Truck lane shapes up

Workers build concrete forms for new bridge deck. This week, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) crews continue working along the stretch of SR 532 between Pioneer Highway and 72nd Avenue NW.

Near the Stanwood Fire Station, the retention pond is taking form while excavators clear the embankment to make room for a wider roadbed.

By cutting the high spots and filling the low, crews will level ground for the final truck-climbing lane, which will run east, up the hill to 72nd Avenue NW. In areas where the embankment is especially steep next to the roadway, crews will build a stabilized earth wall.

Eventually, drainage will be installed and the earth compacted. Crushed rock and gravel will fill the new lane’s bed, curbs and gutters will be installed, and the first two layers of asphalt will be poured.

Finally, crews will remove the temporary barrier, grind the existing roadway, and pave the final layers over the top of everything. This work should be concluded this summer.

At the SR 532 and 72nd Avenue intersection, crews will be working during the day to form up and pour the concrete base for the cabinet that will house the new signal controls. They’ll also be installing conduit for the new signals and lights.

At night, crews will close some lanes and alternate through-traffic as they install drainage and excavate the widened intersection.

Some of this work is loud enough for residents to hear in their homes, and WSDOT spokesman Dave Chesson said the crews apologize for any inconvenience they’re causing.

In order to keep some of the lanes open to traffic, a narrow construction zone has been set up, requiring trucks to back in or out. Chesson said the backup alarms on the trucks are required per safety regulations, but have been set at the lowest acceptable level.

“We hope to be out of the area by the end of April or early May,” Chesson said, though this schedule is dependent on weather and other variables.

At the new Mark Clark Bridge, the east approach gains elevation, toward its ultimate height of 33 feet.

Atop the girders, crews are setting concrete forms and getting ready to pour the various stages of the bridge deck and sidewalls.

Visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/ Northwest/Snohomish/Construction for specific lane closure information, or www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/ sr532 for general project information.