Ontario Construction News staff writer
Aecon Group has been awarded a US$126 million contract by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to design and build the Interstate-90 (I-90) / State Road-18 (SR-18) to Deep Creek Interchange Improvements and Widening project near Snoqualmie, Washington.
Construction is expected to begin later this year with completion in 2025.
“Building on our strong presence in Western Canada, expanding our business in the Northwestern US is a natural progression and we are encouraged by the robust infrastructure opportunities in this market,” said Jean-Louis Servranckx, president and CEO, Aecon Group Inc. “We look forward to safely and successfully delivering this critical project for our client.”
According to a WSDOT news release, Aecon Pacific Northwest, Inc. submitted the best value proposal to complete the design and build the project following a competitive evaluation process.
“Aecon has built large highway, civil and private projects across the U.S. and Canada,” said project engineer Mark Allison. “This is a significant project and one the community has anticipated for a long time. We look forward to working with Aecon to build an interchange that will serve people for many years to come.”
The I-90/SR 18 improvement project is design-build, which means WSDOT executes a single contract with one firm for design and construction. Design-build projects offer efficiencies in cost and scheduling.
Diverging diamond interchange
The I-90/SR 18 project will feature a diverging diamond interchange, which improves the flow of traffic by reducing the number of traffic signals and offering more free turns for drivers entering and exiting the interstate.
Diverging diamond interchanges are used around the world, with more than 100 operating in the United States. Washington’s first diverging diamond interchange opened in August 2020 at Interstate 5 and State Route 510 in Lacey.
SR 18 and Snoqualmie Parkway improvements
The I-90/SR 18 project also includes:
- Widening approximately 2 miles of SR 18 from the interchange to Deep Creek, creating two lanes in each direction.
- Construction of a new four-lane bridge over Deep Creek and a new two-lane southbound bridge over Raging River.
- Adding a dedicated right turn lane from southbound Snoqualmie Parkway to westbound I-90.
Aecon Pacific Northwest, Inc. will begin by completing design work for the interchange, a wider SR 18, new bridges and improved fish passages.
The project is funded through pre-existing gas tax funds and the 2015 Connecting Washington transportation fund, which is a $16 billion investment that enhances the statewide transportation system and maintains critical infrastructure.