By Ann Briggs

Field testing of the new double-wall pile design. (Photo courtesy of the  University of Washington)

New construction research is poised to make big waves both here and far abroad. We've been working in partnership with the University of Washington (UW) to find ways to reduce the noise created by underwater pile driving that will not only benefit and protect marine wildlife in the Puget Sound, but may also change marine construction practices around the globe.

Piles are long poles or tubes driven into the seabed to provide the foundation support for ferry terminals, docks, bridges and other structures. The noise created by hammering the piles into the seabed floor is easily carried underwater and can harm, and even kill, sensitive marine wildlife. As a result of those impacts, strict regulations on marine construction projects make them expensive and challenging to complete.

Our team of researchers, and environmental, construction and ferry engineers has worked with scientists to study the detrimental effects of underwater pile driving on marine environments for years. In 2008, the team invited both the construction industry and the academic fields to come up with a quieter pile design solution.

 By guest blogger Ann Briggs

Kelsey Creek, I-405 wetland, 2008

Recent talk about budgets and the effect environmental regulations have on transportation costs have people asking why we spend money on environmental studies, wetlands and things of that sort.

It has me thinking about my own views on the environment and how they have evolved. As a child of the 60s, I remember riding in my parents' car, tossing candy wrappers out the window (sigh!) and my dad dumping the car ashtray on the ground, scattering butts everywhere. We just didn’t give much thought back then about where this stuff ends up…as if it would simply disappear into the wind. We certainly know better now.

Thanks to better science and practices, an environmental awareness and evolution has taken place over the years in the world of transportation too. Much of what we do today to protect the environment and mitigate for the impacts of highway construction is based on lessons learned and a greater understanding of the effects the transportation system has on our surroundings. A significant amount of money is spent fixing the problems that were created in decades past.

Gold Creek side channel I-90, 2009

Environmental missteps, like those tossed candy wrappers, can pile up if we keep repeating them. We used to build roadways with drainage systems that funneled highway runoff directly into lakes and streams. Wetlands were soggy ponds that got in the way of progress, so we drained them. We built culverts to let the water through, but didn’t think about how fish would manage. We built highways in places that made good engineering sense, but not necessarily good community sense.

We now build highways with stormwater management systems to filter out oil and fluids from drippy cars before it enters our streams. We know now that wetlands are critical for reducing flooding, recharging groundwater supplies and providing habitat. Between 1988 and now, we’ve built and monitored 194 wetlands covering 942 acres. Since 1991, we’ve been replacing culverts that block fish and have restored fish passage to more than 900 miles of habitat. We conduct environmental studies to determine how our work will affect communities, cultures, habitats, air, water and noise, and find ways to avoid or mitigate for those impacts. And, we work hard to report the results of those studies in easy-to-read-and-understand formats.

SR 167 Panther Creek fish passage culvert installation, 2012

While it’s true that none of this work comes cheap, we have to ask ourselves, “Can we really afford the ultimate price of not doing it?” I think not. We’ve made good strides in environmental stewardship, but we’re far from done and we’ll continue to work to create a transportation system that is compatible with communities and nature. We all have a responsibility to future generations to take care of the things that make the Pacific Northwest such a rich and vibrant place to live. It’s the right thing to do.

As we celebrate Earth Day on April 22, think about what you know now that you didn’t know then. What changes have you made as a result of your own environmental evolution?

by guest blogger Jamie Holter

Scenes like this made the news in January 2009 

But something else was happening near Highway 202 between Fall City and Snoqualmie. Tokul Creek, swollen by the sheer volume of water, changed course and, rather than meandering nicely under Highway 202, it redirected itself and began to erode the riverbank, leaving the banks and the local road unstable.

Engineers are now concerned that heavy fall rain in 2010 will push more debris up against the old concrete piers that support a bridge that’s no longer there.

The debris plugs the water flow and it backs up eroding the bank which can lead to more damage.
During the first week of September, contractor crews from Amir Ahmadi’s Project office began work on a bridge scour repair job on Tokul Creek. 
 
Over the next month, under emergency permits from the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Army Corps of Engineers, dozens of workers will be on site to remove large amounts of wood and debris trapped near the bridge. They will remove the old concrete bridge piers and armor the new existing bridge piers with large rocks.

But it’s not that easy. You don’t just come in with bulldozers. Biologists are on site to trap and relocate fish. They use this porous curtain to let water pass through but not the fish.


This rainbow trout was one of the first caught and taken downstream.


Then we install something called an aqua dam, a large inflatable filled water to make the area downstream fish and water-free. Pipes installed in the area take the water around the aquadam to a place downstream and out of our work area.

Here is a wide shot of a full inflated aquadam. Isn’t it strange looking?



Over the next few days we will get to work removing debris and hauling in ecology blocks, large light-weight lego-looking type barriers to shore up the existing bridge piers.


Stay tuned and we will provide more about the progress of this project on SR 202.

by guest blogger Ann Briggs

In honor of Earth Day today, I’m making a conscious effort to reduce my carbon footprint by printing only the documents I really need to keep for work. My agency is taking part in a statewide effort to reduce paper use by 30 percent. That’s only one of the ways we’re doing our part to reduce consumption and protect our environment.

We’ve joined with other state agencies and organizations to find ways to reduce carbon emissions and encourage people to explore their travel options. For more than 20 years we’ve incorporated environmental components into our everyday operations, so for us Earth Day comes 365 days a year.

In the quest to reduce carbon emissions, there’s a cool new initiative under way called the West Coast Green Highway. It involves Washington, California, Oregon and British Columbia working together to promote the use of alternative fuels. Imagine being able to drive the entire 1,350 miles of the Interstate 5 corridor, between the borders of Mexico and Canada, without having to buy a drop of gas.  It may happen sooner than you think.  Together we are:

• Working with private partners to develop alternative fueling-locations along I-5.
• Working with communities, utilities, the electric vehicle industry and other agencies to plan where and how to begin installing public charging stations. In Washington, we’re identifying potential charging station sites at safety rest areas, park-and-ride lots and other state-owned property.

We’ve expanding our own fleet of low-emission and hybrid vehicles. It currently includes 568 flex fuel (capable of running on 85 percent ethanol fuel) and 79 gas/electric hybrid vehicles.


There are other ways to reduce carbon emissions. Just this month, Governor Gregoire recognized 46 employers that are setting the example by participating in Commute Trip Reduction, a program that brings public and private organizations together to promote transportation choices other than just driving alone. Approximately 530,000 people are employed at work sites that participate in Commute Trip Reduction programs. This translates to 62 million fewer vehicle miles traveled annually and saves three million gallons of fuel and 27,490 metric tons of greenhouse gases.

In addition, we’re working with cities and counties to improve and expand sidewalks and bike paths. In Washington, 13 percent of the federal stimulus projects for transportation included bicycle and pedestrian components. Our state has been recognized as the top Bicycle Friendly State two years in a row.
You can read more about what we’re doing to address Climate Change and environmental stewardship on our website. 

So what can you do?

• Keep your vehicle tuned up and tires properly inflated. You’ll get better gas mileage and produce less pollution.
• Set a goal to drive less. Combining errands into one trip is one way.
• Adjust your driving speed to conserve fuel.
• Making a short trip within the neighborhood? Consider walking or riding your bike – you’ll be doing something healthy for you and the environment.
• Check with your employer to see what programs your organization may offer – telecommuting, compressed work weeks, bus passes, carpools, or vanpools.
• For your next trip, try taking the bus or a train.
• Consider buying an electric or hybrid for your next vehicle purchase.

For the past few months, a group of us have spent hours and hours talking trash. We have – and still are – working very hard to increase participation in WSDOT’s Adopt-a-Highway program.

I would like to personally thank those of you who have adopted 35 percent of Washington’s highway miles. Yes – only 35 percent of our state’s highways are “adopted.”

Own a business? Think about Adopt-a-Highway. Get your business name on a highway sign and let your customers know you care about the community.

You don’t have to own a business to participate. Anyone (age 15 or older) can get a group of family, friends or colleagues who want to help keep Washington “Everclean and Evergreen.”

And don’t just take my word for it. See for yourself. And then join Adopt-a-Highway.



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