Collision made last day worse

The Washington State Department of Transportation would like to respond to the Sunday “traffic squeeze” letter, “Better warning of closures needed”: The writer expressed his concerns about the northbound Highway 529 closure on Sunday, June 12, during the last weekend of the SnoCoSqueeze.

The closure of northbound Highway 529 was the result of a collision, not the expansion joints replacement work. Earlier that day, a driver struck and damaged a drawspan barrier during a bridge opening. For safety reasons, the bridge and highway were closed while collision was cleared, the bridge inspected and the damage repaired. Once it was repaired we immediately reopened the northbound lanes.

Unfortunately, there are few overhead electronic signs in that area that can be used to notify drivers when the bridge is closed. It would’ve taken several hours to obtain, transport, set up and program portable signs warning of the collision and closure.

We understand the writer’s frustration. The collision did make the SnoCoSqueeze more difficult during the last weekend of lane reductions, but we needed to ensure the bridge was safe for drivers before reopening.

We’d also like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to drivers for their patience during the SnoCoSqueeze. Replacing the expansion joints on the Union, Steamboat and Ebey Slough bridges is critical preservation work. The expansion joints help ensure the safety of the bridge and drivers for decades to come.

Kris Olsen

WSDOT communications