Road Services Division
The summer summary for Road Services Date: July 16, 2009 Whether it's improving a road's safety, replacing an aging bridge, or paving, the work is plentiful for the King County Road Services Division this summer. Take a tour of some this summer's work. Video Page |
King County Roads crews continue to patch up flood damage Date: February 24, 2009 Weeks after severe flood waters have receded in King County, the work continues for the Road Services Division. The flooding, which again set records in the county, washed out several roads and intial estimates put the overall cost of the damage around $10 to $12 million. Video Page |
RSD Director Linda Dougherty takes winter inventory Date: February 24, 2009 In recent years, winter weather has been anything but predictable and normal. The snow of late 2008 and flooding of early 2009 proved to be no exception. Inside Transportation host Matt Reichmann hears from Road Services Division Director Linda Dougherty about winter's physical and financial toll. |
Anti-icing: the county's preemptive punch Date: November 13, 2008 The approach is no longer wait and see, but rather predict and prevent. As opposed to de-icing, King County's anti-icing trucks lay down an environmentally friendly solution that prevents snow and ice from getting a foothold on county roads. |
LED: A power-saving alternative Date: November 13, 2008 It's a novel approach to lighting the county's roadways that one day could cut street lamp energy usage by 70%. King County is in a pilot testing phase of replacing current street lamps with Light Emitting Diodes (LED). Video Page |
Flooding season begins, mind road closures Date: November 13, 2008 Rising rivers have already spilled over onto King County roads forcing closures. County crews would like to remind the public pay attention to closed roads and to never move signs or drive on a closed road. These actions could result in fines, imprisonment, and could cost you your life. |
Gearing up for winter's worst Date: November 13, 2008 Mother Nature may keep us guessing every winter as to what's in store weather-wise; but the Road Services Division has been hard at work preparing. 'Inside Transportation' host Matt Reichmann speaks with Maintenance Superintendent Tony Ledbetter about the upcoming season. Video Page |
Short-span bridges: Vital corridor links Date: October 1, 2008 They may be small in the world of bridges, shorter than 20 feet in fact, but King County's short-span bridges keep vital transportation corridors in tact. The Road Services Division is in the midst of a massive overhaul of short-span bridges in the county, updating their safety and environmental friendliness. Video Page |
Ready for 'the big one' Date: October 1, 2008 Since 1994, the King County Road Services Division has been on a mission to seismically retrofit more than 100 bridges in the county. Work has just wrapped up on the project, and county bridges are ready should an earthquake hit. Video Page |
The birth of a bridge Date: June 3, 2008 They say all good things must come to an end. The Tolt Bridge has provided access over the Snoqualmie River to surrounding residents for almost 86 years. It is now unable to handle modern truck loads, and has no room for pedestrian and bike traffic. King County has replaced the obsolete structure with a modern, spacious, and environmentally-friendly new structure. Video Page |
A King County employee's 'bright' idea: Greener light bulbs Date: April 16, 2008 They aren't literally but figuratively green light bulbs that were recently installed at King County's Road Maintenance Headquarters in Renton. After a county employee applied for and received a $76,000 grant from Puget Sound Energy, the county's maintenance headquarters in Renton will cut its power use by more than half in 2008. Video Page |
The Roads Division's small specialist Date: February 13, 2008 Not all winter weather damage is on the surface, nor in places that are safe for workers to get to. Luckily for the Road Services Division, they have a small specialist that gives them up-close views of damage in hard-to-reach places. Video Page |
Lending a helping snowplow Date: February 5, 2008 At times this winter in Skykomish, the snow has come down at a rate of one foot per day. Keeping up with road clearing and keeping people moving has been no small task for King County's Skykomish Maintenance Yard. Video Page |
 At your service 24/7 Date: November 21, 2007 If you should ever have a pressing need on an unincorporated King County road, rest assured that the King County Road Services Division is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to fix it. Video Page |
Take Winter By Storm Date: November 21, 2007 Coming off one of the wildest winters in recent memory, the King County Department of Transportation has strengthened partnerships and improved communication with partner agencies to ensure faster responses if bad weather strikes again this winter. Video Page |
When it rains, it PORES! Date: October 2, 2007 Ever heard of concrete with holes in it? This summer for the first time ever, the King County Road Services Division used the so-called porous concrete to repave part of a busy intersection near Kent. The pores allow rain and stormwater directly into the soil, easing the burden on treatment facilities nearby. Video Page |
Want to buy a bridge? Date: October 2, 2007 You may get the chance if King County can't find a public agency to take the Mt. Si Bridge off its hands. When a new structure is built over the middle fork Snoqualmie next summer, the county will be looking for a new owner of the near 100-year-old historical landmark. Video Page |
What goes down, must come up Date: May 30, 2007 What happens to the 37,000 cubic yards of soil and debris King County Roads crews pick up off county roads every year? Amazingly, 97 percent of it is reusable thanks to the county's innovative CROW and SWAP programs that decontaminate the soil rendering it useful for various reclamation projects. |
The cleanup continues Date: February 13, 2007 In mid-February, county crews are still picking up debris from the December wind storms that hammered the county. More than one million power customers lost electricity. The bill for all the cleanup efforts this winter is at almost $13 million and climbing. Video Page |
The end of an era Date: February 13, 2007 The Mt. Si bridge in North Bend is slated for replacement in 2008, six years shy of its 100th birthday. The bridge was built in 1914, but transported to North Bend from Buckley in 1955. The county is looking for a new owner for this historical landmark. Video Page |
Another go-around with the snow Date: January 11, 2007 Just as things seemed to calm from the first snowfall, another round hit King County in early January. More people had to abandon cars on the Redmond road above. This round was a little milder but did rack up a bill of more than $1 million. Video Page |
A river's rage Date: December 19, 2006 Residents who live along the Raging River may have called it a puddle or a trickle before November's rain, but certainly not after. Two major damage sites washed out the only road they had to get home, and county crews responded quickly.  Snow snarls travel November 28, 2006 Slippery conditions mixed with a Seahawks-Packers Monday Night Football game spelled serious trouble as many people abandoned their cars in order to get home. See how county crews responded to the frozen roads. Video Page  Girding up for winter weather Date: November 14, 2006 Way before the first snowfall hits, county Road Service Division crews are preparing. Watch as workers at the Star Lake Maintenance Facility in Kent check all the equipment during their annual winter prep day. Video Page |
Sims: 'Infrastructure is the foundation' Date: November 14, 2006 It isn't the most glamorous work the county does, but it's among the most necessary. Projects such as paving roads or building rural bridges may not always get a lot of attention, but Executive Sims explains that they maintain our quality of life. |
Know the flood phases Date: November 14, 2006 This fall's heavy rains have led to the worst flooding conditions since 1990. Here's some useful information for staying safe and keeping yourself safe during the flooding season. Video Page |
A bug's life: gauging county streams Date: October 11, 2006 How do King County Road Crews ensure that their impact on the environment is as small as possible? By counting bugs, actually. Matt follows ecologist Rob Fritz on one such expedition. Video Page: |
Rural and urban services Date: June 20, 2006 King County covers more than 2,100 square miles, and the Department of Transportation provides a wide variety of services to residents in unincorporated areas. Find out how services differ in rural and urban communities. Video Page |
Winter: The long slog Date: March 6, 2006 Heavy rains to close out 2005 and start 2006 took their toll on King County roads and hillsides. Tour some of the damage and as well as hear the Road Services Division plan to secure additional funding needed to make some permanent repairs. |
