Message is the same: Drive for conditions, especially through work zones
By Cara Mitchell
In this November 2018 blog, we reached out to drivers asking for his or her assist in decreasing collisions on I-5 shut to the State Route 16 interchange in Tacoma. Overwhelmingly, the more-than-200,000 drivers who use this enviornment of I-5 day by day achieve this safely.
However, that would no longer lower the frustration all of us really sense when collisions require crews to shut a highway, rather when that closure impacts a morning or afternoon commute. Yet back Wednesday morning in Tacoma, a collision involving a semi triggered a complete closure of I-5 whereas crews changed broken jersey barrier, eliminated NULL broken semis, eliminated particles from the freeway and cleaned a huge gasoline spill. We recognise drivers are frustrated that this retains happening. We are too.
The lane configuration on I-5 shut to SR 16 is a transient one which has been in position given that May 2018, and can probably be there by capacity of this April. It is permitting construction crews to construct a brand new southbound I-5 alignment.
Here's a fresh seem to be on the spate of collisions inside the Tacoma area, and the steps we've taken to cut back that potential:
Since the overnight hours of Sept.30/Oct. 1, seven collisions involving semis have happened inside the undertaking limits of the I-5 – SR 16 HOV Realignment – HOV Structure and Connections undertaking that led to remaining equally directions of I-5 for a couple of hours.
Back in November, contractor Skanska started implementing weekly work zone evaluations of lane and edge line striping across the project. They doubled the quantity of reflective markers on the transient barrier that's in position to growth visibility at night.
At that time, we started exhibiting security messages on the I-5 electronic reader board indicators reminding drivers to gradual down as they input the work zone. We also conducted NULL separate evaluations of the work zone visitors manipulate that showed the visitors manipulate arrange and units met state and federal standards.
An advisory velocity restrict of 50 mph was implemented earlier than getting into the work zone on southbound I-5, reminding drivers that they're getting into a piece zone with slender lanes and shoulders.
Having a piece zone with narrowed shoulders and lanes is traditional and is in position on most state freeway construction projects. Those narrowed lanes and shoulders supply construction crews room to do the work had to hold or enhance the highway. Be form to your self and different drivers round you by paying further attention to the freeway by capacity of this area. Speeding, following too carefully or aggressive riding habit isn't advisable, rather across the dark, rainy winter months. According to the Washington State Patrol, in virtually all of those cases, the driver was cited for riding too quickly for conditions, or negligent driving.
Of course, I-5 in Tacoma isn't the basically position the position we've considered fresh collisions involving semis. For example, on Nov. 28, 2018, a semi collision closed I-5 south of Tumwater. On Dec. 12, NULL separate semi collisions closed I-5, first in Olympia and secondly in Lacey. And on Dec. 19, NULL semis collided on the northbound SR 7 ramp to northbound I-705 in Tacoma.
So is there something drivers can do to opposite this trend? Yes indeed, we are able to all assist sustain visitors shifting thoroughly and efficiently by following those common-sense guidelines:
Drive for conditions. When the pavement is rainy and it is darkish outside, gradual down accordingly.
Slow down by capacity of work zones. Many work zones have narrowed lanes and shoulders, which capacity much less room for driver error.
Remember all of us share the highway. Semis in certain want further enviornment to maneuver and longer distances to cease (two soccer fields, to be exact, when traveling at 65 mph). The web site FleetNet adds vast suggestions when riding shut to trucks, reminding drivers to hold a secure distance, shop away from riding in different drivers' blind spots (which could be unusually huge components on commercial vehicles), and shop away from slicing off huge trucks.
We will proceed to work with our contractor and the Washington State Patrol to do our aspect in supporting drivers thoroughly navigate by capacity of construction zones.
In this November 2018 blog, we reached out to drivers asking for his or her assist in decreasing collisions on I-5 shut to the State Route 16 interchange in Tacoma. Overwhelmingly, the more-than-200,000 drivers who use this enviornment of I-5 day by day achieve this safely.
However, that would no longer lower the frustration all of us really sense when collisions require crews to shut a highway, rather when that closure impacts a morning or afternoon commute. Yet back Wednesday morning in Tacoma, a collision involving a semi triggered a complete closure of I-5 whereas crews changed broken jersey barrier, eliminated NULL broken semis, eliminated particles from the freeway and cleaned a huge gasoline spill. We recognise drivers are frustrated that this retains happening. We are too.
The lane configuration on I-5 shut to SR 16 is a transient one which has been in position given that May 2018, and can probably be there by capacity of this April. It is permitting construction crews to construct a brand new southbound I-5 alignment.
Here's a fresh seem to be on the spate of collisions inside the Tacoma area, and the steps we've taken to cut back that potential:
Since the overnight hours of Sept.30/Oct. 1, seven collisions involving semis have happened inside the undertaking limits of the I-5 – SR 16 HOV Realignment – HOV Structure and Connections undertaking that led to remaining equally directions of I-5 for a couple of hours.
Back in November, contractor Skanska started implementing weekly work zone evaluations of lane and edge line striping across the project. They doubled the quantity of reflective markers on the transient barrier that's in position to growth visibility at night.
At that time, we started exhibiting security messages on the I-5 electronic reader board indicators reminding drivers to gradual down as they input the work zone. We also conducted NULL separate evaluations of the work zone visitors manipulate that showed the visitors manipulate arrange and units met state and federal standards.
An advisory velocity restrict of 50 mph was implemented earlier than getting into the work zone on southbound I-5, reminding drivers that they're getting into a piece zone with slender lanes and shoulders.
Having a piece zone with narrowed shoulders and lanes is traditional and is in position on most state freeway construction projects. Those narrowed lanes and shoulders supply construction crews room to do the work had to hold or enhance the highway. Be form to your self and different drivers round you by paying further attention to the freeway by capacity of this area. Speeding, following too carefully or aggressive riding habit isn't advisable, rather across the dark, rainy winter months. According to the Washington State Patrol, in virtually all of those cases, the driver was cited for riding too quickly for conditions, or negligent driving.
Of course, I-5 in Tacoma isn't the basically position the position we've considered fresh collisions involving semis. For example, on Nov. 28, 2018, a semi collision closed I-5 south of Tumwater. On Dec. 12, NULL separate semi collisions closed I-5, first in Olympia and secondly in Lacey. And on Dec. 19, NULL semis collided on the northbound SR 7 ramp to northbound I-705 in Tacoma.
So is there something drivers can do to opposite this trend? Yes indeed, we are able to all assist sustain visitors shifting thoroughly and efficiently by following those common-sense guidelines:
Drive for conditions. When the pavement is rainy and it is darkish outside, gradual down accordingly.
Slow down by capacity of work zones. Many work zones have narrowed lanes and shoulders, which capacity much less room for driver error.
Remember all of us share the highway. Semis in certain want further enviornment to maneuver and longer distances to cease (two soccer fields, to be exact, when traveling at 65 mph). The web site FleetNet adds vast suggestions when riding shut to trucks, reminding drivers to hold a secure distance, shop away from riding in different drivers' blind spots (which could be unusually huge components on commercial vehicles), and shop away from slicing off huge trucks.
We will proceed to work with our contractor and the Washington State Patrol to do our aspect in supporting drivers thoroughly navigate by capacity of construction zones.
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