The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) recently announced the selection of a design-build contractor for the I-90/S.R. 18 interchange improvement project near North Bend.
Aecon Pacific Northwest Inc. submitted the best value proposal to complete the design and build the project following a competitive evaluation process, WSDOT said in a news release.
“Aecon has built large highway, civil and private projects across the U.S. and Canada,” WSDOT Project Engineer Mark Allison said in a statement. “This is a significant project and one the community has anticipated for a long time. We look forward to working with Aecon to build an interchange that will serve people for many years to come.”
The I-90/S.R. 18 project will feature a diverging diamond interchange, which improves the flow of traffic by reducing the number of traffic signals and offering more free turns for drivers entering and exiting the interstate.
The I-90/S.R. 18 project also includes:
- Widening approximately 2 miles of SR 18 from the interchange to Deep Creek, creating two lanes in each direction
- Construction of a new four-lane bridge over Deep Creek and a new two-lane southbound bridge over Raging River
- Adding a dedicated right turn lane from southbound Snoqualmie Parkway to westbound I-90
The $190 million project is funded through pre-existing gas tax funds and the 2015 Connecting Washington transportation fund, which is a $16 billion investment that enhances the statewide transportation system and maintains critical infrastructure.
Construction is expected to begin later this year with completion in 2025.
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SOURCE: Washington State Department of Transportation
