Paving work jars reporter to write

Published 9:00 pm Sunday, October 17, 2004

I could feel the ground shake as a steamroller pounded just 20 feet away.

The stench of hot, smoking asphalt wafted over me in waves.

The noise from heavy equipment was so loud that my brain felt as if it was coming loose.

All this, and I hadn’t even left my desk.

In a classic case of a story falling into a columnist’s lap, I got a bird’s-eye view last week of the ongoing effort to repave many of Everett’s downtown streets.

But frankly my up-close view was a little too close.

My window seat at The Herald overlooks W. Marine View Drive. And most days I don’t complain about the view.

Not only do I look out at Possession Sound and the Olympics, I also get to watch a working port in action.

When my eyes stray from the computer screen, I watch tugboats drag flotillas of logs around the bay. Sometimes I see a container ship loaded or a ferry repaired. Even more impressive, I can watch warships pull in out of the harbor, an awe-inspiring site that never gets old.

And last week big paving trucks were added to the scenery. But unlike other aspects of my view, these trucks gave me more than something to behold.

That’s because the part of the building I sit in is suspended. It was added when The Herald got too crowded and sits on pilings above an old parking lot.

The addition is so bouncy that my desk vibrates when someone just walks by.

So when the heavy equipment started last week, the rattling hit an all-time high.

Still, I didn’t let the shaking shake me from doing my job as a trained observer.

I watched carefully as a special piece of equipment scraped away the old asphalt, and then used a conveyor belt to dump it into a dump truck.

Then I saw another machine that, with seeming ease, poured new asphalt onto the road.

To finish off the project, a couple of steamrollers flattened the mess into a useable stretch of road, finally putting the finishing touches on a jarring experience.

Missing signs on I-5

Question: I am curious as to why the I-5 signs at Exit 192 that read “41st Street” and “Mukilteo” have been removed.

Since they have been removed it is most confusing for people unfamiliar with the area to navigate up and over the overpass to get onto 41st Street.

Could you explain why these so very important signs are gone?

M. Secoy, Everett

Answer: These signs were removed in early September after a routine bridge inspection revealed that the structure that supported them was wearing out. We felt that motorist safety far outweighed the inconvenience of switching to a temporary sign.

Currently, the shoulder sign reads “exit only.” We are making another temporary sign that will say 41st Street and Mukilteo traffic should use the right lane to exit. It should be installed on the shoulder in two weeks. This should clarify any confusion.

New permanent sign supports are being designed and manufactured. As soon as that work is finished, we will install the sign in its original location. Thanks for your patience.

Myly Posse, state Department of Transportation spokeswoman

Reporter Lukas Velush: 425-339-3449 or lvelush@heraldnet.com.