Friday Update

Drivers can expect traffic to be down to one lane all next week as construction installs the new water line.  Unfortunately, digging trenches in the roadway is not as easy as it looks nor as quick as is desired.  The old water line (currently in use) underneath Yelm Highway is both in great need of replacement and made of brittle material which is easily broken from driving above and digging next to.  Woodworth & Co. is making a great effort to keep traffic moving, provide continued water service to the many local residences, push forward with an efficient construction schedule, and most importantly maintain a safe environment for workers, drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

Project Update March 29th - April 2nd

Potelco is continuing to work, mostly east of Boulevard Road. On Monday afternoon, April 5th, the traffic signal at Yelm Highway and Rich Road will be down for 15-30 minutes while Potelco cuts the power over from the old poles to the new poles. There will be flaggers, but please be patient during the operation.


Comcast is scheduled to begin work next week. They plan to begin work at Rich Road and work east.


Bid opening is scheduled for April 14, 2010, and it will take several weeks after that before the contractor will be ready to begin work.   (Note: "Bid Opening" is when the submitted sealed bids are looked at and the contracted is then awarded after verification of the apparent winning contractor's information.)

This project is being undertaken in cooperation with the cities of Olympia and Tumwater.


Ed Note: The Bid Opening has been moved to April 21st

Weekly Update from the Project Inspector, March 22nd to 26th

PSE/Potelco continues to place new poles and pull new power lines near the area of the sub station at Boulevard Extension road. Potelco is continuing to work 10 hour days Monday thru Thursday with no work on Fridays. They plan to be done with their relocation efforts on April 22nd. Comcast and Qwest have been issued their utility permits. Comcast plans to start on March 29th, Qwest will be starting after they are complete. The project is currently out to bid and posted on the builders exchange for perspective bidders.

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Thurston County Public Works  wants to remind you to plan now for alternative routes during the construction. Access to all local businesses will remain open, so please continue to patronize and support them. There could, however, be significant travel delays.
 
For more project information, visit our website, or call us at 360-754-4580 and ask to speak to the project coordinator.

Weekly Project Update, March 15th - 20th

Photos courtesy of K. Whyte, TC Project Inspector

PSE/Potelco continues to place new poles and pull new power lines from Laura Street east toward Rich Road. They worked through the night on Monday, March 15 to switch over the newly installed power grid to the existing sub station located across from Boulevard Extension Road. Potelco performed this switch-over during the night to minimize inconvenience to local homeowners.


Comcast will be starting its utility relocation work on Monday, March 22.


The project is now out to bid with the bid opening set for April 14.

For more information on the project, email Theresa Parsons or call (360)754-4580

Weekly Update -- March 8th - 12th

PSE/Potelco has completed the first phase of their power relocation work from Henderson Boulevard east to Laura Street. They have started phase two of their operation from Laura Street east to Rich Road, currently working at the Boulevard Chevron location. Comcast will be starting their aerial and underground cable relocation work next week.

 The project is scheduled to go out for bid on March 16th and the bid opening around the first week of April. We expect the road work to start around mid to late April, depending on the contractor's schedule.

For additional project information visit our Yelm Highway Project Page or contact project coordinator Theresa Parsons by email or phone at (360)754-4580.

100' pole being readied for installation

Photo courtesy of

K. Whyte, Project Inspector

March 1-5 Weekly Progress

PSE/Potelco has finished placing the new poles and associated underground conduit from Henderson Blvd east to Laura Street.  They are now dropping back to transfer existing power lines from the old poles to the new poles.  Potelco continues to close traffic lanes as needed with two flaggers, advance warning signs and message reader boards.  At times when working in or very near an intersection, they will be turning off the signal lights and directing  traffic with flaggers for a short period of time.

photo courtesy of  K.Whyte TC Project Inspector

Weekly Update from the On Site Inspector

PSE/Potelco continues to set new poles and associated underground conduit on the north side of Yelm Highway near ClarMar Lane and Julie Court. They are also setting a new pole on the south side of Yelm Highway at Laura Street. Potelco is communicating daily with the homeowners while working in County owned right of way abutting private property. At times, the power line conversion from the old pole to the new pole requires a temporary power outage to the homes in the immediate area. Potelco is working with the home owners during these short term power outages. Potelco is working 4-10's Monday-Thursday and will not be working on Friday's.   

By the way... those poles are up to 110 feet long, and extend 80-90 feet into the air when installed.

Photo courtesy of K. Whyte, Project Inspector

Hints and Tips -- Plan now for delays

The Yelm Highway Project is a three-dimensional undertaking. Not only is there the obvious widening and repaving, but also much work both above and below ground will be performed before actual roadwork can begin. A 20 foot deep hole will need to be excavated to install a pump station, underground utilities will need to be moved, clearing of the new right of way will need to be done.It is also a multi-jurisdictional task, involving both Thurston County and the City of Olympia.

We would like to be able to do this without impacting the public, but that is not possible. We suggest that if you regularly use Yelm Highway, that you consider allowing extra time for your commutes and investigate alternate routes before construction begins. Due to the number of projects going on in the cities and county over the next many months, and the fact that project schedules can change for many reasons, there will not be published detour routes. There is no plan to close the road entirely at any time, but there could be traffic back ups and delays.



Access to all businesses throughout the length of the project will be available. Intercity Transit will possibly be altering routes and schedules, so you may need to contact them for schedule changes as the project progresses.

As the project construction phase gets closer, keep an eye here and on our website for information and updates.

If you would like to be on the mailing list to receive notifications via the USPS, please contact us at 360-754-4580 or email parsont@co.thurston.wa.us

Webpage information updated

We have updated our website with the current plan drawings of the project. Visit our site at Yelm Highway Project and click the link for Phase V Plans.

Keep watching here for more information. You can subscribe to this blog by email and you will be notified when new posts are added. You can also follow us on Twitter.  See the links for these options on the right side of this page.

Have a great weekend, and drive safely!

For more project information, contact Theresa Parsons , project coordinator.

WOW! That's a big pole!

Utility contractor Potelco is moving east along Yelm highway installing the new utility poles. They have gotten as far as Brassfield. The new poles are constructed of glue laminated wood.  
We are moving toward the call for bids on the project. That should occur by mid-March. Kep watch here and on our website for more information.

Photo courtesy of G. Coleman, Public Works Construction Inspector

New Utility Poles Popping Up

This week:


Utility contractor Potelco is in the process of erecting the new utility poles along the length of the project. During this time there might be some single lane closures, but there will be flaggers to guide you through the work zone. The old poles will remain in place until all the existing overhead utilities can be transferred to the new poles.



Please drive safely through the work zone and follow signs and flagger's directions.
 
For project information, contact Theresa Parsons at 360-754-4580

Yelm Highway Project Receives Final Funding: March Start Expected

The section of Yelm Highway between Henderson Boulevard and Rich Road (approximately 1 1/4 miles) will be widened to provide two driving lanes in each direction, sidewalks and bike lanes. Two roundabouts, one at Boulevard Road and one at Brassfield Street, will also be constructed.

The $10 million road portion of the project is funded from several sources: State Transportation Improvement Board, $3.9 million; Thurston County Roads Fund, $3.5 million; federal funds, $1.6 million; City of Olympia, $506,000; County Mitigation fund, $444,000, and Intercity Transit, $15,000. In conjunction with the county project, the City of Olympia will upgrade sewer and water utilities in the area.

WATCH THIS SPOT

Coming soon... 

Information and updates on the Yelm Highway Widening and Realignment Project in Thurston County.