|
Week of Dec. 11, 2006
Roads Division gets creative to serve remote areas of King County
 Money Creek Road near Skykomish is one of the most remote King County roads maintained by the Road Services Division. It is located more than 60 miles from the Roads maintenance headquarters.
At 2,134 square miles, King County is nearly twice as large as the average county in the United States – even bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island. Covering territory that vast is often a challenge for the King County Road Services Division, and more of a challenge when you look at how remote some communities are.
“Our goal is to serve all areas in unincorporated King County equally, whether it’s plowing snow, filling potholes, or removing a downed tree,” says Assistant Maintenance Manager Leo Griffin. “But when you get to more remote areas like Skykomish, Vashon, and east of Ravensdale, it takes a little extra planning, creativity and innovation to provide the services.”
The Vashon maintenance staff saved time and money by bringing in materials on a barge to stockpile for repair projects.
Bob Pugh is the supervisor for the Skykomish maintenance shop. Since he and his crew are located more than 60 miles from the maintenance headquarters in Renton, they have to be self-sufficient when it comes to equipment, materials and supplies.
Cutting down on travel saves both time and money. So, equipment that can do a variety of jobs is permanently stationed at the Skykomish shop. Plus, some materials are purchased locally in Skykomish and Gold Bar, and then stockpiled for later use.
 The King County crew also works closely with other agencies stationed in Skykomish, such as the U.S. Forest Service, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), and the city of Skykomish to share resources. WSDOT allows county crews to fuel their equipment at the state pumps, and then bill them later to cut down on travel costs.
“It wouldn’t be efficient to travel back and forth to Renton – or even Monroe – when we need diesel, sand, gravel or other supplies,” said Pugh. “Pretty much everybody up here works together.”
Pugh’s crew keeps a “shopping list” of everyday needs on the corner of the bulletin board. When someone does have to make the trip to Renton headquarters for a meeting or training, they take the list with them.
“It’s kind of like making a Costco run,” said Pugh.
Jim Didricksen faces similar challenges as the maintenance supervisor on Vashon Island. While he and his crew may be located closer to Renton, they work and live on a island and are dependent on ferry schedules to move equipment and supplies.
Earlier this fall, they bypassed the public ferries and barged more than 2,000 tons of rock to the island to ensure there is plenty of material on hand to respond to a variety of road problems this winter. Once again, it was done to save time and money.
Didricksen said it’s not just getting things to the island, he and his crew also have to worry about exporting construction debris and other waste materials. In recent years, they have been able to save money by sending those items to a local recycler on the island.
His crew also cuts costs by collecting rainwater in barrels to use around the shop and yard. And, they share a fueling station with several different county agencies including the King County Sheriff’s Office.
Supervisors at other divisions may be closer in, but all have some areas to serve that are miles and miles away from their shops. The Division 2 crews centered in Fall City maintain the Denny Creek Road at Snoqualmie Pass in the summer, while WSDOT helps out by plowing it in the winter. Crews from Division 4 in Maple Valley have a network of gravel roads in the old mining area of Kerriston to take care of, plus areas southeast of Enumclaw near Greenwater.
“We can’t use a one-size-fits-all maintenance program for the entire county, but we do try to make sure the entire county is served,” said Griffin.
A section of Dockton Road Southwest on Vashon Island was closed Monday afternoon due to damage to the seawall and road that was discovered during a recent inspection. It is expected to remain closed through January while crews make emergency repairs to the seawall. Engineers from the King County Road Services Division have been regularly monitoring the seawall and roadway between Chautauqua Beach Road Southwest and Portage Way Southwest. Recent storms have caused significant damage to the seawall, which also caused cracks to appear in the roadway above. This discovery has prompted safety concerns and a call for an emergency closure so work can begin right away. Engineers currently estimate it will take eight weeks to make all necessary repairs to the seawall. Given the nature of repairs, this work can only be done during periods of low tide. That means crews will be mobilized to perform work day or night - whenever tides are at their lowest. Crews anticipate bad weather will also cause delays. Despite these challenges, the Roads Division says it will do everything possible to minimize disruptions and complete the necessary repairs as quickly as possible. For those traveling to and from Maury Island, the detour route is Vashon Highway to Quartermaster Drive Southwest.
Alaska Airlines pilot Millison Fambles (right) accepts the King County International Airport Volunteer of the Year award from KCIA Director Bob Burke. Every year, the King County International Airport (KCIA) hands out its coveted “Award for Volunteer Excellence” to a member of the aviation or local community who helps improve the quality of life and work at the county airport.
This year, the award went to longtime volunteer Millison Fambles. Fambles is an Alaska Airlines pilot and longtime member of the Organization of Black Airline Pilots. As part of that group, he founded the Eagles Camp – a summer aviation program for children from low-income or disadvantaged families. The week-long camp is held every summer at Boeing Field. |
|
The Seattle Seahawks will take on the San Francisco 49ers in a weeknight game on Thursday, Dec. 14 at 5 p.m. at Qwest Field. Because it is a weekday game, fans traveling to the stadium by bus should remember there will be no special shuttles from park-and-rides before the game – only after the action is over. If you’re going to the game, take regular bus service to Qwest Field, and then after the game use either regular Metro service or special shuttles to five outlying park-and-ride lots to get home for $3. Everyone should expect extra traffic congestion that afternoon, particularly with the slightly earlier start of the game. Commuters may want to plan their trip home to avoid the south end of downtown, if possible, or adjust their work schedule to leave a little earlier next Thursday. Bus passengers should expect traffic delays in the downtown and SODO areas.
Many people know Metro Transit helps commuters find carpool partners or vanpools through its RideshareOnline website. But, did you know you can also find a ride to recreational events?
This time of year, there are a lot of skiers looking to share a ride to the slopes, and RideshareOnline is the perfect vehicle to make that happen. It’s free, it’s easy, and can all be done online. Just go to RideshareOnline and select “Ridematch to regional events” to get started. |
Subscribe to DOT Dash
Sign-up to receive an e-mail text version of "Transportation Today," along with other significant DOT news by sending an e-mail to us with subscribe King County DOT Dash in the subject line.
|
