After 22 years a freeway project is finally finished.

[PimTac]

Any of you who have driven Interstate 5 through Tacoma will know how much this project impacted traffic. The basic idea was to add one HOV lane in each direction but that involved removing every overpass along the way and replacing most of them. The freeway itself runs on bridges in the downtown area which meant replacement of those. The I-5 / WA-16 interchange was particularly difficult which ending up being redone again as measurements were miscalculated along the way.

It’s finally done. 22 years.

22 years of construction on I-5 in Tacoma wraps up with opening of HOV lanes this weekend

After more than two decades of work, construction on I-5 in Tacoma is wrapping up.

www.kiro7.com

 

[JMJNet]

Now, they have to tear it apart again to put sewer lines.

It happens in TX also.

 

[JeffKeryk]

The wheels of progress....

 

[Gokhan]

Any of you who have driven Interstate 5 through Tacoma will know how much this project impacted traffic. The basic idea was to add one HOV lane in each direction but that involved removing every overpass along the way and replacing most of them. The freeway itself runs on bridges in the downtown area which meant replacement of those. The I-5 / WA-16 interchange was particularly difficult which ending up being redone again as measurements were miscalculated along the way.

It’s finally done. 22 years.

22 years of construction on I-5 in Tacoma wraps up with opening of HOV lanes this weekend

After more than two decades of work, construction on I-5 in Tacoma is wrapping up.

www.kiro7.com

Road and rail construction always happen in glacier speeds. They take too long for one's lifetime. Federal (NEPA) and state (CEQA in California) environmental clearances delay the projects by at least five years, and the ever-increasing cost of labor makes hiring large teams of construction workers impossible, making construction in the modern era a very slow process.

Who benefits? People who own and work in construction companies. Their long-term business and and high-paying employment is guaranteed by projects that take decades to complete.

 

[wag123]

They are about to tear-up I35 all the way through the middle of the city of Austin. Anyone who has driven in Austin knows what a cluster Austin traffic has become, especially I35. The traffic is jammed-up at 3am on weekdays, forget about getting anywhere at rush hour. I'm willing to bet that my grand kids don't see the end of this (and they don't even exist as yet), I certainly won't.

 

[GON]

I am impressed by the road construction projects I have seen in the SEATAC area. Observations show workers regularly on-site, and progress being done.

Here's one of many projects I saw in South Caroline with painful and unnecessary delays. I believe Hardscrabble is years behind schedule. No workers present most times, and when they happen to be on-site, the road is closed without notice. Very painful and Kudos to the road contractors in Western Washington.

Frustration grows among commuters as Hard Scrabble Road widening project faces delays

The South Carolina Department of Transportation, which is managing the project, said that the expected completion date is now sometime in October 2023.

www.wistv.com

 

[oldcodger]

Any major road project is essentially held hostage by environmental groups. If they oppose a project their threat or actual legal action is guaranteed to kill any reasonable time frame. Under the present requirements we could not build the Interstate Highway System today.

 

[PimTac]

I am impressed by the road construction projects I have seen in the SEATAC area. Observations show workers regularly on-site, and progress being done.

Here's one of many projects I saw in South Caroline with painful and unnecessary delays. I believe Hardscrabble is years behind schedule. No workers present most times, and when they happen to be on-site, the road is closed without notice. Very painful and Kudos to the road contractors in Western Washington.

Frustration grows among commuters as Hard Scrabble Road widening project faces delays

The South Carolina Department of Transportation, which is managing the project, said that the expected completion date is now sometime in October 2023.

www.wistv.com

You had to be here to really see the frustration and total incompetence. The Nalley Valley Viaduct is one example. Build a bridge by starting on both ends. As the two sections got close they were off by around 12” in elevation and a lot more than that horizontally.

The light rail to the airport is another example. It was promoted as the quick way to get to SeaTac but nobody knew that the line stopped a ¼ mile from the terminal which required a bridge link to connect the two. If you have bags well good luck.


I’m waiting to see how traffic compares. In 22 years the amount of traffic has really increased. As you know, there are not a lot of alternatives due to geography

 

[GON]

You had to be here to really see the frustration and total incompetence. The Nalley Valley Viaduct is one example. Build a bridge by starting on both ends. As the two sections got close they were off by around 12” in elevation and a lot more than that horizontally.

The light rail to the airport is another example. It was promoted as the quick way to get to SeaTac but nobody knew that the line stopped a ¼ mile from the terminal which required a bridge link to connect the two. If you have bags well good luck.


I’m waiting to see how traffic compares. In 22 years the amount of traffic has really increased. As you know, there are not a lot of alternatives due to geography

I watch the Steilacoom/ Dupont road widening daily (when I am in town) and I am amazed how well the project is run. The sign state the job starts at 0730 and shuts down at 1600 daily. And that is what I have seen. They have professional flaggers, work always being done and quantitative results. I guess this project has put "rose colored glasses" on my thoughts of Western Washington road construction.

 

[haggler]

faster than CA

 

[WobblyElvis]

Empire State Building built in 410 days. but....Many died during it's construction

 

[aquariuscsm]

Reminds me of the I35 split north of Hillsboro in Texas. That seemed like a forever ongoing project!

 

[4WD]

Reminds me of the I35 split north of Hillsboro in Texas. That seemed like a forever ongoing project!

Or the SW side of Houston - I laugh every time I hear about “infrastructure” on TV … they never stopped

 

[aquariuscsm]

Or the SW side of Houston - I laugh every time I hear about “infrastructure” on TV … they never stopped

With Houston being my other Hometown, I totally agree!

 

[64bawagon]

The interstate system in most congested areas is a glaring example of the lack of foresight and vision of the agencies involved. I-65 through Nashville and I-75 through Atlanta are 2 shining examples. I-275 in Michigan where it meets I-96 is another one, an interstate bypass route that when construction stopped dumped motorists onto 2 lane surface streets instead of continuing on North to reconnect with I-75. Of course the cluster attempts to lessen that impact have been equally as dismal.

 

[wag123]

Reminds me of the I35 split north of Hillsboro in Texas. That seemed like a forever ongoing project!

How about I35W through downtown Ft. Worth. They have been messing around with that for the better part of 40 years.
Same thing with I294 in Chicago. They have had parts of it continuously torn-up for my entire life, and it's torn-up again.
This is what Austin is in-for I'm afraid.

 

[4WD]

The interstate system in most congested areas is a glaring example of the lack of foresight and vision of the agencies involved. I-65 through Nashville and I-75 through Atlanta are 2 shining examples. I-275 in Michigan where it meets I-96 is another one, an interstate bypass route that when construction stopped dumped motorists onto 2 lane surface streets instead of continuing on North to reconnect with I-75. Of course the cluster attempts to lessen that impact have been equally as dismal.

My Dermatologist moved down from Michigan - told him “sorry about road construction“
He said where he came from they only had winter and construction season

 

[wag123]

OMG yes!!

I'll tell you one thing aquariuscsm... starting within the next couple of years, and for the rest of your life, if you want to visit San Antonio you better fly there.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I'll tell you one thing aquariuscsm... starting within the next couple of years, and for the rest of your life, if you want to visit San Antonio you better fly there.

Haven’t been there in a long time but a friend of mine and her husband want to buy some land over there somewhere.

 

[eljefino]

Sometimes things have to "settle" in road construction. Sometimes they'll leave a big pile of dirt somewhere for a year or two to compress the land beneath it. Doesn't look to the untrained eye like much is going on.