent back to the asphalt mixing plant where it will be re-used as new asphalt. Although this is guaranteed to slow down traffic due to a rougher surface and less driving lanes, the contractor will be working this Friday and Saturday to help speed up completion of the work.

A small fact: Wondering what color was chosen for the sound/retaining walls? A: Washington Gray.

Other Interesting Information:

The Sewer Pump Station has completed its installation and is undergoing preliminary testing with final testing set for next week.

Boulevard Roundabout: The schedule is now looking like it will begin 7/25 or 8/1. Stay tuned!

July 5th Update

2011-07-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

note: The contractor will be working Saturday July 9th.

The contractor is pulverizing (grinding) the roadway from Henderson to Brassfield Dr today. They will continue this work through the 8th of July when they reach Boulevard Rd. The mainline sewer work is nearing Rich Rd and its completion. There will be a crew working on the Remote Chemical Feed Station near Indian Summer as well. The subcontractor continues to install the sound wall near Brassfield Dr SE.

Project Update June 30th

2011-06-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE: NO WORK MONDAY JULY 4th. Contractor will work Tuesday - Friday of the holiday week (July 5th - 8th)

Sanitary Sewer - The End is Nearer!

How near the end? The blue and green bubbles in the image near Stratford Lane and Boulevard Extension are the homeowners sewer connections. There may be a few of those yet, but as for the main line, the last sanitary sewer manhole (#29) is expected to be set in the ground around the 12th of July. After #29 is installed the sewer moves over to the south side of the road and makes a connection into an existing sewer system.

Sidewalks, Curb, Driveways. - Henderson to Boulevard

Most of the concrete work has been completed between Henderson and Boulevard Road, except for a couple sections that require a lot of hand work, or those which have constant vehicle access which prevents entire sections from being poured.

Boulevard Roundabout - No longer on hold!

Due to a couple of utilities that were shallower than expected this work has been on hold for a good month. Now that these conflicts have been resolved, in the next couple weeks they will be fixed and the roundabout construction will commence. Keep a look out about two weeks from now for significant changes in that intersection!

Pulverize, Prep and Pave - Henderson to Boulevard

Starting the 5th of July, beginning from Henderson and heading towards Boulevard, the asphalt will be pulverized, the roadway will be prepared for paving by placing crushed rock down, and then paved. The preparation work is expected to be finished by July 8th, and paving beginning on July 18th.

A note about our Twitter feed: We make every effort to have our daily condition tweet out between 6:45AM and 7:15AM, on the days when the contractor is working in traffic. However, due to our agency process for posting to Twitter, if the field inspector has not gotten information from the contractor by 7:15, the tweet could be delayed while those able to post to Twitter are driving in to the office.

HOLIDAY WEEK SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

2011-06-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

The contractor will be working Tuesday-Friday, the week of July 4th (will work July 5-8) rather than Monday - Friday 7:00 AM -5:30 PM.

Construction impacts to traffic are typical this week: Curb, sidewalks, and sound wall between Henderson and Boulevard. Sewer near Rich Rd

Upcoming....

July 4th weekend - No Construction.

July 7th - Starting at Henderson and heading to Boulevard the roadway will be pulverized, rebuilt, and paved over a period of approximately two weeks.

Boulevard Roundabout - Still on hold due to utility issues.

Three Week Construction Impact Map:

JUNE 15th Update

2011-06-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

Sanitary Sewer

Sewer line construction is making its way to the end foot by foot! See the image below.

Boulevard Roundabout

Construction of the Boulevard roundabout is still on hold for the moment, but is likely to begin construction in the next two weeks.

Asphalt Paving

Portions of the east end of the project (Boulevard to Rich Rd) will be undergoing asphalt patching, so travel should get a little smoother in those sections.

Sidewalks & Driveways

Each week drivers, walkers, and bicyclists should see a new portion of sidewalks and driveways being poured as the forms are set up. If your out for a walk, make sure to keep an eye out for those 'SIDEWALK CLOSED' signs so you don't muddy your shoes permanently! :)

How does one make a curb? First you get a lot of money, then you buy a really cool machine and hire some talented guys to do all the work.

Thanks, Stephanie, for the pics!

Construction Update June 9th, 2011

2011-06-09T14:21:00.000-07:00

Sanitary Sewer - The End is Near!

Sewer line is getting close to the end! Construction will continue between Siskiyou Street and Donovan Drive during the next two weeks.

Sidewalks, Curb, Driveways. - Henderson to Boulevard

The contractor will continue to prepare for pouring concrete for sidewalks, curb, and driveways. This will take place between Henderson and Boulevard on both the north and south sides of Yelm Highway.

Boulevard Roundabout

Construction of the Boulevard roundabout is currently on hold due to some conflicts with underground utilities. We will let you know as soon as possible when the contractor is planning on resuming this work.

Traffic Flow in General

Driving down Yelm Highway you probably have noticed the multiple crews at work. Curb, sidewalk, and driveway preparation and concrete pouring, grading to prepare for new asphalt and sidewalks, sewer down the center of Yelm Hwy, sewer connections on the sides of the highway, sound wall installation, and even work all the way out east past Wiggins Road and the northern part of Boulevard for work related to the sewer; all have their effect on traffic. Drivers can expect 30+ minute delays as the lanes are often shut down to one way traffic for periods of the day.

Update for the week of May 31st, 2011

2011-06-02T15:33:00.000-07:00

Remember: The contractor will be working this Friday June 3rd!

Construction will return to the Monday through Thursday schedule next week.

Curb and Gutter

Curb and gutter will continue to be poured on the south side of Yelm Highway between Henderson Blvd. and Brassfield Drive.

Mainline Sewer

The contractor is steadily making their way east, currently between Stratford Lane and Siskiyou St. This work is expected to take at least 4 more weeks to complete.

Boulevard Roundabout

The contractor may begin the creation of the Boulevard roundabout this coming June 6th. A temporary roundabout will be constructed utilizing cones and signs, and is expected to be completed in one day, followed by the demolition of the signals the next day. Drivers can expect significant traffic disruptions as this work is done.

For non Yelm Highway construction and county road news, follow our OTHER Twitter feeds at twitter.com/Thurston_PW and twitter.com/TCPWProjects

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

2011-05-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

Memorial Weekend Schedule - Construction Tuesday through Friday.

There will be no construction during Memorial Weekend, however, the contractor will change their work schedule during this week to Tuesday May 31st through Friday June 3rd.

Sewer

Sewer installation continues to make its way east and is currently between Stratford Lane and Siskiyou Lane.

Boulevard Construction - North End.

The contractor will be working for the next couple weeks on the north end of Boulevard; this should be a minimal impact to traffic.

Are you finding these maps helpful? Drop us a line at via Twitter -- yelmhighwayinfo@twitter.com or email to Yelm Highway Webmaster

THE SOUNDWALL
(Thank you S. Bricker)

Construction Impacts - May 23 to June 9th

2011-05-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Click on Graphics for larger view.

Boulevard to Rich Rd.

In addition to the sewer work down the center of Yelm Hwy, drivers can expect a large portion of the roadway between Boulevard and Rich Road to be closed to traffic during the construction of the sewer line. So far, this has been the southern half of the road in order to speed up the flow of construction vehicles and ultimately lessen the duration of the project. Currently the sewer is being installed between Stratford Lane and Siskiyou St.

Henderson to Brassfield Drive

The contractor will be preparing for and begin pouring curbs between Henderson and Brassfield Drive, and also constructing a sound wall on both sides of the highway. Drivers can expect intermitted lane reductions depending on the needs of the contractor.

Boulevard-Yelm Highway Intersection-June 2011

At the beginning of June the contractor will begin the process of turning the Yelm Hwy-Boulevard intersection into a roundabout. Over the period of one day the contractor will remove the asphalt, haul in gravel to bring the surface up to the final elevation, and establishing driving lanes in the shape of a roundabout using cones and signs. Concrete curbs and asphalt will then be constructed in sections over time.

Thank you to D. Hall for the graphics and contributions to this blog!

The REAL soundwall

18' sewer trench

May 15-22 2011

2011-05-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

The contractor will be performing mainline sewer work near Stratford Ln. Storm sewer work will be taking place at Boulevard Rd and will be completed by the end of the week.

Widening will begin for the roundabout at Boulevard towards the end of the week. The Subcontractor Artisan Precast will be constructing Noise Walls along the North and South side of Yelm Hwy between Orvas Ct and Village Dr.

This is just an example of a soundwall... not the real thing.

Lakevue (Subcontractor) continues electrical and wet well work for the Sewer Lift Station.

Alternate Routes Map

2011-05-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

Open for Business
Construction can be considerably tough on business in
the Yelm Highway construction area, so please try to allow room for other drivers to enter and exit businesses when traffic is stopped.

Main Traffic Impacts (See drawings)
Construction should be expected on Boulevard Road at the Yelm Highway intersection through this week and likely Monday. If all goes well work should cease at the Yelm
Hwy-Boulevard intersection.Construction will also continue chugging
along the center of Yelm Hwy centered around Stratford Lane.
Fortunately the trench line will move slightly northward during this
portion of the work and hopefully free up the southern portion of the
road.

Other Construction
Although traffic impact should be minimal to
nothing, expect additional work to take place along the road edges as
the contractor prepares for sidewalk/curb installation and street
lighting.Construction of the Sound/Retaining Walls begins this week starting on the South side of the road at Orvas Court, heading East. This work should not impact traffic, and will take place Monday through Friday.

Possible Alternate Routes
If you are just passing through the
Yelm Highway construction and are looking for an alternate route, but
haven't taken the time to look, here's a nifty map of suggested routes.

"Why No Detours?" and other things

2011-05-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

Why no detours?

We are asked why we have no detour routes posted for the Yelm Highway project. At the beginning of the project, we considered posting “official” detours, but there were many issues with this.

The first issue is that there are so many properties that only have access off Yelm Highway, we couldn’t close the road, as they would have no other access. There are also businesses that have access only off of Yelm Highway, and we wanted to make sure they could still get customers to their sites. In preliminary meetings on this project, it was a clear desire from attendees that access be continued.

Another issue is that there is no convenient, relatively short detour route. It really depends upon the origination and destination points of the trip taker, as there are multiple alternative routes that serve one traveler better than another based on where they are coming from and where they are going. That is why we are strongly urging all potential trip takers down Yelm Highway to take a look at their start and end points and take an alternative route that suits their needs the best.

One other major roadblock (pardon the pun) was the fact that all adjacent jurisdictions had major projects going on in the area. There was work happening on North St and Log Cabin Rd, and there was a sewer project on Henderson. Pretty much on any given day there was something going on along what would be an otherwise viable detour route. Rather than post routes that we could not control, it was decided to provide advanced notice of the project and hopefully allow people to find other routes on their own. This would also lessen the impact of 20,000 cars a day driving along an official route, thus causing major headaches for other local residents.

Our blog went live in January of 2010, with suggestions to start seeking other possible commute routes and options. Construction officially began on June 15^th, 2010. We tried not to underplay the impact on the travelling public. We did not underestimate the inconvenience caused by the project.

It was decided that we would try using the newfangled technology called Social Media to keep you informed of traffic status, and road conditions. Using Twitter and this blog, we have attempted to keep you up to date with daily traffic flows (RED, YELLOW, GREEN, or (Heaven forbid) BLACK), and schedules of upcoming work (as available), and also interesting tidbits and photos about the project.

This has been working favorably, insomuch as any first attempt can, and we feel that it has been quite helpful and well received. We have also been experimenting with 2-way communication with the public via Twitter and blog comments, allowing YOU to give us feedback and information to pass on.

So... back to the question of detours.

While we still do not have any officially endorsed detours, our staff is able to make some suggestions if you want to contact us. Please remember, these routes will take you through residential streets with possibly lower speed limits, and we ask that you be watchful and careful as children and pets in these areas are not used to the increased quantities and frequency of traffic.

AND... The Other Things:

Intercity Transit has moved their Yelm Highway Route to Wilderness because they cannot guarantee their schedule. Please see this link for revised route information

Construction Impacts Ahead

Paving - Thursday May 5th

Drivers can expect paving (Shown in Yellow) to take place on Boulevard, just north of the Yelm Hwy intersection, and also to take place on Yelm Highway from the Boulevard intersection past Boulevard Extension. This should patch up a few bumpy areas!

Sewer, Sewer, and More Sewer

The contractor continues to slice its way down the center of Boulevard Rd., and Yelm Highway with its final destination at Rich Road in the near future. See the attached map for approximate impacts to traffic in the next couple of weeks.

Drivers can expect the sewer work and paving down the center of Boulevard and Yelm Highway in these locations to cause significant disruptions to traffic and should seek alternate routes if possible.

courtesy of D. Hall

Progress and Delays ... Some answers.

2011-04-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

Our apologies for the frustration you are living with during the course of this project. We know that it is difficult. Although it may not always seem like it, the contractor is trying to keep traffic flowing as much as possible.

Much of the work going on right now is on underground sewers and utilities. Depending on the time that you travel through the work zone, progress here might not be obvious since the installation will be re-covered when it is installed and tested. It is not safe or permissible to leave open trenches.

The contractor had asked to work four ten-hour days, Monday through Thursday while they finish the sewer construction. Our contract documents allow for these work hours. We did not object because as inconvenient as it is for commuters now, it will shorten the duration of the work. Since the trench depth is roughly 20 feet deep between Boulevard Road and Rich Road, working an additional two hours per day allows for more time spent laying pipe, and less time securing the trench by backfilling and re-digging at the beginning and end of each day. When the contractor is finished laying the sewer line, the schedule will change back to Mon-Fri, 8 hrs a day.

Many of the delays that the project has experienced are due to the unusually wet weather that we have been having. Even in the best of times, trenching is a dangerous game. There are risks of side failures, slides, cave-ins. With the amount of rainwater we have received, the ground becomes saturated and water runs into the work area and it becomes nearly impossible to hold the walls of a trench safely. We cannot have workers in the trenches in these conditions. Also, there have been periods of snow, which the contractor cannot work in. The contract gives the contractor 360 working days and when the weather does not co-operate, the end date is extended due to the non-workable days. Currently, there have been 22 non-working days, effectively extending the contract one month, to the end of December 2011. This can still change depending upon many considerations.

Another issue is the sheer number of underground utilities encountered. These can be telecommunication, power, water, fiber optic, etc. It is difficult to dig around these and not damage them. Some are abandoned, some are live, but the contractor must treat them all as if they were live until it is definitively determined the utility encountered is abandoned. This slows progress, and it is especially time consuming when a utility is encountered that was not located.

When a contractor (or anyone) digs in a right of way, state law requires them to call a one-call locate number and the utilities that have facilities within the work area are required to locate them by painting on the ground where there facilities are. Sometimes (more often than we like) utilities are not located. When one of these is exposed it must be identified, and until this is accomplished, the contractor cannot continue work because there is no way of knowing the status of the utility. Some of these utilities have been in the ground for decades and have long since been abandoned or deactivated, but some of them may also be the service to your home. Once the utility and its status have been identified, the contractor and the utility work as quickly as possible to re-establish service if it was interrupted. These sorts of incidents have really impacted progress at times.

In spite of these issues, the project is still running relatively close to schedule and we should be out of your way by the end of the year. Once underground infrastructure is in place, the above ground work will proceed quickly. The project coordinator, the contractor, and all of the involved staff appreciate your continued patience and understanding. We will endeavor to provide you with timely information and updates via our blog and Twitter feeds, and welcome your comments. The webmaster passes on all letters (and Tweets) to the appropriate staff for response.

Main Commuter Impacts, May 2nd - May 12th. Click for Larger image

April 19th, 2011 - Update

2011-04-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

The contractor will continue to work from the East edge of the Boulevard-Yelm Hwy intersection heading East this week, and for the next several weeks.

*BUMP AHEAD*

On Thursday this week, the contractor will be working in the middle of Boulevard Extension Road. Until the existing roadway is raised to its final elevation, drivers can expect a gravel hump where the structure is being installed. This will be done in order to protect drivers from harm and danger, and to protect from damage to the structure. Please drive carefully when entering or exiting Boulevard Extension Road.

HENDERSON ROAD CLOSURES POSSIBLE

2011-04-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

Possible Henderson Closure

Weather permitting, Henderson will temporarily close on Friday between North St. and Yelm Highway for paving.

Boulevard-Yelm Hwy Intersection and Heading East

Drivers can expect construction to take place in the Boulevard intersection for the next 2 to 3 weeks.

Drivers can also expect the majority of construction to take place east of the Boulevard intersection. However, at some point when the good weather rolls, work will continue again on the West end of the project, putting in curbs, sidewalks. Also, a majority of the roadway west of Brassfield will be torn up and replaced.

PROJECT PHOTOS:

Another "sunny day" in Washington!

Neither puddles or mud shall keep a surveyor from ......

SPECIAL NOTICE-LAURA ST CLOSED

2011-04-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

Contractor continues installing side sewer connections between Juli Ct and Laura St. They are still constructing the sewer main and this work will take place from the Boulevard Rd intersection to Boulevard Extension. Lakevue Construction will be working on the Sewer Lift station building this week.

NOTICE

Monday April 11th thru Thursday April 13th Laura St will be closed from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM for sewer work. (the portion from Yelm Hwy to 51st Ave). A detour route will be signed in place to allow access to Laura St through Boulevard Extension and 51st Ave. Please call Todd Obermire (253) 307-4909 if you have any questions.

Update for April 4th-10th

2011-04-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

The Contractor is still scheduled to work on the side sewers (sewer connections that run from the center of the road to the sides of the road), currently just west of Boulevard, moving east until approximately April 12th.

Sanitary Sewer is also currently scheduled to be in the Boulevard intersection Wednesday April 5th, hopefully out of the intersection by the 12th of April, working east towards Boulevard Extension.

If the weather holds fair, a lighting pole is scheduled to be relocated at the Henderson intersection, this coming Thursday and Friday. (Guess that they wouldn't want to do this if a thunderstorm was forecast!)

March 29th Through April 6th

2011-03-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

The contractor is scheduled to work on side sewers from Juli Ct, continuing east through April. Work can also be expected to take place in the center of the road on sanitary sewer, beginning this week at Juli Ct., and continuing east. Sanitary sewer is scheduled to enter the Boulevard roundabout on Thursday(3-31), and exit the roundabout around the 6th of April, and will continue east down the center of the road.

SPECIAL NOTICE

2011-03-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

Crews will be working at the Boulevard intersection this week, doing some asphalt cutting for sewer line crossings. The signal at the intersection will be turned off and traffic controlled by flaggers and law enforcement. Traffic back-ups will be extensive with waits possibly exceeding 30 minutes. Project staff recommends that alternate routes be used. Watch Twitter and the blog for updates.

March 24th to 31st Update

2011-03-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

THIS WEEK

The contractor continues to install mainline sewer including sewer manholes between Juli Ct. and Boulevard Rd SE. Juli Ct is closed from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm for sewer installation. Lakevue Construction is continuing work on the sewer lift station wet well as the concrete slab poured last Monday for the electrical building cures.

NEXT WEEK

The contractor continues to install mainline sewer including sewer manholes between Juli Ct. and Boulevard Rd SE. They will be pouring curb and gutter from Henderson Blvd to Brassfield Dr Monday through Wedensday. Juli Ct is closed from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm on Monday (March 28th) only this week for sewer installation. Lakevue Construction will begin working on the electrical building.

A big THANKS! to all of our Blog readers. This week we passed 10,000 views!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS - CLAR MAR LANE & JULI CT CLOSURES

2011-03-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

Notice: Clar Mar Ln SE will be closed March 21st thru March 23rd from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm for Sanitary Sewer Installation. Please make arrangements to leave and/or move your vehicles prior to the 7:30 am start time. Emergency vehicles will be granted access. A parking and school bus pickup area will be coned off on the North side of Yelm Hwy east of Clar Mar Ln. Flaggers will be present to assist.

Notice: Juli Ct SE will be closed March 24th, March 25th and March 28th from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm for Sanitary Sewer Installation. Please make arrangements to leave and/or move your vehicles prior to the 7:30 am start time. Emergency vehicles will be granted access. A parking and school bus pickup area will be coned off on the North side of Yelm Hwy west of Juli Ct SE. Flaggers will be present to assist.

Pictures... Pictures ...

2011-03-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

Note... ClarMar Lane closure has been delayed. We will repost the new date when scheduled.

A little temporary patching, an average daily traffic of 18,000 cars, even more rain, and what do you get? Potholes, potholes and more potholes, but nothing the paving machine can't improve. Crews patched a portion near Boulevard, and as weather permits they will move West towards Henderson patch those potholes.

The crew continues to excavate for the retaining wall and sidewalk.

What lies below? Dan and Rich from Lakeview Construction were more than happy to give us a peak at the Wet Well and its workings inside. Not much to look at, but it sure gives a good idea how much waste goes through the 22ft x 12ft well, and just a glimpse into the immense amount of excellent work buried below. Hopefully next week the pumps will be available for a look.

Dan from Lakeview Construction is more than enthusiastic about his trade and giving a thumbs up! This shot gives a bit more perspective to the size of the structure.

Living in a Construction Zone

2011-03-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

The Yelm Highway project has been in development for over a decade. Last year, the first shovel of earth was turned. We are now somewhere near the midpoint. There are many inconveniences that you are asked to endure. Many are obvious, such as noise, traffic delays, muddy roads, and detour routes. Some are unforeseen or unavoidable, like utility interruptions. Something you might not have considered: The ground can shake!

Vibrations from the operation of construction equipment can travel great distances through the earth. These vibrations can be annoying or aggravating, especially after several hours. Pictures can fall off the walls, and small items can vibrate off shelves.

We would like to suggest that you take precautions to ensure the safety of your valuables by making sure that pictures and other wall hangings are secure, and shelf items temporarily removed or secured with museum wax for the duration of the project.

For more information, or questions, please contact the project coordinator, Theresa Parsons, at 754-4580 or email Theresa at parsont@co.thurston.wa.us

Thurston County Public Works once again thanks you for your cooperation and patience with us during this landmark project.

Week of Feb 28th - March 5th

2011-03-02T10:15:00.000-08:00

The contractor is continuing with sewer installation from Clar Mar towards Boulevard Road.

The water crew is at Boulevard Extension and traffic will be routed down the new Boulevard Extension alignment for a few days while the water work is being done. The new Boulevard Extensions is gravel.

The sewer pump station is moving forward. All structures (manholes, vaults, etc.) have been installed and now the internal piping and electrical work is beginning. Still looking at May for that work to be complete.

The electrical subcontractor, Amaya, has been installing wire and foundations for the illumination system starting at Henderson Boulevard and moving east. They will finish the section from Henderson to about Clar Mar, and then come back later once the contractor is ready for them again.

Curb and gutter will be placed using a machine that places the concrete in the correct shape using a form in the shape of the curb and gutter, and follows a string line that is put up at an offset. The string line is in place from Henderson to Brassfield, and as soon as weather allows, the curb and gutter from Henderson to about Clar Mar will be placed.

Yelm Highway Update Feb 14th-18th

2011-02-17T15:38:00.000-08:00

FYI This coming Monday, February 21^st (President's Day), the contractor will be working.

THIS WEEK

The contractor continues to make sewer, storm water, illumination and irrigation crossings on Yelm Hwy from Henderson to Boulevard Rd SE. The Contractor continues grading Yelm Hwy’s East Bound lane for the new roadway from Henderson to Brassfield. Grading of the roundabout at Brassfield is progressing. The contractor will set the flow meter vault above the sewer lift station and install components inside the vault.

NEXT WEEK

The contractor continues to make sewer and illumination crossings on Yelm Highway from Henderson to Boulevard Rd SE. Waterline work will be taking place on Blvd ext. Electrical work will take place on/in the lift station. The contractor will also be excavating/grading for the sidewalk from Henderson to Brassfield.

INTERESTING WORK THIS WEEK

The contractor is done backfilling the sewer lift station and they have connected it to the force main . (Pictures below)

This is what they put in the big hole from a few weeks back,

AND

The Brassfield Drive roundabout is coming along nicely!

SPECIAL NOTICE!!!!!

2011-02-10T13:38:00.000-08:00

Monday February 14th, the contractor (ACI) for the City of Olympia's Henderson Blvd project will be shutting off the traffic signals at Henderson Blvd & Yelm Highway from 8am-5pm. The traffic through the intersection will be officer controlled/directed. Expect major delays and plan an alternate route if possible.

Week of February 6th-12th

2011-02-09T14:59:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, February 12^th, the contractor will be working on a water shut-down and connection at Boulevard Rd SE from Yelm Hwy to 45^th Ave SE. This work will occur from 7:30 am to 3pm. The Northbound lane will be closed, flaggers will be present alternating one-way traffic through the Southbound lane.

INTERESTING WORK THIS WEEK

The contractor is backfilling the excavation for the sewer lift station . As they backfill, they remove the shoring plates that held back the surrounding soil from entering the hole.

THIS WEEK

The contractor continues to make sewer, storm water, illumination, and irrigation crossings on Yelm Highway from Henderson to Boulevard Rd SE. The contractor is also excavating/grading Yelm Highway’s westbound lane for the new roadway from Henderson to Brassfield.

The roundabout at Brassfield is beginning to take shape as initial grading work begins.

COMING NEXT WEEK

The contractor will continue to make sewer, storm water, illumination, and irrigation crossings on Yelm Highway from Henderson to Boulevard Rd SE. A flow meter vault will be installed above the lift station. The contractor will also be excavating/grading Yelm Highway eastbound lane for the new roadway from Henderson to Brassfield.

This Week in Yelm Highway History

2011-01-28T09:12:00.000-08:00

LAKEVIEW CONSTRUCTION SET THE WET WELL IN THE SEWER PUMP STATION USING A CRANE ALONG YELM HWY 300’ EAST OF BRASSFIELD DR SE (SEE PICTURES BELOW). THEY WILL RETURN WITH THE CRANE MONDAY JANUARY 31^st TO SET THE DRY WELL.

Remember this picture from last week?

Look at how BIG this thing is!!!

THIS WEEK

THE CONTRACTOR CONTINUES TO MAKE SEWER, STORMWATER, ILLUMINATION AND IRRIGATION CROSSINGS OF YELM HWY FROM HENDERSON TO BOULEVARD RD SE.

NEXT WEEK

CONTRACTOR WILL CONTINUE WITH THE STORMWATER, ILLUMINATION AND IRRIGATION CROSSINGS FROM HENDERSON TO BOULEVARD RD SE. THE DRY WELL WILL BE SET WITH A CRAIN APPROXIMATELY 300’ EAST OF BRASSFIELD DR SE. THEY WILL ALSO BE PLACING ROCK TO GET UP TO GRADE FOR THE CURB AND GUTTER FROM HENDERSON BLVD TO JULI CT!

Two Week Look-Ahead on Construction (Work is estimated and subject to change)

Here is a portion of the estimate construction upcoming on Yelm Hwy.

Friday Jan. 28th: Work halfway between Brassfield and Clar Mar on South Side of Road

Monday Jan. 31th - Wednesday Feb. 2: Work stretching from Clar Mar to Juli Ct. in center of road

Thursday Feb 3 to Thursday Feb 8th: Work stretching from Juli Ct heading East towards Laura St. in the center of the road.

Pump Station Installation Begins!

2011-01-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

Just east of Brassfield drivers may see a large hole that has developed in the last few days. As mentioned in Wednesday's post, this is the new location of the sewage pump station. Construction of the pump station structure will begin next week.

I think the pink rock is either the grade depth, or it's radioactive. :-O

Looks like someone needs to set their camera clock! ;-)

Sewer installation this week and into next week continues as usual along Yelm Hwy with the exception that drivers and homeowners will see some side sewer connections going in, similar to Village Drive this week, which will disrupt travel on side streets. Homeowners will be notified of the disruptions prior to them happening and as soon as details are available they will be posted here on the blog.

Can you dig it? We can!!!

Construction of stormwater crossings (across Yelm Hwy) will also pick up again beginning next week on the West end of the project.

2011- Week 1 Jan 5th

2011-01-05T09:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year.

Contractor plans to continue installation of water and sewer pipe and there will be traffic restrictions at different work zones for the next week as crews move along the pipe installation routes. The pump station excavation is occurring east of Brassfield. Work is off of the traveled lanes, but trucks and equipment will move in and out of that work zone and will impact traffic flow.

UPDATED!!! Bonus Blog #2

2010-12-30T13:44:00.000-08:00

The previously mentioned work on Village Drive will happen on Monday,and Tuesday.

The Contractor will make provisions for the school bus stop to place the children in a safe location and allow the bus to pick them up. Also, they will accommodate the garbage truck on Tues. and allow emergency vehicle access.
More details here

There is no work tomorrow.

We will return to our regular schedule of blogs and Tweets next week.

Have a safe holiday weekend. We will see you next year!

SPECIAL BLOG POST

2010-12-28T15:30:00.000-08:00

In spite of the holidays, staff had a few moments to put this post together.

Wondering why the roadway has shifted to the north recently near Brassfield? You will soon get your answer as the contractor begins excavating for the sewer pump station next to the rock retaining wall just east of Brassfield, the approximate location indicated by the blue area in the image. Although crews will be working as normally, this will hopefully lessen congestion as one crew will be working out of the roadway.

This week construction can be expected to continue in the center of the roadway between Henderson Blvd and Orvas Ct, and also just east of Brassfield.

Monday, sewer work will begin at Village Drive. To avoid long delays, you will need to be out of the subdivision by 7:30 AM.

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE FOR YELM HIGHWAY

2010-12-23T08:45:00.000-08:00

Season's Greetings!
This will be our last blog until 2011, so have a Happy New Year, too!

Here is the schedule for the project as we have it right now:
Today there is a pipe crew working near Brassfield and also paving in the intersection. Expect heavy truck traffic. There is also a pipe crew working near Henderson. Delays of 30 minutes or more.
Dec 24: No work
Dec 27: No Work
Dec 28-30: Pipe work west of Brassfield
Dec 31: No Work
Jan 3: No Work
There will be no blog posts until January 4 or 5.
Have a safe Holiday.

Season's Greetings from the Yelm Highway Project Team!

December Week Three

2010-12-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

A little bit about the sinkhole that occurred last week. The contractor was digging two parallel trenches to work on some utility lines. There was a gas main in the area, so the earth was left undisturbed between the two trenches to provide support and stability for the gas line. The sinkhole developed between these two trenches.

When working in an area that has absorbed as much water as we have had recently, the soil takes on almost a jell-o or quicksand quality that makes it susceptible to suddenly losing it's cohesiveness. It then flows to the nearest open space. This is why you see those large steel boxes on excavation sites. Those are lowered into the area where the work is being done to protect the workers in case the side of the trench collapses. The workers enter and exit via a ladder and work within the protection of the trench box. You can see in the first picture that this trench collapse can also happen in dry earth. Notice the sand on the right side of the trench box in the first picture. This has sloughed off the side of the trench

Trench box being moved by the backhoe.

In the third picture you can see the worker down inside of the trench box.

December Week Two

2010-12-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

The work has been just moving along as usual, so today, we will show you a couple of aerial photos taken by our friend at Aerial Images NW.

These shots were taken last week.

FRIDAY of this week, the plan is to work on the sewer system by Brassfield, and utility work at Village Drive. You will be on just one gravel lane, guided by cones and flaggers.

Ever wonder what a day of construction might comprise of along Yelm Highway? Well, taking into account a very rainy day and working around and under live gas lines, phone lines, brittle water lines, electrical, and allowing 20,000 vehicles through, the contractor has installed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday approximately...

150 Tons of asphalt patching

575 Cubic Yards of gravel for trench backfill

400 Feet of 10" HDPE Sanitary Sewer Pipe @ 9' Depth

210 Feet of 12" Storm sewer pipe between 5-15' depth

91 Feet of 24" Storm sewer pipe, between 5-15' depth

500 Feet of 12" ductile iron water main @ 5' Depth

4 48" Catch Basins

...not bad for weather that is difficult to drive through!

First Week of December, 2010

2010-12-03T10:47:00.001-08:00

Work is continuing as the weather permits. The contractor and subs are working to get utilities in place. Temporary lighting has been installed for illumination until the permanent structures are put in place. Utility work in the intersections are requiring that occasionally we turn off the signals and have traffic controlled by Law Enforcement officers. There are also short term lane and street closures.

Please remember that all businesses in the work zone remain open and accessible during the project. Also, leave room for vehicles to enter and leave Yelm Highway from and on to side streets. This will ease some of the backups and slow-downs.

For daily updates and traffic conditions, follow us on Twitter @YelmHighwayInfo.

THIS WEEK.. Traffic Revisions!!

2010-11-29T15:18:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, November 30th-
10:00 AM-4:00PM
The signal at Boulevard Rd will be turned off and traffic will be directed by Law Enforcement. Expect significant delays.

Laura St Intersection will be closed at 10:00 AM. Please detour using 51st Ave and Boulevard Extension Rd.

Wednesday, December 1st-
7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
The signal at Boulevard Rd will be turned off and traffic will be directed by Law Enforcement. Expect significant delays.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2010-11-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

Due to the rather inclement weather, it looks like we will be shut down all week. Pilchuck wanted to work on the utilities, but the snow was covering up their locate marks faster than they could dig. This presented too much of a challenge, and they gave in to Mother Nature's wishes.

The contractor had already planned to be down Thursday through Sunday, resuming work on Monday.

Thurston County Public Works wants to remind you to drive responsibly, keep a safe distance between you and the next car, leave plenty of travel time, and if you can, postpone travel until the weather clears.

Check the county's Emergency Managment websites and facebook pages for information,
Thurston Emergency Management
facebook.com/ThurstonEM
or follow them on Twitter
twitter.com/ThurstonEM

Also, you can follow our other Twitter Feed for road closures and information
twitter.com/TCPWProjects

Here is a report of what was going on last week from our Field Inspector:

Last week the prime contractor, Woodworth and Co. had three to four separate crews per day working on new water and storm water installation. Pilchuck, natural gas contractor, was working near Orvas Court installing a new 8" gas main, working toward a tie-in point at Henderson Blvd. A subcontractor for Qwest phone, Rainer Valley Construction, continued to work near the Boulevard and Yelm Highway intersection. Woodworth will be starting the HDPE, sewer force main installation, the Monday following the Thanksgiving holiday. There will be no utility work this Saturday, 11-27-2010, but it is planned to resume the following week. Last Friday Woodworth stopped their pipe installation at mid-day and dropped back to install a more permanent asphalt trench patch in place of the temporary daily cold mix. This was a good plan given the forecast for snow.

Woodworth will not be working for the remaining of the week due to the inclement weather and the Thanksgiving Holiday. Please continue to travel through the work zone safely, especially with the recent challenge of snow and ice.

Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation during our project.

New Contact numbers

2010-11-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

We have added these contact numbers for Qwest and PSE to our contact page.(see link on the right) You can use these numbers to report service outages due to construction activities. Please call if you have an outage, as it may be affecting only you and often these problems are not realized by the workers.

Qwest (residential)1800-573-1311
Qwest (small business) 1800-954-1211
PSE (1-888-225-5773 (select menu option #1))

Also, we are moving into a stormy fall/winter season. Muddy roads in the construction area can mean reduced traction. It can also mean power outages and debris on the roadways. Please remember that you must treat non-functioning signals as all-way stops.

Update for the second week of November

2010-11-11T08:13:00.000-08:00

SPECIAL NOTE: On Monday, Nov 15th, at between 7:30 and 8:00 AM, the traffic signal at Henderson Blvd will be powered off so that so work can be done safely. It will remain off throughout the day. Traffic flow will be handled by traffic control personnel . Please plan for extra travel time, especially during peak traffic hours.

The project prime contractor, Woodworth and Company, continues to install new sewer, water and storm water pipe on Yelm Highway and associated side streets. Currently they are installing a deep sewer installation on Brassfield Drive as well as a second crew on Yelm Highway near Village Drive. Independent utility contractors, Qwest, (phone) and Pilchuck, (natural gas) continue to install new facilities between Boulevard Road and Brassfield Drive.

The majority of the utility trenches that were temporarily asphalt patched with a product called "EZ Street cold patch", have been replaced with a permanent asphalt product which holds up much better during the inclement weather and does not pot hole as easily with the heavy traffic flows.

Please continue to drive slow and safely thru the work zone and obey the directions and guidance given by the traffic control flagging crew.

All local business establishments will remain open during construction, please use caution when entering and leaving these locations.

Please be courteous and allow drivers to exit and enter side streets.

Photos and content courtesy of K. Whyte, Assistant Project Coordinator

Project Update for November 4th, 2010

2010-11-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

Rainier Valley, subcontractor for Qwest phone, is potholing for existing utilities today on Yelm Hwy, and will likely be boring under the road tomorrow at the Boulevard intersection. Pilchuck contractors, natural gas, will also be working in the Boulevard intersection and then near Laura street Friday and Saturday. Woodworth will have two sewer crews working on Yelm Hwy near Brassfield, so traffic will become one-way, temporarily diverted to the gravel area across from the job shack location. Additional traffic buttons were recently installed to help identify the traffic lanes where the existing paint has been wore off.

Please continue to drive slow and safely thru the work zone and obey the directions and guidance given by the flaggers.

All local business establishments will remain open during construction, please use caution when entering and leaving these locations.

For more frequent updates and traffic conditions follow us (YelmHighwayInfo) on Twitter (www.twitter.com)

Project Update, November 2nd 2010

2010-11-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Crews have crossed Yelm Highway near Brassfield and will continue working West on the sanitary sewer.

Beginning tomorrow work will begin down Brassfield. The combination of large equipment and a narrow roadway may cause major traffic delays for traffic entering and exiting. There will be notification of these delays if they happen and the contractor will do their best to provide an alternate means of parking along Yelm Highway so they are not delayed.

TRAFFIC ALERT FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 28th

2010-10-27T15:48:00.000-07:00

Thursday, traffic along Yelm Highway will be diverted slightly North, off the paved surface and onto a temporary crushed rock surface. Woodworth will be patching asphalt between Henderson and Boulevard Expect long delays. Please use alternate routes if available.

ADDED: This revision will be in place until patching is completed. Please drive safely.

Old Boulevard Heights Pond vs. the new Boulevard Heights Pond.

2010-10-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

A brief update today:

The contractor this week is on the same rigorous schedule installing water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer while dodging in amongst utility companies as they work during their window. Installation of traffic control cameras at the Henderson intersection will continue through next week as well.

Here is a photo comparison of the old and new retention ponds.

Old Boulevard Pond

New Boulevard Pond

Tuesday Oct 19th, Update

2010-10-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

Today the contractor has been filling and testing the new waterline at Orvas and Clair-Mar. As the main sanitary sewer lines and main water lines are constructed they will be tied into existing systems on side streets, which will involve tearing up the side street road surface. Currently Brassfield is undergoing this process.

At this point in the process there are three separate crews working on water, storm sewer, and sanitary sewer for the Yelm Highway Project. As mentioned previously you will see separate work on Yelm Highway, at Boulevard heading west, being done by Pilchuck through Puget Sound Energy, installing a new gas line.

Our Friday Update... Early!

2010-10-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

The prime contractor, Woodworth, continues to have multiple crews work on water, storm and sewer utility installation from Henderson Blvd east to Blvd Rd. In addition, Pilchuck Contractors are installing a new gas main in the intersection of Blvd Road and Yelm Highway. Pilchuck will be working this Saturday, October 16th, and plans to be finished in this intersection by October 22nd if no problems arise.

With the variety of weather this time of year, please continue to use caution while driving thru the construction zone and allow extra time anticipating traffic restrictions.

Thank you for your patience.

Update for October 13th, 2010

2010-10-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

The contractor will be putting two pipe crews to work, one will be working on the water system, one on storm drainage for the next week. Water work will be focused on Orvas Court, Village Drive, Brassfield, and Clar Mar and services along the entire route from Clar Mar to Orvas Court. Storm drainage will be off the road this week (through a private property easement).

Pilchuck will continue work in the intersection of Boulevard Road and Yelm Highway, causing traffic delays.

Please remember, all businesses are open.

Please be courteous and allow traffic to enter from side roads and driveways.

Oversize loads are prohibited through the work zone until after the first of the year.

Friday Update..October 8th, 2010

2010-10-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

Two Important Announcements:

Pilchuck Construction will be working for Puget Sound Energy the next two Saturdays installing a gas main near Boulevard Road

Oversize and Overweight vehicles will be prohibited from traveling on Yelm Highway between Rich Road and Henderson. This restriction will be in effect until after the first of the year.

For more information contact our project team at 754-4580

Yelm Highway Update Oct 6th, 2010

2010-10-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

If you have driven down Yelm Highway and looked up Boulevard today, you may have seen the beginnings of a high pressure gas line being installed through Puget Sound Energy, and by Pilchuck. This work will keep them in and around the intersection of Yelm Hwy and Boulevard for the next two and a half weeks, then continue West to Henderson.

In other news, hydroseeding has begun and should be finished shortly on both of the drainage ponds.

Project Update Sept 30th

2010-09-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

The contractor continues to install new sewer and water lines, currently in an area outside of the existing paved roadway. In coming weeks, new utility installation will move into the existing paved roads which will likely increase the impact to the traveling public. Most of the amended soils have been placed in the storm water ponds and a hydroseed mix of seed, mulch and fertilizer will be applied soon. The intent of this process is to get grass growing for erosion control and enhanced water quality prior to the winter rainy season.

2010-09-28T15:48:00.000-07:00

Construction has been steadily installing sanitary sewer beginning a few weeks ago West of Brassfield Drive, and this week will finish up the section at the entrance of Brassfield. The next section of sanitary sewer will continue from Brassfield Park and move into the roadway as it continues West.

This week will also entail finishing up the application of amended soil (a mixture of topsoil and organic material) on the two drainage basins, as shown in the images.

2010-09-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

Traffic Alert - Southbound traffic lane closed on Henderson Boulevard, from North Street to Yelm Highway, September 30 to November 15, 2010, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Only northbound traffic will be allowed during this period. Both lanes will open up to provide two-way traffic flow in the evenings and on weekends. Alternate routes of travel are available to motorists traveling southbound

Update - September 22nd, 2010

2010-09-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

The contractor has been working diligently in anticipation of rain to have the storm water system up and running (or draining) for the lowest areas of the project, and silt fencing in place in necessary areas. Although the news has been shouting a record 4-5 inches of rain so far this month, residents of Olympia just need to look out their windows to see what the weather has been like. Driving along Yelm Highway you may see some effects the weather has had on the project, but also the new storm sewer system at work.

Currently underway or in the near future you will see the amended soils being applied to bio-swales and drainage ponds. Starting next week the new water system for Orvas Ct. and Clar-Mar will likely be tested and subsequently put into use.

Update, Tuesday, Sept 14th.

2010-09-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

The contractor began work on the sanitary sewer this week. For this week and next week this work will fortunately take place north the roadway, just east of Brassfield Drive, working West. However, around Monday September 27th, and perhaps earlier, the trenching will make its way into the roadway at Brassfield Drive and continue West down the center of the road. Drivers should expect significant traffic delays around September 27th.

Photo from project archive

New Traffic Condition Notification System

2010-09-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

We will be using Twitter to publish traffic conditions on Yelm Highway through the project area. We will be using "Red", "Yellow", and "Green" messages throughout the day as we get reports from the field. You can follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/yelmhighwayinfo

Condition Green will mean that the roadway is clear of any unusual or unplanned blockages
Condition Yellow will mean that traffic is slow but moving.
Condition Red will mean that traffic is stopped or extremely backed up.

Be aware that safety on the site is of primary importance and that the "Tweeting staff" may not receive immediate notification of road conditions if the on site staff is trying to help mitigate a situation. We will get the information out to you as soon as we get it.

Please continue to obey the flaggers and signs and directional signage.

Update for the week - Sept 8th, 2010

2010-09-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

The Contractor has finished installing a new water line stretching from Henderson Blvd to Julie Court. In a few weeks the line will go through a disinfection process and existing services will be cut over to the new line.

Traffic flow can be expected to get a little better for the near future, as much of the work has moved off the main road, but in a couple of weeks will again see more disruptions when work begins on the sanitary sewer.

Please remember to leave a gap in stopped traffic for vehicles to turn into business when no center turn lane is available. The Mini-Skool daycare on the North side of Yelm Highway has had concerns with parents not being able to turn into the daycare due to stopped traffic.

There is one day left to vote on our poll. Are we helping you?

Thank you for your continued patience.

Upcoming City work to impact Project area

2010-09-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

The City of Olympia will close the southbound traffic lane on Henderson Boulevard between North Street and Yelm Highway from September 13 to October 31, 2010, Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 4:00pm for their sanitary sewer project. Only northbound traffic will be allowed during this time period. Both lanes will open up to provide two-way traffic flow in the evening and on weekends. Visit the City of Olympia website for more information and an Alternate Routes Map.

http://www.ci.olympia.wa.us/en/news-and-faq-s/construction-news/Henderson Boulevard Sanitary Sewer Project.aspx

Weekly Project Update - August 30th

2010-08-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Work continues on installation of the watermain from Brassfield to Clar Mar. This includes replacing services that cross the road, so one lane traffic through work zones will be occurring.

No work on Labor Day.

Bicyclists, please continue to use the travel lanes with traffic and don't go outside the cones.

There are two upcoming urban cycling workshops in the Olympia area. These include Urban Cycling Basics on Saturday, October 16 and Women's Urban Cycling on Saturday, September 11. Details can be found at http://olympiawa.gov/en/events-and-activities/classes-and-activities/urban-cycling-workshop.aspx .