WSDOT collects pavement samples along Hoquiam streets

HOQUIAM - The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is advancing the construction of pontoons to restore the SR 520 Evergreen Point Floating Bridge over Lake Washington in case of a catastrophic failure. The Port of Grays Harbor industrial property, next to the mouth of the Hoquiam River, will be evaluated as a possible location to construct the pontoons.

The proposed project may bring heavier than usual truck traffic. To help gauge the potential effects of heavier truck traffic on street pavement, we would like to test several pavement sections leading to and from the potential construction site at the Port of Grays Harbor property. Crews will be testing the structural capacity of the pavement on several streets within Hoquiam. Crews will use a core drill mounted to a truck to extract a pavement sample. After restoring the roadway portions disturbed, the crew will then drive to the next location where the process will be repeated.

Crews will test the pavement up to 10 – 15 inches underground along several streets in Hoquiam in the following locations:

• Three pavement samples on South Adams Street between SR 109 and 5th Street
• Four pavement samples on Paulson Road and Airport Way between SR 109 and 5th Street
• Five pavement samples on 5th Street between Paulson Road and Earley Industrial Way
• One pavement sample on Earley Industrial Way between 8th Street and 5th Street

Each sample takes approximately 20 minutes to collect. Crews will conduct the pavement tests on Thursday, April 24, 2008 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Crews anticipate closing one lane of traffic for the work. Flaggers will maintain the flow of traffic in two directions while the work is completed.