WSDOT News and Updates

Wiser Lake bridge work under way



If you live or drive near Wiser Lake, you may have seen some yellow floating booms out in the lake. Those are turbidity curtains. They’re designed to prevent any silt in the water stirred up by construction from seeping into the rest of the lake.



What construction? Well, starting Monday, June 30, crews will begin work on a new causeway (that’s the rock widening that will support the new lanes) across the lake. The causeway will hold the two new roadway lanes. Monday’s work will be off the roadway, but you may notice some construction activity on the south shore of the lake. Crews will be placing rock into the lake to build up the causeway.



Once the causeway is complete, it will need to settle for three to five months. That period ensures that it will be stable enough for crews to begin preparing for the new Guide lanes.

What do you think about all this? You can share your thoughts with us on the Guide blog .



They’re going to do WHAT to I-5?



Whenever we're doing major road construction or closing down a lane (or two or three) of a state highway in your neighborhood, we like to let you know in these e-mail updates. But what if you're traveling out of the area? How do you find out what construction projects we have going on? That's where our Construction Updates page can come in handy.



You might not be familiar with this page, but it can be a great tool to help you avoid construction traffic. It shows you a list of projects that are under way on state highways across the state. You can find information on lane closures, detours and any other construction work that might add a few minutes to your drive.



The Construction Updates page is designed to make your drive easier, so we want to make sure you can find the information you need. What kinds of information are you looking for? Can you find it easily? What can we do to make sure you're informed? We'd like to get your feedback so we can make this Web page easy for you to use.



Hands-free cell phone law takes effect July 1



As you may or may not have heard, starting July I, talking on a hand-held cell phone while driving will be illegal without a headset or hands-free device . The law is a secondary offense, which means you can’t be pulled over just for holding your cell phone to your ear. But you can be pulled over if you are swerving or speeding AND holding your cell phone.



If you are pulled over, the ticket is $124 (it’s the same for texting while driving). You can still use your cell phone if you talk using a hands-free device such as a Bluetooth or wired headset.



Plan ahead for Fourth of July travel



If you’re going to hit the road this Fourth, make sure you know the best times to travel our state highways. You can see how holiday weekend travel times compare to typical weekends and decide on the best times to travel. Find information on traveling U.S. 2, I-90, I-5 at the Canadian border and I-5 south of Olympia.



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