HomeMy WebLinkAboutAppendix R - Public Services & Utilities DR
I-405, Renton Nickel Improvement Project, I-5 to SR 169
PUBLIC SERVICES AND UTILITIES
DISCIPLINE REPORT
November 2005
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PUBLIC SERVICES AND UTILITIES DISCIPLINE REPORT
I-405, Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Prepared for
Washington State Department of Transportation
Urban Corridors Office
And
Federal Highway Administration
Prepared by
Karin Fusetti, DMJM Harris
November 3, 2005
Title VI
WSDOT ensures full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by
prohibiting discrimination against any person on the basis of race, color,
national origin or sex in the provision of benefits and services resulting from its
federally assisted programs and activities. For questions regarding WSDOT's
Title VI Program, you may contact the Department's Title VI Coordinator at
360. 705.7098.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information
If you would like copies of this document in an alternate format—large print,
Braille, cassette tape, or on computer disk, please call 360.705.7097.
Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, please call the Washington State
Telecommunications Relay Service, or Tele-Braille at 7-1-1, Voice
1.800.833.6384, and ask to be connected to 360.705.7097.
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report i
T ABLE OF C ONTENTS
Glossary.............................................................................................................................................................................iii
Acronyms and Abbreviations Used in this Report .........................................................................................................v
Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................1
What is the Renton Nickel Improvement Project? ...........................................................................................................1
What is the No Build Alternative?................................................................................................................................2
What is the Build Alternative?.....................................................................................................................................2
How will stormwater from the project be managed? .................................................................................................12
What environmental and utilities issues influenced the project design and what was done to avoid
and minimize project effects?....................................................................................................................................13
What is planned for wetland and stream mitigation?.....................................................................................................16
What benefits will the project provide?......................................................................................................................17
How will the project incorporate community design preferences?.............................................................................17
How will the project be constructed?.........................................................................................................................18
Why do we consider public services and utilities as we plan for this project? ...............................................................19
What are the key points of this report?..........................................................................................................................20
Existing Conditions.........................................................................................................................................................22
How was information collected?....................................................................................................................................22
What are the service areas and how did these determine the study area?...................................................................22
What are the public services and utilities in the study area?.........................................................................................23
What emergency response services are in the study area?......................................................................................23
What schools are nearby?.........................................................................................................................................26
What religious institutions are nearby? .....................................................................................................................27
Are other prominent community centers or facilities nearby?....................................................................................27
Are any cemeteries in the study area?......................................................................................................................27
What local government offices are in the study area?...............................................................................................27
Who provides electricity and natural gas service?....................................................................................................28
Who provides telephone service?.............................................................................................................................29
Who provides cable service?....................................................................................................................................30
Who provides water and sewer?...............................................................................................................................30
Who maintains the storm sewer system?..................................................................................................................32
Who provides solid waste collection and recycling? .................................................................................................32
Potential Effects...............................................................................................................................................................33
How were the effects of the Renton Nickel Improvement Project determined?.............................................................33
What effect will construction activities have on the public services and utilities in the study area?...............................34
Construction staging .................................................................................................................................................34
Utility relocations.......................................................................................................................................................35
What effect will an improved transportation system have?............................................................................................40
How would the No Build Alternative affect public services and utilities in the study area?............................................40
Will there be any indirect effects from the project?........................................................................................................41
Measures to Avoid or Minimize Project Effects ............................................................................................................42
How will adverse effects from construction be avoided or minimized?..........................................................................42
How will adverse effects from an improved transportation system be avoided or minimized?......................................43
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
ii Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
E XHIBITS
Exhibit 1. Project Vicinity Map..........................................................................................................................................1
Exhibit 2. Project Overview Section 1..............................................................................................................................3
Exhibit 3. Project Overview Section 2..............................................................................................................................4
Exhibit 4. Project Overview Section 3..............................................................................................................................5
Exhibit 5. Project Overview Section 4..............................................................................................................................6
Exhibit 6. Project Overview Section 5..............................................................................................................................7
Exhibit 7. Project Overview Section 6..............................................................................................................................8
Exhibit 8. Project Overview Section 7..............................................................................................................................9
Exhibit 9. Project Overview Section 8............................................................................................................................10
Exhibit 10. Existing Public Services in the Study Area ..................................................................................................24
Exhibit 11. Types of Utilities that Cross or are Adjacent to I-405 and SR 167 in the Study Area...................................29
Exhibit 12. Approximate Location of Utilities with Potential Conflicts (I-5 to SR 181)....................................................37
Exhibit 13. Approximate Location of Utilities with Potential Conflicts (SR 181 to SR 167).............................................37
Exhibit 14. Approximate Location of Utilities with Potential Conflicts (SR 167 to Renton Avenue S) ............................38
Exhibit 15. Approximate Location of Utilities with Potential Conflicts (SW 19th Street to SW 41st Street)....................38
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report iii
GLOSSARY
Acquisition The process of obtaining right-of-way necessary to construct or support a project.
Aggregate Sand, gravel, crushed rock and other bulk materials used by the construction industry.
Aquifer Aquifers are underground reservoirs. The water that reaches these chambers is usually much cleaner
than the water of reservoirs at the earth's surface. Many pollutants are filtered out as the water passes
through the soil on its way to the aquifer. The top layer of the aquifer is called the water table. Most of
the void spaces in the rocks below the water table are filled with water.
Auxiliary lane A lane added between interchanges—from one on-ramp to the next off-ramp. It is dedicated to traffic
entering and leaving a freeway and provides motorists with more time and extra room to accelerate or
decelerate and merge when getting on and off the freeway.
Buffer A transitional area that separates uses that are not naturally compatible. Often the buffer is green
space, and is termed a landscape buffer. Other times, a buffer can take the shape of a structure. For
example, a neighborhood commercial use can separate industrial and residential uses quite
effectively.
Duration The period of time during which something continues. In this report, it refers to the time required to
complete construction in specific locations.
Easement An agreement between the property owner and either an agency or service provider to ensure access
across a piece of property. Easements are generally set up to provide access for utilities or road
maintenance, without changing property ownership of the property.
Ecology embankment Ecology embankments are used to provide water quality treatment for highway runoff. They consist of
a trench that is dug along side the highway shoulder, lain with perforated pipe, and backfilled with a
filtration media. Water from the road flows off the roadway, is filtered by the media, and carried off site
by the pipe.
Electrical distribution line Electrical distribution lines are normally considered to be a line that carries high voltage electricity and
is used to distribute power to end-use customers
Energized When a new utility system is brought into service, the system is first tested and then charged to deliver
that product to customers. Energized indicates the system is fully operational and receiving the
commodity needed to deliver the utility’s product.
Feeder route Feeder routes refer to cable telecommunications routes that generally extend from each central
switching station, heading to the north, south, east, and west. Branch feeder routes are connected to
these main feeder routes. These facilities may be aerial or buried and comprised of aluminum, copper
or fiber optic.
Franchise A legal agreement between WSDOT and a municipality or a service provider describing how a utility
will work within WSDOT’s rights of way.
GIS A digital computer mapping system that can overlay data such as utility locations and provide a spatial
analysis.
Groundwater Groundwater is the part of precipitation that seeps down through the soil until it reaches rock material
that is saturated with water. Groundwater slowly moves underground, generally at a downward angle
(because of gravity), and eventually seeps into streams, lakes, and oceans.
GLOSSARY
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
iv Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
Indirect effects Indirect effects are defined in the WSDOT Environmental Procedures Manual as the “effect caused by
the proposed action that is later in time or farther removed in distance, but still reasonably foreseeable.
Indirect effects may include growth-inducing effects and other effects related to induced changes in the
pattern of land use, population density or growth rate, and related effects on air and water and other
natural systems, including ecosystems.”
Intensity For this project, intensity refers to whether construction is constant or sporadic.
Level III Trauma Level III Trauma as defined by the Washington State Department of Health means initial evaluation
and stabilization (including surgery, if appropriate) of the trauma patient.
Level of service Level of service (LOS) is a measure of how well a freeway or local signalized intersection operates.
For freeways, LOS is a measure of traffic congestion and it can indicate how long it takes to travel a
specific segment of road. For local intersections, LOS is based on how long it takes a typical vehicle
to clear the intersection.
Milling To grind, pulverize, or break down into smaller particles in a mill. For this project, milling will be used
to reduce the level of the existing pavement where its removal is required to construct new surface.
Monitoring well A ground well set up to test the quality and quantity of water being pumped.
Off-peak In relation to public services and utilities, off-peak means those times when the fewest customers use
the service or utility.
Production well A well that produces water for the public drinking water system.
Pump house This building houses the pumps used to draw water from the City of Renton’s well system for the
public drinking water supply.
Purveyor Person or company providing a service such as electricity, water, sewer, etc.
Right-of-way Land legally established for public use by pedestrians, vehicles, or utilities.
School-linked This is a health care program based within selected schools. The program is run by Group Health and
seeks to ensure that at-risk children receive basic health care.
Secondary-level
treatment
Biological treatment that consumes and removes more than 90 percent of the pollutants in wastewater.
Service boundary The area that a specific service (e.g., police and fire) or utility (e.g., gas, electricity) serves.
Severity For this project, severity measures the degree of effect on resources during construction. This is
measured in terms of how long construction lasts, whether construction is sporadic or constant, and
whether detour routes are required. For operational effects, severity measures the change in how
public services and utilities serve the study area.
Sole source An aquifer that has been designated by the EPA as the sole or principal source of drinking water for an
area. A sole source aquifer receives special protection. Federal financial assistance cannot be used
for any project that might contaminate the aquifer. However, federal money can be used to help plan
or design a project in such a way that it will not contaminate the aquifer.
Staging area Areas in unused right-of-way that will be used for employee parking, temporary offices, equipment
storage, and material stockpiles during construction of the project improvements.
Substation A substation is the part of an electricity transmission and distribution system where voltage is
transformed from high to low voltage using transformers.
Transmission line Transmission lines refer to the cable carrying electricity on its way from producer to consumer.
Transmission lines are identified by voltages of 115 kilovolt, and above.
Wellhead protection area An area surrounding a well site designated to prevent the contamination of groundwater supplying
public drinking water wells.
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report v
ACRONYMS AND
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS REPORT
BMP Best Management Practices
BNSF Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company
CATV Community Antenna Television
CO Central Office
CSS Context Sensitive Solutions
EA Environmental Assessment
EIS Environmental Impact Statement
FHWA Federal Highway Administration
GIS Geographic Information Systems
GMA Growth Management Act
GP General Purpose
HOV High Occupancy Vehicle
kV Kilovolt
PSE Puget Sound Energy
ROW Rights-of-Way
TMP Transportation Management Plan
SR State Route
WSDOT Washington State Department of Transportation
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
vi Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
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Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 1
INTRODUCTION
What is the Renton Nickel Improvement Project?
The Renton Nickel Improvement Project is a highway expansion project that will
improve mobility and safety through Tukwila and Renton. On I-405, this project
begins just east of the I-5/I-405 interchange in Tukwila and extends north past the
Cedar River to the SR 169 (Maple Valley Highway) interchange. The project will build
an additional lane both northbound and southbound between I-5 and SR 169. On
SR 167, the project will extend the southbound high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane
north to I-405 and add a southbound auxiliary lane from I-405 to the SW 41st Street
off-ramp. These limits comprise the study area for the project.
Prior to planning this specific project, WSDOT created the I-405 Corridor Program.
This program provides a comprehensive strategy to reduce congestion and improve
mobility throughout the I-405 corridor. The corridor begins at the I-5 interchange in
the city of Tukwila and extends northward 30 miles to the I-5 interchange in the city of
Lynnwood. The program’s purpose is to provide an efficient, integrated, and
multimodal system of
transportation solutions.
Using the I-405 Corridor
Program’s Selected
Alternative as the Master
Plan to improve I-405,
WSDOT developed
relatively low cost,
congestion relief roadway
improvements as an interim
step in achieving the Master
Plan. As part of this effort,
WSDOT began to define
the Renton Nickel
Improvement Project. The
Renton Nickel Improvement
Project was developed as
part of a first step in
providing a focused strategy
to improve I-405 between
I-5 in Tukwila and SR 169 in
Renton and SR 167
southbound from I-405 to
SW 41st Street, see Exhibit
1. This discipline report
analyzes two project
alternatives: the No Build
Alternative and the Build
Alternative.
Exhibit 1. Project Vicinity Map
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Panther
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SW 41st St
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INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
2 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
What is the No Build Alternative?
The No Build Alternative assumes that only routine
activities such as road maintenance, repair, and safety
improvements would take place over the next 20 years.
This alternative does not include improvements to increase
roadway capacity or reduce congestion. For these
reasons, it does not satisfy the project’s purpose—improve
I-405 between I-5 in Tukwila and SR 169 in Renton and
SR 167 southbound from I-405 to SW 41st Street.
The No Build Alternative has been evaluated in this
discipline report to establish a baseline for comparing
the effects associated with the Build Alternative.
What is the Build Alternative?
The new lanes that will be built under this project are:
An I-405 northbound general-purpose (GP)
lane from I-5 to the SR 167 off-ramp.
An I-405 northbound auxiliary lane from the
SR 167 to I-405 on-ramp to the SR 169 off-ramp.
An I-405 southbound auxiliary lane from the
SR 169 to I-405 on-ramp to the SR 167 off-ramp.
An I-405 southbound GP lane from the SR 167
to I-405 on-ramp to the I-5 off-ramp.
A SR 167 southbound auxiliary lane from I-405 to the
SW 41st Street off-ramp. Also, the existing inside
HOV lane will be extended north to I-405 from its
present starting point in the vicinity of SW 21st Street.
See Exhibits 2 through 9 show the project features. In
addition to adding lanes to I-405 and SR 167, this project
will provide the following improvements.
Improve Interchanges
Minor modifications will be made to the ramps at the
SR 167 interchange:
The one-lane ramp from northbound I-405 to
SR 167 will be widened to a 2-lane off
connection, which provides a dedicated lane to
southbound SR 167 and a dedicated lane to
northbound Rainer Avenue. See Exhibit 5.
Traffic from two consecutive single-lane on-
ramps from southbound I-405 to SR 167 will be
separated by a concrete barrier. This will
provide a smoother transition to the mainline
and reduce congestion on the on-ramps.
What is an auxiliary lane?
An auxiliary lane is a lane added between
interchanges—from one on-ramp to the
next off-ramp. It is dedicated to traffic
entering and leaving the freeway and
provides motorists with more time and
extra room to accelerate or decelerate
and merge when getting on and off the
freeway.
89:P 89:T
Existing On-ramp On-ramp with
proposed auxiliary
lane
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 3
T u k w i l a P a r k w a y
I-405
Southern
Project Limit
at I-5
Gilliam Creek
Cottage Creek
Westfield
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I-405 Northboundbound Improvements:
A general-purpose lane will be added by restriping the existing
pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at
some locations.
I-405 Southbound Improvements:
A general-purpose lane will be added by restriping the existing
pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at
some locations. M0250500
Feet
I-405 NORTHBOUND
Existing
Proposed
I-405 SOUTHBOUND
Existing
Proposed
Renton
Renton
Piped River/Creek Channel
Open River/Creek Channel
Ecology EmbankmentÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ
Retaining Wall
Stormwater Flow Control
Facility
New Pavement
Easement Acquisition
Parcel Acquisition
Existing ROW
Areas of Construction
New ROW
Exhibit 2. Project Overview Section 1
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
4 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃInterurban TrailFort
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I-405 Northbound Improvements:
A general-purpose lane will be added by restriping the existing
pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at
some locations.
I-405 Southbound Improvements:
A general-purpose lane will be added by restriping the existing
pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at
some locations. M0250500
Feet
I-405 SOUTHBOUND
Existing
Proposed
Renton
Renton
I-405 NORTHBOUND
Existing
Proposed
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Piped River/Creek Channel
Open River/Creek Channel
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Stormwater Flow Control
Facility
New Pavement
Areas of Construction
Easement Acquisition
Parcel Acquisition
Existing ROW
New ROW
Exhibit 3. Project Overview Section 2
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 5
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SW 16th St
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I-405 Northbound Improvements:
A general-purpose lane will be added by restriping the existing
pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at
some locations. The existing Springbrook Creek and Oakesdale
Avenue bridges will be replaced and the existing culvert will be
removed.
I-405 Southbound Improvements:
A general-purpose lane will be added by restriping the existing
pavement and adding pavement up to 70 feet to the outside at
some locations. The existing Springbrook Creek and Oakesdale
Avenue bridges will be replaced and the existing culvert will be
removed.M0250500
Feet
I-405 SOUTHBOUND
Existing
Proposed
Renton
Renton
I-405 NORTHBOUND
Existing
Proposed
Piped River/Creek Channel
Open River/Creek Channel
ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Ecology Embankment
Retaining Wall
Stormwater Flow Control
Facility
New Pavement
Areas of Construction
Easement Acquisition
Parcel Acquisition
Existing ROW
New ROW
Exhibit 4. Project Overview Section 3
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
6 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
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I-405 Northbound Improvements:
A general-purpose lane will be added up to the SR 167 interchange and an auxiliary lane
will be added from the SR 167 to I-405 on-ramp north. These lanes will be added by
restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at
some locations.
I-405 Southbound Improvements:
An auxiliary lane will be added up to the I-405 to SR 167 on-ramp and a general-purpose
lane will be added south of the interchange. These lanes will be added by restriping the
existing pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at some locations.
SR 167 Southbound Improvements:
An auxiliary lane will be added by restriping existing pavement and adding up to 19 feet
of pavement at the outside at some locations. The existing HOV lane will be extended
north from SW 21st Street to the interchange with I-405.M0250500
Feet
I-405 SOUTHBOUND
Existing
Proposed
Renton
Renton
I-405 NORTHBOUND
Existing
Proposed
SR 167 SOUTHBOUND
Existing
Proposed
Renton
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Open River/Creek Channel
Proposed Noise Wall
ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Ecology Embankment
Retaining Wall
Stormwater Flow Control
Facility
New Pavement
Areas of Construction
Easement Acquisition
Parcel Acquisition
Existing ROW
New ROW
Exhibit 5. Project Overview Section 4
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 7 ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃPanther
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SR 167 Improvements:
In addition to extending the HOV lane north from SW 21st
Street, an auxiliary lane will be added by restriping the existing
pavement and adding pavement up to 19 feet to the outside at
some locations.
M0250500
Feet
SR 167 SOUTHBOUND
Existing
Proposed
Renton
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Piped River/Creek Channel
Open River/Creek Channel
ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Ecology Embankment
Retaining Wall
Stormwater Flow Control
Facility
New Pavement
Areas of Construction
Easement Acquisition
Parcel Acquisition
Existing ROW
New ROW
Exhibit 6. Project Overview Section 5
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
8 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃSW 41st St
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SR 167 Improvements:
An auxiliary lane will be added by restriping the existing
pavement and adding pavement up to 19 feet to the outside at
some locations. The new lane will tie into the existing ramp
connection to SW 41st Street.
M0250500
Feet
SR 167 SOUTHBOUND
Existing
Proposed
Renton
Renton
Piped River/Creek Channel
Open River/Creek Channel
ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Ecology Embankment
Retaining Wall
Stormwater Flow Control
Facility
New Pavement
Areas of Construction
Easement Acquisition
Parcel Acquisition
Existing ROW
New ROW
Exhibit 7. Project Overview Section 6
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
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I-405 Northbound Improvements:
An auxiliary lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement
and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at some locations.
I-405 Southbound Improvements:
An auxiliary lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement
and adding pavement up to 24 feet to the outside at some locations.
Benson Rd S Improvements:
The Benson Rd S overpass will be replaced and realigned to the
west of its current location. The new overpass will have 2 lanes with
5-foot bike lanes on both sides and a 6-foot sidewalk on the west
side.M0250500
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I-405 NORTHBOUND
Existing
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I-405 SOUTHBOUND
Existing
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Renton
Renton
Parcel Acquisition
New ROW
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Stormwater Flow Control
Facility
Retaining Wall
ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Ecology Embankment
Proposed Noise Wall
Piped River/Creek Channel
Open River/Creek Channel
Exhibit 8. Project Overview Section 7
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
10 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
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I-405 Northbound Improvements:
An auxiliary lane will be added by restriping the existing
pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside
at some locations.
I-405 Southbound Improvements:
An auxiliary lane will be added by restriping the existing
pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside
at some locations. M0250500
Feet
I-405 NORTHBOUND
Existing
Proposed
I-405 SOUTHBOUND
Existing
Proposed
Renton
Renton
Piped River/Creek Channel
Open River/Creek Channel
ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Ecology Embankment
Retaining Wall
Stormwater Flow Control
Facility
New Pavement
Areas of Construction
Easement Acquisition
Parcel Acquisition
Existing ROW
New ROW
Exhibit 9. Project Overview Section 8
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 11
Improve Benson Road
The Benson Road overpass will be replaced and
realigned to accommodate the southbound auxiliary
lane on I-405 as well as future improvements to I-405
as shown on Exhibit 8. Improvements on Benson
Road include a 6-foot sidewalk on the west side and
5-foot bike lanes on both sides.
Widen and replace bridges
Several bridges within the study area will be widened
or replaced based on present location, cost, and
existing soil conditions. To construct the new lanes,
the project will:
Widen Talbot Road Bridge on both the
northbound and the southbound sides. See
Exhibit 8.
Replace Springbrook Creek Side Channel
Bridge and Oakesdale Avenue Bridge with new
southbound and northbound structures and
remove the Springbrook Creek box culvert.
See Exhibit 4.
Replace the rail on the I-405 bridges over
SR 181 and the Union Pacific and Burlington
Northern Santa Fe railroads.
The project will not affect the I-405 bridges over the
Green River, Lind Avenue, or the Cedar River. The
project will also not affect the Cedar Avenue or Renton
Avenue overpasses. The roadway will be restriped in
these areas to accommodate the new lanes.
Use retaining walls
Widening I-405 and SR 167 will require retaining walls
to minimize the construction footprint and right-of-way
acquisition. Retaining walls will also help avoid and
minimize effects to wetlands and other sensitive areas.
Improve culverts
WSDOT anticipates that construction will affect some
existing stormwater cross culverts and one stream
culvert. Associated culvert improvements include
extending the existing structures due to widening the
roadway and stabilizing culvert ends with rock or
retaining walls. The I-405 Team will conduct a hydraulic
analysis of the culverts to ensure that the modifications
will have no effect on the base flood elevations. See the
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Discipline Report for
detailed discussion on fish passage.
Why rebuild Benson Road on a new
alignment over I-405?
By building the new overpass to the west
on a new alignment, the new structure
can be constructed while the existing
structure remains open to traffic. Traffic
can then be shifted onto the new
structure, while the old overpass is
demolished.
What does a “rail” replacement involve?
Typically, a bridge rail replacement
project consists of making minor
adjustments to the width of the bridge
deck and replacing the guard rail or
barrier. This type of project does not
include adding new bridge columns or
footings.
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
12 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
Build a noise wall
One noise wall will be built on the northbound side of
the freeway as shown on Exhibits 5 and 8. The wall
will begin at the intersection of South 14th Street and
South 15th Street and follow South 14th Street east to
Talbot Road. This wall will be approximately 2,150
feet long and 18 feet tall.
How will stormwater from the project be
managed?
Stormwater from the project will be managed for both
quality and peak flows using currently accepted best
management practices (BMPs). The I-405 Team has
designed the stormwater management facilities to
comply with the following guidelines and procedures:
WSDOT Highway Runoff Manual M 31-16
WSDOT Hydraulics Manual M 23-03
Stormwater treatment facilities
The project will add new impervious surface within the
study area, most of which will be within the Springbrook
Creek basin. This project will treat runoff for an area
equal to 100 percent of these new surfaces.
The project will use BMPs that the HRM lists as
enhanced treatment facilities. The I-405 Team has
proposed that stormwater be treated using a
combination of these facilities. In most of the study
area, ecology embankments will be used to capture
runoff from the edge of the
pavement and provide water
quality treatment. Ecology
embankments also serve to
convey treated runoff to
receiving waters or to flow
control facilities as required.
The project also includes a
combined stormwater quality
wetland and detention facility
that addresses water quality
and flow control in one facility.
Exhibits 2 through 9 show the
location of stormwater facilities
that will be built for this project. Ecology Embankment Cross-Section
What are the guidelines for stormwater
management facilities?
Water quality treatment will be provided
for an area equal to the new impervious
surfaces created on the project.
Impervious surfaces, such as pavement,
are those that do not allow water to
penetrate into the ground. Stormwater
from new impervious surfaces or an equal
area will be controlled in detention
facilities. This process allows water to
be held (detained) and thus released at
rates that are equal to existing
conditions.
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 13
Drainage Collection and Conveyance
Some changes to existing drainage will be necessary
to provide flow control and water quality treatment to
address the new impervious area added by the
project. However, existing storm drainage systems
will be kept to the greatest extent possible and existing
flow patterns will be maintained. Where roadway
widening affects drainage ditches that convey water
from adjacent private properties, the project design will
assure that existing conveyance capacities are
maintained.
What environmental and utilities issues
influenced the project design and what
was done to avoid and minimize project
effects?
Throughout the development of the Renton Nickel
Improvement Project design, environmental elements
were reviewed and design features were modified to
avoid or minimize negative effects to the environment.
Influence on the project design came from:
Soil Conditions: the soils in the project area are
highly prone to accentuate earthquake
shaking, which influences how bridges can be
widened or replaced.
Noise: highway noise in the project area
already exceeds acceptable levels, which
means that including noise walls as part of the
project had to be considered.
Wetland Locations: many wetlands are located
along the edges of the highway, which
influence whether the widened sections will
use retaining walls or fill slopes.
Historical Sites: some historic sites exist within
the study area, so the project design was
coordinated to avoid these properties.
Because the I-405 Team planned for these
environmental considerations, several design features
have the benefit of avoiding or minimizing potential
effects due to the project. These design features are
described from south to north below.
I-405, I-5 to SR 167
WSDOT will construct a retaining wall from west of the
68th Avenue structure over I-405 at Tukwila Parkway
What are detention facilities?
These facilities control stormwater runoff
so that it can be released at a controlled
rate. Two types are commonly used:
Ponds.
Vaults. Similar to a pond, but with a
hard-sided construction. These
concrete structures function like a
pond but also provide detention
storage.
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
14 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
The proposed design modifications allow
the additional lanes to be added over the
Green River by restriping instead of
bridge widening. This avoids effects on
the river, stream habitat, floodplain, and
Interurban Trail.
to the Green River. This wall avoids the need to
construct a fill slope that would extend into Gilliam
Creek. See Exhibit 2.
WSDOT will provide a narrower outside shoulder on
northbound I-405 at the Green River Bridge. The
shoulder will vary from 10 to just over 3 feet at the west
abutment of the existing bridge. Narrowing the
shoulder avoids modifications to the existing bridge. As
a result, the design also avoids effects to the river, the
100-year floodplain, the ordinary high water level, and
adjacent riparian zones.
At the SR 181 interchange, the bridge and ramp will
be restriped to provide the new general-purpose lane
and ramp improvements. This approach minimizes
the need to widen the existing SR 181 Bridge,
reconstruct the SR 181 interchange, or modify the
Southcenter Boulevard crossing of the Green River.
This in turn avoids relocating or diverting the
Interurban Trail, which goes under the bridge. See
Exhibit 3.
Near the Westfield Shoppingtown Mall, a large Seattle
Public Utilities water transmission line parallels I-405.
WSDOT will line this pipe so that is can support the
loads from the new roadway embankment. This
approach allows the line to stay in its present location.
WSDOT will remove the existing I-405 bridges over
the Springbrook Creek side channel and Oakesdale
Avenue and replace them with a single northbound
and a single southbound bridge. This approach will
allow for the removal of the Springbrook Creek box
culvert. Construction of the new bridges will be
phased with the southbound bridge built slightly to the
north of the existing roadway. This phasing minimizes
the need to construct temporary roadway to maintain
traffic operations. WSDOT also evaluated the location
of the new bridge piers and selected locations that will
minimize the effect on the existing stream, stream
buffer, and trail that crosses under the bridge.
WSDOT will construct a narrower exit gore from I-405
to the northbound ramp at the SR 167 interchange as
shown in Exhibit 5. By building a narrower exit gore,
the project can be constructed within the existing right-
of-way. This has the benefit of avoiding right-of-way
acquisition, avoiding effects to the wetland outside the
right-of-way, and avoiding effects to the existing Lind
Avenue Bridge.
What is an exit gore?
An exit gore is a roadway feature that
separates an exiting lane from the main
lanes. An exit gore can be defined either
by paint stripes, raised buttons, physical
barriers, or a combination of these.
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 15
Retaining walls will help to avoid and
minimize effects on the Panther Creek
wetlands along SR 167
SR 167, southbound from I-405 to SW 41st Street
WSDOT will build a retaining wall along a large portion
of the west edge of SR 167 southbound instead of an
earth fill slope. See Exhibits 6 and 7. The retaining
wall minimizes effects on three wetlands. The
retaining wall has the added benefit of minimizing
right-of-way needs and reduces the effect on existing
utility crossings, in particular, the City of Seattle’s 60-
inch water line and Olympic Petroleum’s two high
pressure pipelines, which all cross under SR 167.
I-405, SR 167 to SR 169
WSDOT will add a lane by restriping I-405 northbound
next to the Talbot Hill retaining wall immediately east
of the SR 167 interchange. Restriping instead of
widening avoids the need to reconstruct the existing
Talbot Hill retaining wall and avoids effects on
properties south of I-405 in this area. Between Talbot
Road and the “S-Curves”, northbound I-405 will be
widened to achieve standard lane and shoulder
widths. Most of this length will be supported by
retaining walls to minimize effects to Thunder Hills
Creek, adjacent properties, and the existing cut slope
south of I-405.
To support the fill required to widen the roadway on
the north side of I-405 next to the outfall for the
original Rolling Hills Creek culvert, the design uses a
retaining wall. By using the retaining wall, the project
improvements at this location can be constructed
without affecting the existing culvert.
WSDOT will use a non-standard design for the I-405
to SR 167 exit ramp. The changes from the design
standards include not providing a recovery lane,
narrowing the distance between the through lane and
ramp, and providing narrower shoulders. While these
changes deviate from WSDOT design standards they
are an improvement over existing conditions. These
features will avoid effects to the existing Rolling Hills
Creek/Thunder Hills Creek channel located between
I-405 and the Renton Cinema complex as shown in
Exhibit 5. Using retaining walls along the west side of
Benson Road avoids effects to Rolling Hills Creek and
the wetlands east of Talbot Road.
WSDOT will use retaining walls to support widening
southbound I-405 south of the Cedar Avenue
overpass. Using retaining walls versus a fill slope,
avoids encroaching on Cedar Avenue and Main
Avenue in Renton.
What is a recovery lane?
A recovery lane is a paved area adjacent
to an off-ramp. This area gives drivers,
who find themselves exiting the freeway
unintentionally, room to maneuver back
onto the freeway.
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
16 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
WSDOT also plans to replace the existing Benson
Road overpass on a new alignment. The new bridge
will be located slightly to the west of the existing
bridge. This will allow traffic to continue to use the
existing overpass until the new one is completed. This
will minimize disruption for local traffic and to
emergency response vehicles.
Where northbound and southbound I-405 passes
under the Renton Avenue and Cedar Avenue
overpasses, WSDOT will add lanes by restriping. This
design avoids replacing the two overpasses; however,
the available area does not allow the standard
shoulder and lane widths.
WSDOT shifted a proposed stormwater facility to
avoid effects to the existing Renton Coal Mine Hoist
Foundation site south of Benson Road. This site is on
the Washington Historic Register.
What is planned for wetland and stream mitigation?
WSDOT will compensate for unavoidable effects to
wetlands with credits from the Springbrook Creek
Wetland and Habitat Mitigation Bank. Mitigation is
needed for 1.66 acres of wetlands.
The Springbrook Creek Wetland and Habitat Mitigation
Bank is being developed as a joint effort between
WSDOT and the City of Renton. This ‘bank’ will
construct a new high quality wetland complex that will
serve to replace other wetlands that are filled in by
projects such as the Renton Nickel Improvement
Project. The location of the bank is shown to the left.
In addition to wetland mitigation, the site will also
provide flood storage mitigation. The Springbrook
Creek Wetland and Habitat Mitigation Bank will be one
of the first urban mitigation banks to be certified in
Washington.
To mitigate project effects on streams, WSDOT will
remove the existing Springbrook Creek box culvert.
With the new I-405 southbound and northbound
bridges that will span both Springbrook Creek and
Oakesdale Avenue, the box culvert is no longer
needed. After the new bridges are in place, the box
culvert will be removed and the streambed in that area
will be restored. This will improve fish habitat within
Springbrook Creek. Any additional stream mitigation
required to offset project effects will be accommodated
within the project vicinity.
Renton Coal Mine Hoist Foundation site
looking west
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Arterial Road
Freeway
River/Creek Channel
Study Area Limits
Springbrook Creek Wetland and Habitat
Mitigation Bank
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 17
What benefits will the project provide?
The Build Alternative will benefit the area by reducing
congestion at chokepoints, reducing the duration of
congestion during peak commuter travel hours, and
improving freight movement.
This section of I-405, from the I-5 interchange to
SR 169, is congested due to large traffic volumes and
merging and diverging traffic. The new lanes will help
relieve congestion by adding roadway capacity. This
in turn will improve safety by providing drivers with
more time and extra room to accelerate or decelerate
and move into and out of the stream of traffic when
getting on and off the freeway. This provides a
smoother transition for motorists as they get on and off
I-405 in Tukwila and Renton and helps decrease rear-
end and sideswipe collisions.
The project reduces congestion approaching the
SR 167 interchange, and it complements the
completed southbound I-405 to southbound SR 167
flyover ramp.
This project will construct one noise wall along
northbound I-405 from the intersection of South 14th
Street and South 15th Street east to Talbot Road. This
wall will benefit residents in that area by lowering the
overall noise levels.
Another benefit of this project is that it continues the
application of the Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS)
design choices made by the communities within the
I-405 corridor. The Benson Road realignment will
reflect the most comprehensive application of these
design choices as explained further in the next section.
How will the project incorporate
community design preferences?
The Renton Nickel Improvement Project is being
planned, developed, and designed according to CSS
guidelines. These guidelines establish the community
design preferences used to design the project
features. Working within the framework for the overall
I-405 corridor, the Urban Design Guidelines will be
adapted to incorporate the communities’ design
preferences. These preferences will be included in
the contract documents prepared for the Renton
Nickel Improvement Project. The selected I-405
theme of “Culture, Nature, and Progress,” with nature
This rendering shows the new Benson
Road overpass with the CSS Guidelines
applied
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
18 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
being the dominant theme, will be carried into corridor-
wide and local I-405 designs.
The new Benson Road overpass is the main project
feature that will receive CSS treatment. The new
southbound and northbound bridges over Springbrook
Creek and Oakesdale Avenue will also receive CSS
treatments. The rest of the project elements will be
designed to match in color and vegetation type only, as
many of these elements will be affected by construction
of future Master Plan projects. During future Master
Plan phases for the overall I-405 corridor, the approved
CSS guidelines will be applied throughout.
How will the project be constructed?
Construction of the entire Renton Nickel Improvement
Project is expected to take two years, beginning in
early 2008 and being completed in late 2010.
However, construction activity will not be constant for
the entire study area throughout this time, and in some
locations, the work will take substantially less time
than two years. Construction will pose some minor
inconveniences because of localized travel delays due
to temporary lane closures and narrowed lanes and
shoulders.
At-grade construction
At-grade construction, which occurs on the same
elevation as the existing lanes, will be staged to
minimize traffic delays and detours. Typically, lanes
are shifted toward the median. WSDOT then places a
concrete barrier to close off the shoulder. Staging
allows construction to occur safely without closing
lanes for the duration of construction. Access to
construction areas will occur from the roadway side to
minimize property effects.
Bridge construction
Construction of the I-405 bridges will occur in multiple
stages to minimize traffic delays and detours. The
following describes typical staging for bridge
construction. As the first stage, traffic is shifted toward
the I-405 median and the existing lanes and shoulders
are narrowed slightly to allow widening of the existing
structure or construction of the new bridge depending
on the design. In the next stage, traffic is shifted onto
the new bridge area. If the bridge is being replaced
rather than simply widened, the old structure is
demolished after traffic is shifted to the new bridge.
At-grade construction for this project will
likely be staged similar what is shown
above. Here, the southbound lanes of I-5
were shifted toward the median and a
concrete barrier closed off the shoulder to
provide crews a safe work area.
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 19
The new Benson Road overpass will also be staged.
The new structure will be built to the west, while the
existing overpass remains in service. After traffic has
been shifted onto the new overpass, the existing
structure will be demolished.
Staging areas
Construction staging areas along I-405 and SR 167
will be within the WSDOT right-of-way. Potential
staging areas have been identified as shown on
Exhibits 2 through 9.
Traffic control
Detour agreements with the local agencies will be
obtained after WSDOT awards the contract. A traffic
control plan will be approved by WSDOT prior to
starting construction. The plan’s primary objectives
will be to provide a safe facility, to streamline the
construction schedule, and to minimize reductions to
existing traffic capacity. To lessen effects on traffic,
the duration of activities will be minimized and
reductions in capacity will be limited and will be
targeted to a period when they will have the least
effect.
Why do we consider public services and utilities as we
plan for this project?
Public services and utilities are important to consider
because they enhance and simplify the quality of
human life. They allow us to live in a safer
environment and enjoy a higher standard of living. If
these services were to be interrupted, discontinued, or
altered, then it could affect the quality of life people
are used to.
Transportation projects may affect public services and
utilities by disrupting service during construction.
Construction effects may include relocating, adjusting,
or protecting utility lines or facilities. These activities
may interfere with police, fire, and emergency
services. Public services include fire, police, schools,
parks and recreational facilities, transit, and
maintenance services. Utilities include municipal
agencies, special utility districts, and private
companies that provide services such as electricity,
natural gas, water, wastewater or stormwater
collection, fiber optics, and telecommunications.
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
20 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
What are the key points of this report?
The key points of this report are:
There are a variety of existing public services
and utilities.
Several entities provide public services to the
communities within the study area, including
emergency response services, schools, transit,
places of worship, community centers, mail
delivery, cemeteries, and government offices.
The I-405 Team identified utilities within the
I-405 and SR 167 corridors based on
WSDOT’s Utility and Franchise Permit
database, field observations, and coordination
with utility providers. Public and private utility
providers (electricity and natural gas,
telephone service, cable service, water, sewer,
and solid waste collection and recycling) serve
businesses and residences in the study area.
Effects from construction will be minor.
Construction of the Renton Nickel
Improvement Project will have minor short-
term effects on the public services and utilities
in the study area.
Most of the utilities are expected to be
protected in place and therefore won’t be
disturbed. A few utilities may need to have
their protective casings extended and some
utilities may be relocated. Relocating utility
lines and/or cables will cause temporary
outages that will be coordinated with services
providers to ensure that inconveniences to the
public are minimized.
Construction effects will be minimized through
coordination. WSDOT will coordinate several
efforts prior to and during project construction:
• Prepare and implement a Traffic
Management Plan (TMP). Signs will be
posted to show detour routes if periods of
closure are needed.
• Coordinate with the service providers
before construction. The TMP will be
implemented and coordinated with all
service providers prior to construction
activity.
How are utilities tracked by the state of
Washington?
By law, WSDOT is required to reasonably
accommodate utilities within their right-
of-way corridors for the public benefit
without sacrificing the safety and
operation of the transportation system.
Utility providers submit engineered
requests to WSDOT for compliance with
the accommodation policy. Field reviews
are also done and then permits and/or
franchises are issued and tracked. This
information is then kept in WSDOT’s
Utility and Franchise/Permit database for
tracking and providing information to
maintenance, construction, design
offices as well as local agencies and
developers.
INTRODUCTION
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 21
• Coordinate with utility service providers to
identify conflicts and resolve them prior to
or during construction.
Project will benefit public services. The project
will enhance mobility and reduce response
times for emergency service vehicles along
I-405 and SR 167. Once the project is
completed, WSDOT expects an increase in
average vehicle speeds of up to 20 miles per
hour when the project opens in 2010. The
improvements will also increase the number of
vehicles that can travel through the corridor.
WSDOT does not expect these increases to be
substantial enough to affect traffic patterns or
conditions on local streets.
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
22 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
EXISTING CONDITIONS
How was information collected?
The I-405 Team researched websites and used GIS
mapping to locate services. These tools allowed the
I-405 Team to identify and locate the existing public
services. The websites for the cities of Renton and
Tukwila provided information on fire and police
protection and other city services. Other websites
provided information on schools, religious institutions,
social institutions, medical services, and cemeteries.
Based on this research, the I-405 Team mapped the
various services located within the study area. This
initial mapping used the services’ addresses and then
the I-405 Team went into the field to verify the mapping.
By coordinating with utility providers within the study
area, the I-405 Team identified existing utilities. This
effort identified providers for water, solid waste collection
and recycling, sewer, storm sewer, electric power, natural
gas, petroleum, and telecommunications. The I-405
Team gave the utility providers a base map of the
identified utilities and requested that they confirm the
locations of existing, abandoned, and active utilities
within the study area. Once utility locations were
confirmed, the I-405 Team conducted additional field
work and updated the base maps.
What are the service areas and how did these determine
the study area?
Most public services have boundaries or defined areas
that each one serves. For example, a fire district
boundary defines the limits within which the district
provides fire fighting and emergency response services.
Other public services, such as religious institutions or
medical clinics, do not have defined boundaries and
may serve people outside of the study area. For this
reason, the I-405 Team first identified public services by
determining if any service boundaries overlapped or
were adjacent to the project boundaries. For services
that lack physical boundaries, the I-405 Team identified
those in close proximity to the project, based on a one-
half mile radius from both sides of the project. The one-
half mile radius was set as the study area for all
services addressed within this report.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 23
To determine the study area for utilities, the I-405
Team assessed which utilities crossed into or occur
within WSDOT’s existing right-of-way or lay parallel to
and adjacent to WSDOT’s right-of-way. Based on
those factors, the I-405 Team identified the existing
utilities and added them to the base maps for further
coordination with the utility providers.
As the study area for services encompassed the
utilities crossing both I-405 and SR 167, the one-half-
mile radius study area was applied to utilities as well.
What are the public services and utilities in the study
area?
Several entities provide public services to the
communities within the study area, including police
protection, fire and emergency medical services,
schools, churches, community centers, cemeteries,
and government offices. Public and private utility
providers (electricity and natural gas, telephone
service, cable service, water, sewer, solid waste
collection and recycling) serve businesses and
residences in the study area.
What emergency response services are in
the study area?
Fire services
The Tukwila Fire Department provides fire protection
from four locations. Of these, two locations serve the
study area: Fire Station 51 at 444 Andover Park E
and Fire Station 52 at 5900 S 147th Street.
The Renton Fire Department provides fire protection
services to the study area from five locations. Station
11 serves the central part of the city and is the main
fire station across from Historic City Hall. Station 12
serves the north and east portions of the city and is
located in Renton Highlands. Station 13 serves the
southeast portion of the city and is located in the
Talbot Hill area. Station 14 serves the south portion of
Renton and is located at Lind Avenue SW and S 19th
Street. Part of the Renton fire protection system is
provided by King County Fire District 25 out of Station
42. This district serves the east portion of the city as
well as portions of King County, which includes part of
the study area.
What is unique about the Tukwila Fire
Department?
The City of Tukwila is dissected by
several major highways and freeways
including: I-5, I-405 and SR 99, 181, 518,
and 599. Because of the heavy freeway
and highway traffic, Tukwila Firefighters
see numerous serious injury accidents
and major trauma patients.
Source: City of Tukwila website.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
24 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
Exhibit 10 shows the locations of the fire stations
within the study area.
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Exhibit 10. Existing Public Services in the Study Area
Police districts
The cities of Tukwila and Renton provide police,
municipal court, and jail services and facilities as part
of their public safety responsibilities. Currently, these
services and facilities are located on their respective
city hall campuses.
The Washington State Patrol provides police
protection along I-405, SR 167, and at on- and off-
ramps. Commissioned troopers carry out the
department’s goal of providing a safe driving
environment for the public. The study area is patrolled Renton City Hall located off of SW Grady
Way
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 25
by troopers in Zone 3 of District 2. The Headquarters
for District 2 is located at 2803 156th Avenue SE in
Bellevue.
Metro Transit Police are first responders to incidences
involving either Metro or Sound Transit buses.
Emergency medical services
Valley Medical Center provides a wide variety of
medical services to the community. In addition, it is a
regional medical center providing Level III Trauma
medical services within the study area. It represents
one of three facilities of this kind in King County.
Health and social service centers
Both public and private non-profit health centers and
clinics serve the community in the study area. King
County operates two public health centers and two
youth-based health care facilities in Renton. The first
provides chemical abuse and dependency treatment,
and the second facility serves school children and is
called “school-linked,” which is an affiliate of and based
at the Group Health Cooperative. School-linked offers
medical treatment and counseling to school-aged
children in South King County who otherwise may not
have access to health care. Valley Medical and Group
Health operate several clinics in the area.
Two non-profit organizations also provide services to
the Renton community. The Community Health
Centers of King County, an agency of United Way of
King County, offers health care to anyone. To those
who meet the low income criteria, health care is
provided at a reduced cost. The Salvation Army has a
center in downtown Renton that provides various
community assistance activities.
Some of the major health care and social service
facilities within the study area are listed below:
Tukwila Office of Human Services
Renton Area Youth Family Services
Renton Community Health Center
Group Health Cooperative Services
Valley Medical Clinics
Salvation Army - Renton Corps Community
Center
These and other facilities are shown on Exhibit 10.
What is a Level III Trauma facility?
Level III Trauma as defined by the
Washington State Department of Health
means the facility provides initial
evaluation and stabilization (including
surgery, if appropriate) to the trauma
patient.
The Salvation Army located in downtown
Renton
Valley Medical Center, off of SW 43rd
Street is the largest non-profit health
organization between Seattle and Tacoma
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
26 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
What schools are nearby?
The Tukwila School District 406 and the Renton
School District 403 maintain educational services in
the study area. Many of the children who attend these
schools rely on district bus systems or public transit to
travel to and from school-related activities. Schools
that fall within the one half-mile study area are:
Tukwila Elementary School
Talbot Hill Elementary School
Saint Anthony’s School
Renton High School
Sartori School
Tukwila School District 406
The Tukwila School District has approximately 2,600
students enrolled in five schools: 3 elementary
schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school. The
district has its headquarters at Tukwila School District
4640 South 144th St, Tukwila, WA 98168.
The study area also intersects the service areas for
Showalter Middle School and Foster High School.
Renton School District 403
The Renton School District has approximately 13,000
students enrolled in 13 elementary schools, three
middle schools, three comprehensive high schools,
two alternative high schools, and three special service
centers. The district has its headquarters at 300 SW
7th Street, Renton, WA 98055.
The study area intersects the service areas for,
Dimmit Middle School, Renton High School, and
Talbot Hill Elementary Schools. Both Lakeridge and
Bryn Mawr elementary schools also serve part of the
study area; however, these schools are outside of the
study area.
Sartori Education Center is an alternative school
within the study area and is shown on Exhibit 10.
Several other special service schools serve the entire
district but are not located within the study area: Black
River Alternative High School, Hillcrest Special
Service Center, H.O.M.E. Program at Honeydew
Elementary, and Thompson Early Childhood Center.
Renton High School in downtown Renton
Tukwila Elementary School
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 27
What religious institutions are nearby?
The study areas encompass several religious
institutions and are as follows: St. Anthony’s Catholic
Church and Renton Lutheran Church.
Are other prominent community centers or
facilities nearby?
The Renton Community Center, at 1715 Maple Valley
Highway, is a full service recreation facility that
includes a 2,200 square foot fitness room and a gym
that offers sporting activities. Leisure classes offered
at the facility include arts and crafts, dance, wellness,
and preschool through adult programs.
The City of Renton Community Services Department
operates the Renton Senior Center. The center
provides a drop-in facility for adults 55 years of age
and older. For its clients, the center is a focal point in
the Renton community for quality recreational, social,
health, educational, and nutritional services.
Both Tukwila and Renton have public libraries in the
study area.
Are any cemeteries in the study area?
One cemetery is located within a half-mile of the study
area: Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Inc. This facility is located
at 100 Blaine Avenue NE in the Renton Highlands.
What local government offices are in the
study area?
Two city halls lie in the study area: Tukwila City Hall
located at 6200 Southcenter Boulevard and Renton
City Hall located at 1055 S Grady Way.
St. Anthony’s in downtown Renton
Renton Community Center
Tukwila City Hall
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
28 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
Who provides electricity and natural gas
service?
Electric power
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) provides electrical service
throughout the study area. PSE locates and operates
electrical transmission and distribution system facilities
within public rights-of-way in accordance with state law
and franchise agreements with the cities of Renton and
Tukwila, and WSDOT. Facilities are also located on
property owned by PSE and in easements across other
privately and publicly owned property. Seattle City Light
also provides electricity to areas along Benson Road.
Throughout the study area, PSE runs overhead and
underground transmission lines and distribution lines.
These lines include high voltage transmission lines for
bulk power transfers, substations for system
monitoring and control and changing of voltage levels,
and lower voltage feeder lines to carry the electricity to
consumers. Exhibit 11 illustrates where power lines
cross I-405 and SR 167.
The Bonneville Power Administration Maple Valley
Station provides power to the Talbot Hill Station. This
station feeds out high capacity lines energized at 230 kV
and 115 kV. From Talbot Hill, these lines carry power to
other transmission stations or to distribution substations
where the voltage is stepped down for entry into the
feeder system. Also, a step-down transformer is located
south of I-405, east of Longacres Drive.
Natural gas
PSE provides natural gas service throughout the study
area. With Tukwila and Renton, PSE operates under a
franchise, which allows them to locate facilities within
the public street rights-of-way. Facilities are also
located on property owned by PSE and in easements
across other private and publicly owned property.
The natural gas distribution system consists of a
network of distribution mains and smaller lines that
convey natural gas throughout the study area. Natural
gas is provided to PSE by Williams, which operates a
high-pressure, interstate transmission pipeline system
extending from Canada to New Mexico. PSE takes
delivery of natural gas to serve the area from two
parallel Williams pipelines in Renton and through a
series of smaller lines and pressure regulators.
What are transmission and distribution
lines?
Transmission lines refer to the cable
carrying electricity on its way from
producer to consumer and are generally
high voltage. Distribution lines are
normally considered to be lines that
carry and distribute power from the high-
voltage transmission systems to end-use
customers.
What is a substation?
A substation is the part of an electricity
transmission and distribution system
where voltage is transformed from high
to low voltage using transformers.
Substations are most commonly found in
residential and industrial areas where
one or more high voltage lines can be
feeding into the station and a number of
lower-voltage distribution lines spider out
to serve customers in the surrounding
areas.
Transmission lines crossing Benson
Road
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 29
Through a series of reduction valves, PSE delivers
natural gas to homes.
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Exhibit 11. Types of Utilities that Cross or are Adjacent to I-405 and SR 167 in the
Study Area
Who provides telephone service?
Several companies provide telephone service in the study
area, including Qwest Communications International, Inc.
(Qwest), Verizon, and MCI/Sprint. Telephone services
include distribution lines, trunk lines, and switching
stations. Switching stations, also called “Central Offices”
(CO), switch calls within and between line exchange
groupings. The CO serving the study area is located in a
building on 3rd Avenue S in downtown Renton.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
30 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
Four main “feeder” cable telecommunications routes
generally extend from each CO, heading to the north,
south, east, and west. Branch feeder routes are
connected to these main feeder routes. These facilities
may be aerial or buried and copper or fiber optic.
Non-wire cellular phone service is provided by Cellular
One. The cellular system technology works on the
principal of reusing radio frequencies. Cell sites are
located within the center of an area defined by a grid
system. Preferred cell site locations include: existing
broadcast or communications towers, water towers,
high rise buildings, and vacant open land. Several cell
sites are located within the project vicinity.
Who provides cable service?
Three cable providers operate within the study area.
Community Antenna Television (CATV) provides cable
television and other broadband data services,
including voice and data, to users via a network of
coaxial cable telecommunications. AT&T Broadband
and Comcast currently hold cable telecommunications
television franchises within the study area. The cable
feeder systems generally follow street rights-of-way.
Who provides water and sewer?
Tukwila water system
The City of Seattle’s water system currently supplies the
entire City of Tukwila service area through a long-term
purveyor contract. Nearly all of the water supplied to
Tukwila comes from the Cedar River Watershed through
2 pipelines: the 60-inch Cedar River Pipeline No. 4 and
the 48-inch West Seattle supply. Surrounding water
districts have similar arrangements with the City of
Seattle. The City of Tukwila maintains interties with
several water districts for emergency use. Interties
connect existing public water systems and permit
exchange of water between the systems in case of
emergency need.
Renton water system
Ninety-three percent of Renton’s water is supplied by
the Cedar Valley Aquifer. As Renton’s primary water
source, it has been designated a “sole source” by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This means
no federal financial assistance can be given to a
project that might contaminate the aquifer and create
a public health hazard. The City of Renton extracts
Power lines and a buried gas line and
water line cross SR 167 at approximately
SW 23rd Street
Wells 1R,
2R, 3R
Wells adjacent to I-405 in Liberty Park
and Cedar River Park
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EXISTING CONDITIONS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 31
most of its drinking water from a well system within the
Cedar Valley Aquifer. This system consists of eight
wells and one spring. Six wells, located in downtown
Renton, supply nearly two-thirds of the city’s drinking
water. Springbrook Springs, located at the south end
of the city, supplies approximately 15 percent. The
remaining water is supplied from wells at Maplewood
Golf Course.
The City has five production wells in the immediate
project vicinity: RW 1, 2, and 3; PW 8 and 9; and one
emergency production well designated as EW-3.
Surrounding the production wells, the City has
numerous groundwater monitoring wells that they use
to test and monitor the aquifer for water quality.
Before distributing water to the public, the City treats
its groundwater. Treatment facilities are within or
immediately adjacent to the well and pump house.
After treatment, underground pipelines distribute water
to the public.
See the Soils, Geology, and Groundwater Discipline
Report for more details on water supply and the aquifer.
Sewer system
The entire study area is in the Western King County
Wastewater Treatment Division Service Area1. For
nearly 40 years, King County has operated the South
Treatment Plant in Renton, providing secondary-level
treatment for the study area. Besides treatment
operations, the plant site includes facilities for handling
biosolids, water reuse, and testing alternative
treatment technologies. The plant can treat an
average of 115 million gallons per day of wastewater.
Wastewater is discharged to regional facilities within
the study area and is treated at the South Treatment
Plant. Sewer line crossings are identified on
Exhibit 11.
The Tukwila sanitary sewer system consists of about
30 miles of sewer mains and 8 sewage lift stations
within its sewage collection system.
1. King County Department of Natural Resources 2003.
King County operates the South
Treatment Plant in Renton
Production well 8 adjacent to I-405 in the
Cedar River Park
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
32 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
The Renton sanitary sewer system consists of about
153 miles of gravity sewers and 23 lift stations with
associated force mains.
Who maintains the storm sewer system?
Stormwater facilities in the study area include the
storm sewer conveyance system (pipes, culverts
ditches, catch basins, and other structures) and
retention and detention facilities.
The cities of Renton and Tukwila, along with WSDOT,
own, maintain, and operate the storm and surface
water management facilities. These facilities are
located within public (city or state) rights-of-way and
easements dedicated for storm and surface water
management purposes.
A description of the current stormwater facilities is
included in the Surface Water and Water Quality
Discipline Report.
Who provides solid waste collection and
recycling?
In Tukwila, Sea Tac Disposal (Rabanco) provides
solid waste collection and recycling services. In
Renton, Waste Management provides solid waste
collection and recycling services.
A catch basin that collects stormwater
runoff from the I-405/SR 167 interchange
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 33
POTENTIAL EFFECTS
How were the effects of the Renton Nickel Improvement
Project determined?
Using the existing conditions we identified in the
previous section, we evaluated how the Build
Alternative and the No Build Alternative will affect
public services and utilities within the study area.
To determine potential effects on public services
during construction, the I-405 Team considered traffic
detours and delays that could occur during
construction. Although these effects are temporary,
they can interfere with the freeway and local street
system and disrupt emergency service response
times. These temporary effects can last as long as
construction is active in a specific area and typically
do not have a long-term effect. To characterize these
effects, the I-405 Team reviewed the construction
staging plans and determined the duration, intensity,
and location of construction activities relative to the
existing service routes.
To determine potential effects on public services
during operation, the I-405 Team reviewed the
Transportation Discipline Report prepared for this
project. The I-405 Team’s transportation group
coordinated with us to provide an accurate
understanding of how traffic patterns and mobility
might change as a result of the project. We used this
information to determine whether increased
accessibility and better traffic flow will affect existing
services.
In particular, we looked at the project’s effects on 2030
levels of service (how well traffic flows through key
local intersections and on the freeway). These future
levels of service reflected the morning and afternoon
peak hours. These levels served as reference points
to determine whether the project will affect (either
positively and negatively) response times for
emergency vehicles and travel times for school buses
and people accessing other public services, such as
medical clinics.
To determine potential effects on utilities, we reviewed
the base maps with utility locations and then
compared those locations with the proposed project
footprint. The I-405 Team noted and described each
What are temporary effects?
Temporary effects on public service
occur during construction and generally
relate to changes in traffic patterns due
to detours and delays. The severity of
temporary effects depends on:
how long construction lasts
(duration),
whether construction is constant or
sporadic (intensity), and
the need for detour routes.
Temporary effects on utilities generally
relate to the need to extend protective
casings or move (relocate) the utility.
What are permanent effects?
Permanent effects are those that change
how public services and utilities serve
the study area. The severity of these
effects depends on:
whether new spans are too wide for
overhead cables,
subsurface maintenance is no longer
possible due to newly built
structures,
how well traffic flows through key
intersections, and
whether the project has a positive or
negative effect on emergency
response times and travel times to
access public services.
POTENTIAL EFFECTS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
34 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
potential conflict by type, quantity, and possible
solution (i.e., to protect or relocate). As part of the
design process, the I-405 Team evaluated ways to
avoid potential conflicts and incorporated them into the
design where feasible. A goal of this project is to
avoid disruption of services. For this reason, WSDOT
intends to relocate utilities prior to construction. This
will also help maintain the construction schedule by
avoiding potential delays associated with relocating
the utilities.
What effect will construction activities have on the public
services and utilities in the study area?
The Renton Nickel Improvement Project will widen the
roadway, widen or replace I-405 bridges, relocate or
protect utilities, install storm drainage facilities, and
reconstruct and realign the Benson Road overpass.
These activities will have minor short-term effects on
public services and utilities in the study area.
Travelers through the area can expect minor delays
and slow downs. Transit, school buses, solid waste
collection and recycling, and emergency response
vehicles may also experience temporary route detours
during some construction phases.
To minimize effects on traffic, the duration of activities
will be minimized and reductions in capacity will be
targeted to a period when they will have the least
effect. WSDOT will also comply with safety standards
and work to minimize effects on road capacity during
construction.
Construction staging
Construction staging will minimize traffic delays and
detours that affect delivery of public services.
For at-grade construction (work occurring at same
elevation as existing road), it is likely that the I-405
and SR 167 lanes will be shifted toward the median.
Next, a concrete barrier will be laid down to close off
the existing shoulder so that construction can occur
safely without closing lanes.
The I-405 bridge construction will occur in multiple
stages. As a first stage, traffic will be diverted away
from the construction area and the existing lanes and
shoulders will be narrowed to allow either widening of
the existing structure or construction of the new bridge.
How long will it take to construct the
project?
Construction is expected to take two
years; however, construction activity in
any one location could take substantially
less time. Construction will pose some
minor inconveniences because of
localized travel delays due to temporary
lane closures.
Typical equipment used on roadway
construction projects
POTENTIAL EFFECTS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 35
For replacements, the old structure will be demolished
after traffic is shifted to the new bridge area.
The new Benson Road overpass will also be staged.
The new structure will be built to the west, so that the
existing overpass can remain in service. After traffic
has been shifted onto the new overpass, the existing
structure will be demolished.
The Benson Road overpass replacement is expected
to require a substantial amount of fill material.
Approximately 100 additional trucks will pass over the
City of Renton’s streets each weekday to deliver this
material. The traffic disruptions on Benson Road are
expected to be limited to this additional truck traffic
and a short-term road closure when traffic is shifted
from the old bridge to the new bridge.
The realignment of Benson Road will leave a segment
of unused abandoned roadway in front of existing
residences. This unused roadway will be reconfigured
as a frontage road to provide local access to the
adjacent residences.
No other local roads are expected to be substantially
affected by construction.
Utility relocations
Based on WSDOT’s Utility and Franchise Permit
database, field observations, and coordination with
utility providers, the I-405 Team identified a substantial
number of utilities within the study area. Many of
these utilities cross over and under I-405 and SR 167
and a number of telephone and traffic signal cables
and a water line are attached to the underside of the
Lind Avenue, Christensen Road, and 61st Avenue
bridges. Many of these utilities will be affected by the
project. Investigations are underway in consultation
with the utility owners and agencies to determine the
extent and nature of the possible effects and to
develop strategies for relocating and/or protecting the
existing utilities, if required. The protection method
will be evaluated by the utility owner in coordination
with the I-405 Team to ensure that it is sound,
acceptable and complies with codes and industrial
practices. This will be documented and filed in
WSDOT records as reference for any future roadway
improvements.
The I-405 Team expects most utilities already have
adequate protection. A few utilities may require their
protective casings to be extended and some may
How are utilities protected in place?
Underground utilities are protected by
concrete encasements, sleeves, or slabs.
This type of protection ensures that
roadways or other structures placed on
top of them will not collapse the pipe. It
also protects the roadway or structure
against collapse and wash out should a
pipe break or start to leak.
Construction-related effects will occur when
the Benson Road overpass is realigned.
Overhead power lines and a water line will
need to be relocated in this area. Overall,
construction at this location is expected to
take about 9 months.
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POTENTIAL EFFECTS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
36 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
need to be relocated. Relocating utility lines and/or
cables will cause temporary outages. These outages
are anticipated to be short term, intermittent, and
coordinated with services providers to ensure that
inconveniences to the public are minimized.
The I-405 Team has currently identified many potential
utility conflicts within the Renton Nickel Improvement
Project footprint. Of the potential conflicts, a small
number are identified as having a probable conflict
that will most likely result in relocation of utilities. The
exact location and depth of the more critical utilities
like petroleum, major water, and major sewer lines are
currently being verified with utility providers. The
potential utility conflicts that have been identified are
summarized in Exhibits 12 through 15 and discussed
below. These probable utility conflicts will be resolved
prior to construction.
Electric power
The I-405 Team has identified a number of potential
conflicts with overhead power transmission lines that
enter the I-405 right-of-way; several lines may need to
be relocated. These lines cross over Benson Road
and their height may need to be increased to provide
adequate clearance for the new roadway. WSDOT
may also have to relocate the tower associated with
the step-down transformer south of I-405 and east of
Longacres Drive.
Natural gas
The I-405 Team has identified a number of natural gas
lines, all owned by PSE, that have probable conflicts.
Field investigations are ongoing to confirm whether
the existing protective casings are long enough to
accommodate roadway widening or if these casings
will need to be extended. The I-405 Team does not
anticipate needing to relocate these utilities.
Phone/cable
The I-405 Team has identified many lines that have
probable conflicts. The buried phone lines near the
BNSF railroad tracks may require some minor shifts,
but the I-405 Team anticipates that these shifts could
occur without major disruption of service as long as
the lines have enough slack for adjustment.
How are utilities relocated so that
service is not disrupted?
When utilities are relocated, the move is
staged so that no major disruption in
service occurs. Usually, the existing line
is kept in place and in service while the
new line is being laid. Once the new line
is in place, it is tested, treated, and
connected to the existing service. The
shift from the existing line to the new line
usually occurs during off-peak hours
(when there are the fewest users).
How are utilities being coordinated?
The project team is currently working
with the utility providers to verify all
existing utilities in the study area and to
provide a strategy to assure that the
relocations are done efficiently and in a
timely manner. Utilities will be relocated
under the provisions provided in each
provider’s franchise agreement. The
project team will determine the best
timing for relocations through
communications with the utility provider
and with WSDOT.
The I-405 Team will draft a memorandum
to define the approach for relocating
utilities. The memorandum identifies
three possible approaches:
Relocate utilities prior to awarding
the design-build contract.
Begin the relocation process before
selecting the contractor and then
assign responsibility to the
contractor to identify any remaining
utilities.
Give the successful contractor the
full responsibility to coordinate all
utility relocations.
The project team has future meetings
scheduled with the various providers to
confirm existing utility locations, as well
as to refine the team’s approach for
relocating utilities.
POTENTIAL EFFECTS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 37
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Exhibit 12. Approximate Location of Utilities with Potential Conflicts (I-5 to SR 181)
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Exhibit 13. Approximate Location of Utilities with Potential Conflicts (SR 181 to SR 167)
Utility
ID Utility Type Utility Owner
101 Water City of Tukwila
111 Sewer City of Tukwila
125 Water City of Tukwila
195 Water City of Tukwila
408 Power PSE
410 Water City of Seattle
Utility
ID Utility Type
Utility Owner
168 Water City of Renton
188 Stormwater Boeing
351 Stormwater City of Renton
352 Gas PSE
400 Gas PSE
401 Gas PSE
404 Power PSE
416 Power PSE
417 Power PSE
419 Water City of Renton
420 Water City of Renton
421 Water City of Renton
422 Power PSE
423 Power PSE
424 Water City of Renton
425 Power PSE
434 Water City of Renton
Utility
ID Utility Type
Utility Owner
137 Telephone MCI/Sprint
142 Telephone Qwest
143 Water City of Renton
144 Stormwater Richards/Holmes
145 Power PSE
146 Stormwater City of Renton
147 Telephone Comcast
148 Telephone City of Renton
149 Telephone Comcast
150 Telephone MCI/Sprint
151 Telephone Qwest
152 Stormwater Mr. Dahlby
154 Telephone Qwest
158 Power PSE
159 Water City of Renton
160 Sewer King County Waste
162 Stormwater City of Renton
163 Water City of Renton
164 Oil Olympic
167 Water City of Renton
POTENTIAL EFFECTS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
38 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
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Exhibit 14. Approximate Location of Utilities with Potential Conflicts (SR 167 to Renton
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S 2 8 th C tS 36th St
S 18th St
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SE 166th St
S 177th St
S 22nd Pl
Wells Ct SDavis Ave SRaymond Ave SWS 28th Pl
SE 174th StS 29th PlS 3 0th Ct
Cedar Ave SES W 21st St
S 3 0 t h P l
SR 167S 2 6 t h St
S 27 th StMorris Ave SS 32nd Pl
105th Ave SEShattuck Ave SOakesdale Ave SWS 23rd St
S 38th Ct
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Exhibit 15. Approximate Location of Utilities with Potential Conflicts (SW 19th Street
to SW 41st Street)
Utility
ID Utility Type
Utility Owner
202 Telephone Qwest
203 Telephone Comcast
204A Telephone Qwest
204B Telephone Qwest
206 Telephone Qwest
207 Power PSE
208 Gas PSE
209 Power PSE
211 Power PSE
212 Water City of Renton
213 Telephone Comcast
214 Telephone Qwest
215 Power PSE
216 Power PSE
217 Power PSE
218 Power PSE
219 Telephone PSE
220 Power PSE
Utility
ID
Utility
Type
Utility Owner
222 Power PSE
223 Telephone Qwest
224 Telephone Qwest
233 Sewer City of Renton
234 Power PSE
235 Power PSE
236 Stormwater City of Renton
238 Water City of Renton
240 Oil Olympic Petroleum
242 Power PSE
243 Telephone Telecom
245 Sewer City of Renton
246 Stormwater City of Renton
251 Sewer City of Renton
252 Stormwater City of Renton
254 Water City of Seattle
255 Water City of Seattle
409 Fiber Optic City of Renton
418 Power PSE
426 Power PSE
427 Power PSE
428 Power PSE
429 Stormwater City of Renton
432 Power PSE
433 Power PSE
Utility
ID Utility Type
Utility Owner
330 Telephone Electric Lightwave
331 Power PSE
349 Water City of Seattle
350 Oil Olympic Petroleum
354 Power Olympic Petroleum
355 Water City of Renton
405 Power PSE
406 Power PSE
407 Power PSE
POTENTIAL EFFECTS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 39
Tukwila and Renton water systems
Widening of northbound I-405 will encroach on the 60-
inch City of Seattle water line that provides water for
Tukwila within the study area and will reduce the
clearance to the line. The water line will be protected by
installing a protective lining around the pipe. A fill slope
will then be used along the highway edge that will also
future access to the pipe for repairs and maintenance.
The I-405 Team has identified other water lines that have
probable conflicts. One City of Renton water line near
the Benson Road construction area is expected to be
relocated. This relocation will be staged so that no major
service disruption occurs. In addition, the City’s fire
protection system in Benson Road will remain in place
until the new system is energized.
A 60-inch City of Seattle water main crosses SR 167
at approximately SW 23rd Street. The I-405 Team is
currently field verifying this line location and evaluating
its existing protection.
The City of Renton wells located at the north end of
the project will not be affected as the roadway will not
be widened in the vicinity of the wells. WSDOT will
restripe the existing pavement in this area to add the
auxiliary lane.
Sewer system
The I-405 Team has identified several potential sanitary
sewer line conflicts in the study area; however, these
lines are not anticipated to need relocation. One line, a
90-inch sewer line near Springbrook Creek, will require
special design considerations. The I-405 Team is
currently evaluating the bridge design around this line.
The goal is to position the new bridge piers to avoid the
line. The I-405 Team will develop performance
standards for construction methods to protect the pipes
based on the sewer line’s age, location, and composition.
Storm sewer
Generally, the project will have minimal effects on the
storm sewer systems in the study area. Existing
drainage structures and systems will be retained in
places where they will not be disturbed by new
construction. See the Surface Water and Water
Quality Discipline Report for details.
The proposed systems along the project corridor will
include standard WSDOT catch basin and manhole
structures connected by lateral and trunk drains to the
A typical utility trench within a roadway’s
right-of-way
POTENTIAL EFFECTS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
40 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
treatment and detention facilities. Pipe sizes will
generally range from 12 to 30 inches in diameter and
will be installed on grades and at depths necessary for
proper vertical clearances and hydraulic performance.
New storm sewer lines will tie into the existing lines or
will flow directly into treatment facilities. Where space
and access to structures make it possible, ecology
embankments will be constructed to provide enhanced
treatment of the runoff (see the section Introduction,
Build Alternative, for a description of proposed water
quality treatment and detention facilities).
Oil
Two Olympic Petroleum pipelines cross the study
area. A 20-inch pipeline crosses under Benson Road
and under SR 167 at SW 23rd Street. A 16-inch pipe
crosses under I-405 at Raymond Avenue SW and
under SR 167 at SW 23rd Street. Based on location
of the vents for these pipes, the I-405 Team suspects
that the protective sleeve extends out to a distance
that will accommodate the road widening. These lines
are not expected to be affected by the project.
What effect will an improved transportation system have?
WSDOT expects an increase in average travel speeds of
up to 20 mph along I-405 when the project opens in
2010. The project will also increase the number of
vehicles that can travel through the corridor over the No
Build Alternative. The project will enhance mobility and
reduce response times for fire and emergency medical
service vehicles along I-405 and SR 167.
WSDOT does not expect the increases in speed and
capacity to be substantial enough to affect traffic patterns
or conditions on local streets. The transportation
analysis does not indicate that improvements will affect
how traffic operates on local streets. Emergency
services will experience essentially the same conditions
on local streets with or without the project.
How would the No Build Alternative affect public
services and utilities in the study area?
WSDOT expects that traffic volumes would continue to
increase and congestion would continue to be a
problem on I-405 and SR 167 without the project. The
worsening traffic conditions could increase response
POTENTIAL EFFECTS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 41
times for emergency services and thus affect their
level of service on I-405.
Will there be any indirect effects from the project?
The transportation model is based on local and
regional economic and land use plans. The model
projects that a similar level of traffic growth will occur
in the study area, with or without the project. Based
on these findings, the project will not increase demand
for public services or utilities within the study area.
The Land Use Patterns Discipline Report provides
additional details on indirect effects.
What are Indirect Effects?
Indirect effects are defined in the WSDOT
Environmental Procedures Manual as the
“effect caused by the proposed action
that is later in time or farther removed in
distance, but still reasonably
foreseeable. Indirect effects may include
growth-inducing effects and other effects
related to induced changes in the pattern
of land use, population density or growth
rate, and related effects on air and water
and other natural systems, including
ecosystems.”
Were cumulative effects looked at for
this discipline?
The team did not evaluate cumulative
effects for this discipline report. A report
of cumulative effects is not needed for
every discipline studied for NEPA and
SEPA documentation. The disciplines
that were studied for cumulative effects
are Air Quality, Surface Water and Water
Quality, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources,
and Wetlands. The cumulative effects for
these disciplines are presented in the
Cumulative Effects Analysis Discipline
Report.
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
42 Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report
MEASURES TO AVOID OR
MINIMIZE PROJECT EFFECTS
How will adverse effects from construction be avoided or
minimized?
Impacts to existing utilities will be avoided through
project design when it is feasible. Where avoidance is
not feasible, utilities will be relocated or protected in
place.
WSDOT will coordinate several efforts with the
contractor prior to and during construction of the
project. These efforts will ensure that:
The contractor will prepare and implement a
Traffic Management Plan (TMP). Signs will be
posted to show detour routes if periods of
closure are needed, or if traffic is required to
change its normal route.
Coordination with the service providers will
occur before construction. The TMP will be
implemented and coordinated with all service
providers prior to construction activity.
Coordination with utility service providers will
identify conflicts and resolve them prior to or
during construction.
In addition, WSDOT expects to meet the commitments
in their I-405 Corridor Program FEIS. Construction
scheduling and staging plans will be developed to
ensure that emergency and school transportation
access is maintained. If temporary disruptions in
service are unavoidable, emergency and school
transportation service providers will be contacted and
kept informed. Contingency plans for unforeseen
interruptions of access or services will be developed
before construction begins.
MEASURES TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE PROJECT EFFECTS
Renton Nickel Improvement Project
Public Services and Utilities Discipline Report 43
How will adverse effects from an improved transportation
system be avoided or minimized?
This project has been planned in accordance with
local, state, and federal planning documents. There
will be no adverse effects from improving the
transportation system.