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State Pushing for Wednesday Opening of Burley-Olalla Interchange
Karmen Williams of Ceccanti Construction moves highway signs at the new Burley-Olalla Road interchange with Highway 16 on Monday. Officials will conduct a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the interchange on Wednesday, but it might not actually be in use until as late as early next week. (LARRY STEAGALL | KITSAP SUN)
A new overpass carries Highway 16 over Burley-Olalla Road. Work on the new interchange is wrapping up and will be completed under budget and more than a year early. (LARRY STEAGALL | KITSAP SUN)
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SOUTH KITSAP —
The new Burley-Olalla Road interchange with Highway 16 might not open to traffic after a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday morning. Some finish work is going down to the wire.
Regardless, most of the transportation, police and local officials who participated in the ground-breaking on Aug. 8, 2008, are coming back for Wednesday’s ceremony. They include state Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond, Department of Transportation Olympic Region administrator Kevin Dayton, state Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, Kitsap County Sheriff Steve Boyer, and Judy Oke, whose late husband Sen. Bob Oke pressed to get the unsafe intersection fixed. The event will be at 10 a.m. under new bridges that carry the highway over Burley-Olalla Road.
Jack Campbell, project superintendent for contractor Ceccanti Inc., said Monday that it could be next week before the work is completed. Brenden Clarke, project engineer for the DOT, was still holding out hope for Wednesday.
“We are hoping at the end of the ceremony on Wednesday to open things up, but it’s going to be close,” he said. “We’re doing all we can to get there.”
Guardrails are the main concern. The road can’t open without them, and two crews are racing to install them, Clarke said. Final striping will be completed on Tuesday. Some curbing has to wait for the guardrails, but it can be added later. There was also a washout Friday that’s being repaired, Campbell said.
Whether the deadline is made or not, the $24.3 million project will still be finished a year early. The job, which began in late July 2008, wasn’t expected to be completed until next fall.
The biggest timesaver was building permanent off- and on-ramps and using them as detours around the bridge work, Campbell said. The original plan called for bypass roads built out farther.
“It saved building extra roads that didn’t need to be built and then removing the roads,” Campbell said.
Ceccanti made it harder on itself in some ways by not building the bypass roads. Without them, there wasn’t enough room to move equipment from one side of the bridges to the other. And it made it more difficult to put 320-foot-long fish culverts 30 feet under the road.
The project was supposed to hibernate for two winters, but Ceccanti plowed through the first one and will be long gone before the second.
“Had we built it per the original plan, which was a very low-risk, conservative plan, we’d still be working out here,” said the DOT’s Clarke. “The fact that they were able to build the new on- and off-ramps before winter set in allowed them to do the bridge and retaining wall construction during the winter.”
The project is called a grade-separated tight-diamond interchange. That means Burley-Olalla Road will run under the highway instead of cars trying to dart across high-speed traffic, as they did previously. Ceccanti’s quick work will remove the danger and give locals their direct route back a year early.
“They’ve been working Saturdays for the last month and a half, working long hours, taking advantage of every good weather day we’ve had,” Clarke said of the project, which is not only early but under budget. “No matter how you measure it, it’s been a success.”
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Posted by kathryn.simpson on October 5, 2009 at 7:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Two words...
THANK YOU!
Regards,
Kathryn Simpson
Posted by wwinc on October 5, 2009 at 8:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
First off, thank you to the contractor Ceccanti Inc., there really is nobody else to thank for this fantastic detour of death. The total design and build for this project reflects great credit upon this company and their employees.
Now, to credit Bob Oke with any of this is a sin. This project would have been completed many years sooner and many lives would have been saved had it not been for HIS pet project, the Tacoma Narrows UNNEEDED second bridge.
As I have indicated since the opening of the bridge, traffic certainly flows better. The same could have been achieved with fewer dollars and less time.
Do not think that Bob Oke had anything to do with Burley-Olalla except to take money away and caused significant loss of life for others.
Just the way I feel.
Posted by Rebel on October 5, 2009 at 9:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
wwinc,
Actually Bob Oke had been trying for several years to fund this project. Your blame should be placed with Commissioner Garrido, who while she was in office, tried to delay this project because of additional traffic to rural areas.
This project is a great example of how when Government gets out of the way, and listens to the people in the know, how things can get done. Kudos to the State for listening, and to Ceccanti for a job well done.
This is a perfect example of the mismanagement of our County. This project was by far larger than the Wagga Way extension, which started about the same time, and finished ahead of it.
Posted by travelbug on October 5, 2009 at 11:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I may not have any other forum to say that Ceccanti did an excellent job of constructing this overpass. It was amazing to see progress everytime I went by. But to be honest, I was never caught in one traffic jam due ot them and that made me sooooo happy! Thank you!
Posted by Coco1 on October 6, 2009 at 6:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The DOT and the contractors that work on their projects have done some amazing things recently. Thanks so much for the improvements to our infrastructure!
Posted by geneticmud on October 6, 2009 at 7:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
hahahaha i live there and believe me the contractor took most of this last august off? and the sign said it was a 16.3 million job how is that under budget. i will be glad the interchange is there it will save lives but come on under budget on time? not from the view point of watching it every day.
Posted by brem_vet on October 6, 2009 at 7:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
<<<There was also a washout Friday that’s being repaired>>>
If last Friday's rains caused a washout, we're in serious trouble come November when the notoriously heavy rains come.
Posted by Nessin on October 6, 2009 at 7:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Excuse me? Why are you people in any way grateful? This was a total hack job that reached ridiculousness a long time ago. Since this project was started I've personally witnessed one overpass get finished, a secod get started and finished, and a third nearly finished (as of two weeks ago) over an 8 lane highway with much more traffic back in Virginia.
Furthermore, as someone already pointed out, the project was expected to cost 14.9 million originally, not 24.3 million. And was originally expected to be open as of Novemeber 2009. This was the original plan before the project had started.
Even AFTER the project had started, when the project increased its expected costs to where we now have the "under budget" qualifier, the scheduled time to open the area back up to traffic was the end of this year, NOT next year.
Posted by NoSpin on October 6, 2009 at 7:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We should also be thanking Derek Kilmer, who was a vocal proponent of this project as a member of the House and Senate Transportation Committees.
Each year he managed to get the project moved up on the WSDOT priority list - if not for him, they'd still be waiting to break ground instead of cutting the ribbon.
Posted by paul_landers on October 6, 2009 at 9:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Nessin,
You might want to check your facts first before opening your big mouth. The original budget was $25 million and it wasn't supposed to open until August 2010. Here is old article from the Sun to prove your wrong.
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/ja...
Also what highway project are yout talking about in Virginia that has had three overpasses built in 15 months? I know other States can get major road construction done faster than we can up here due to our wet winters, but I doubt any State could get them done that fast. I'll believe you when you prove that one.
Posted by Wildcat72 on October 6, 2009 at 9:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So many naysayers and critics, good grief. A major government job get's done under budget and well within schedule, and people find reasons to doubt and complain! How miserable your lives must be.
I for one am thankful for the new interchange and want to extend my congratulations to both the DOT and to Ceccanti for doing a great job! I hope there were bonuses in the contract for getting the project completed ahead of schedule - they are well deserved.
Posted by prettypurple70 on October 6, 2009 at 10:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My husband worked on that project :) My grandma used to live around there, she would have been proud of this new road.
Posted by Nessin on October 6, 2009 at 10:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Paul:
Seriously? I don't know how you missed this but the Kitsap Sun was not in charge of the project, the Washington State Department of Transportation was. Incidentaly, they also happen to publish the associated data for various projects on their website, such as here:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR16...
Furthermore, it helps to read my post completely. I didn't say Virginia had 3 overpasses built in 15 months, I said one was completed (as in already started before the Burley-Olalla project), one was started and completed (as in completely built within the time period of starting the Burley-Olalla project and finishing it), and one had started but was not yet finished.
I'd actually go through the work of digging up the information on those Virginia projects, but given your ability to read and understand my previous post, I'll forgo that for now.
Posted by Wildcat72 on October 6, 2009 at 11:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Nessin,
Sounds like you're comparing the original DOT estimate with the actual bid that was awarded. Engineering estimates are merely that, estimates before any contract bidding occurs. The contractor was awarded the job at their 24.3 million dollar bid and they finished within that cost. There was no expectation of a lower cost once the decision was made to award the bid.
Posted by paul_landers on October 6, 2009 at 11:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Nessin,
You're really grasping for straws when you say something idiotic like the Sun isn't in charge of highway projects. Like anyone would think that. Their job is to report on the facts at the time. So you're basically saying that they were lying about the budget and timeframe when they published that article in January 2008?
Anyway it looks like your reading is worse than mine. This is taken directly from the web page you provided....
What is the project timeline?
Ceccanti, Inc., began construction in late July 2008 and the project is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2009. The original schedule pointed to a fall 2010 completion, but contractor Ceccanti, Inc. of Tacoma worked with the WSDOT project team to rearrange the order of work and shave nearly a year off the construction schedule.
So the original completion date of November 2009 is all in your head.
Tell me what highway project it is in Virginia, and I'll look it up myself. Even almost finishing two overpasses in that short time frame is hard to believe. But I'm pretty sure you're just blowing smoke.
Posted by justplayon on October 6, 2009 at 1:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What first poster said - thank you.
I am a Kitsap resident whose life requires many trips per month to parts south. The new Tacoma Narrows bridge changed my life. The Burley-Olalla improvements will save lives. These are positive improvements - costly, yes, but cheaper is what we had before and cheaper was not better.
Gratefulness and appreciation extended to everyone who worked to bring the new interchange online.
Posted by Nessin on October 6, 2009 at 1:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wildcat,
True, Engineering Estimates are just estimates, but the public was sold on the idea using the estimated numbers. If the public is told at one point, to draw up support for the project, that it will cost 14.9 million, and yet later actually costs us 24.3 million, that isn't a good thing. Regardless of whether the actual expected cost of the project was higher once the contract got awarded.
Paul:
You were the one that referenced a Kitsap Sun article with regards to details behind a Washington DoT Project, rather than actual referencing the DoT directly. Furthermore, I explicitly stated the original project plan, not the latest. The original plan, from 2005, shows an expected completion of November 2009. The later reports, despite including comments saying otherwise, listed the Estimated Open to Traffic time as December 2009. So either someone royally screwed up in their official reports on the project and didn't update everything, or they were expecting (even as the project got started) to be opening up the road to traffic before the end of this year. Lots of conflicting information on there you seem to conviently ignore.
Finally, the three overpasses I'm talking about were all over Highway 28 between Interstate 66 and the Dulles Toll Road. As I'm not all that aquianted with Virginia road projects short of what I see as I visit the state, I don't know the official names of the projects.
Posted by cmab0515 on October 6, 2009 at 2:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
nessin- if it was suppsoed to be completed in Nov and it is completed in Oct are they not still completed early...
Some people will never be happy!
hopefull this will save lives and maybe if this was around when a family friend, Steve Lennon, was driving (look at the side of the road) he would still be here.
Thank you for improving our roads!
Posted by Wildcat72 on October 6, 2009 at 3:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Nessin,
Your original criticism was the project went over budget after it started. Here's what you said:
"Even AFTER the project had started, when the project increased its expected costs to where we now have the "under budget" qualifier, the scheduled time to open the area back up to traffic was the end of this year, NOT next year."
The fact is, the contractor finished the project under budget and under schedule from what he bid. If you want to criticize the engineering estimate, that's fine, but a different issue.
Posted by paul_landers on October 6, 2009 at 3:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Nessin,
I only referenced the old Sun article to show that November 2009 wasn't the estimated completion date for the original plan like you said it was. A 2009 completion date wasn't announced until after they changed the original plan.
As for the Virginia road project on Highway 28, it looks like it's taking two years to complete a similar overpass.
http://www.28freeway.com/project-map/...
So your comparison is not even close to being valid.
I think many road construction projects take too long myself, but don't criticise the Contractor and WADOT when they actually do a good job.
Okay time to move on.
Posted by shively300 on October 6, 2009 at 4:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm just happy it's going to open soon. It's been a long time coming. The traffic disruption was minimal and they finished early. I am very grateful to have my route back. THANK YOU!!!!!
Posted by sunnygirl on October 6, 2009 at 4:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Who cares about the bad stuff, the fact of the matter is that they did a great job and it's just about done! Good for them!
Posted by classycocker on October 6, 2009 at 6:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm with shively. Grateful. I have much gratitude also for the new bridge. Thank you Bob Oke. As our population grows here on the peninsula, the need for safe and convenient bridges and roads has grown. Someone had some foresight, and some fortitude. The number of accidents that has been and will be avoided by both are well worth it.
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