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Week of Aug. 6, 2007
When it rains, this sidewalk is porous
Crews placing the porous-concrete sidewalk. | In ongoing efforts to minimize human impact on the environment, the King County Road Services Division is installing a new type of sidewalk at the intersection of Military Road South and South 272nd Street at the edge of Kent. The sidewalk will be made up of porous concrete. It’s the first time the Roads Division has ever used the more permeable mixture that allows rain and stormwater easier entry into the soil below the sidewalk.The advantages of porous concrete are simple; more stormwater infiltrates on site allowing for ground water recharge; reducing storm water runoff; and meeting federal, state, and local stormwater requirements. An added benefit is that the water that reaches surrounding lakes and streams is cleaner. On regular impervious sidewalks, water rolls off onto the adjacent roadway and collects contaminants left on the surface before it enters storm drains or the soil. With porous sidewalks, up to 500 inches per hour of rain can penetrate the sidewalks and then directly enter the soil at a pace of up to approximately 3 inches per hour. “This is an opportunity to reduce the amount of gasoline, oil, dirt and solvents that might get into the water, and in turn save money that would normally be spent on cleaning the water through conventional methods,” says King County Resident Engineer Victor Daggs. The reduction in runoff leaving the site also means less land is required for a traditional stormwater pond, saving even more money.
A close-up view of the porous concrete. | Project managers say the intersection of Military Road and 272nd is a good place to start with porous concrete. It sees high traffic volumes and sits only about 800 feet away from Star Lake. Before this project, there was no treatment of storm water before it reached the lake.The Road Services Division received a grant of $424,375 from the state Department of Ecology (DOE) to place 1,100 square yards of the concrete at the intersection. It was the second largest of ten state DOE grants awarded in 2006. Along with the porous sidewalks, the project will also include a “rain garden” on the southwest corner of the intersection. This rain garden is being constructed in lieu of a traditional stormwater pond or vault and since it is smaller in size, less property needed to be purchased. The rain garden will be planted with native plants. It will treat stormwater runoff from the added roadway for pollutant removal and allow for some infiltration of stormwater on-site. The overall intersection improvements include a northbound and an eastbound turn lane, plus upgrades to signals, lighting, and traffic cameras. The project is scheduled to be completed at the end of August. Total project cost is $1.1 million.
Open house for Auburn-area roundabout The King County Department of Transportation will host a drop-in open house on Tuesday, Aug. 14 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. for anyone interested in learning more about the county’s plans to build a roundabout at the intersection of Southeast 304th Street and 124th Avenue Southeast near Auburn Mountain View High School. The King County Road Services Division plans to begin construction of a roundabout this fall. When completed, the intersection will also have new curbs, gutters, sidewalks and signage. The project cost is approximately $1.5 million, and should take two to three months to complete depending on the weather. The open house will be held at Rainier Middle School, 30620 116th Ave. SE, Auburn.
Hopefully by now, you’ve realized the Washington State Department of Transportation has a big construction project scheduled for northbound Interstate 5 during the rest of August. If you haven’t, it’s not too late to make plans to leave your car at home and find an alternative commute. Beginning Friday, Aug. 10 at 10 p.m. and lasting for the next 19 days, WSDOT will close multiple lanes of I-5 between Spokane Street and Interstate 90 to repair the northbound roadway and supporting structure. WSDOT, Metro, Sound Transit, Pierce Transit and the city of Seattle are urging people to avoid driving alone through the construction zone and detour routes. Anything that can be done to take cars off the road during this time will be a big help. Find out how to cope with the disruptions at Metro Online. |
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Spot bid happening Wednesday, Aug. 8 The next King County Spot Bid auction will take place Wednesday, Aug. 8 and features individual and bulk lots of surplus computers, computer equipment, office furniture, laptops, floor buffer, projectors, Beta cam equipment, audio equipment, printers, solid wood desk, Minolta microfiche reader/printer, and much more. The auction is managed by the Fleet Administration Division and includes both King County surplus and items from other government agencies. Previews are on auction day only, from 10 a.m. until the start of the bidding process at noon. Check out the Spot Bid website to see a few photos of items in this month’s auction. There will be approximately 50 lots up for bid, so come early to give yourself plenty of time to check out all of the items. The auction will take place at Fleet’s warehouse at 707 S. Orcas St., Seattle. For information, photos and driving directions, visit the auction website. | Subscribe to DOT DashSign-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.
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