SEATAC – The Port of Seattle is preparing to move ahead with a $413 million rental car center at Sea-Tac Airport. It’s the next big project after last week’s port commissioner decision to lift a moratorium on major contracts.

The commissioners say the port has made reforms recommended in a critical state audit that found it mismanaged projects.

SOURCE:

• Tacoma News-Tribune

We here at the SeaTac Blog are as sick and tired of these ding-dang traffic construction nightmares as you are, so we’re passing along this critical, headache-avoidance advisory:

Avoid driving I-5 Southbound near Southcenter this weekend!

Crews will conduct a rolling slowdown on southbound I-5 near S. 178th Street at 3 a.m. this Sunday morning, March 2nd to install the replacement bridge girder.

S. 178th Street over I-5 has been narrowed back to one lane of alternating traffic using a smart signal that detects traffic back-ups and automatically adjusts signal timing to ease congestion.

S. 178th Street over I-5 will also be completely closed Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. the following morning.

On Dec. 13, 2006 a truck struck the S. 178th street overpass. The impact damaged a girder underneath the structure. Bridge inspectors found the bridge safe for drivers but decided to restrict traffic to prevent more damage to the girder.

Crews must replace the girder to return traffic to normal on this highly traveled overpass between Tukwila and SeaTac.

Crews will replace the damaged girder under the S. 178th street overpass. The bridge deck will also be repaired.

Completing repairs will return the overpass to normal capacity for drivers traveling between SeaTac and Tukwila.

Replacing the girder will ensure that the overpass remains safe for drivers on S. 178th and on I-5 in the future.

View Larger Map

SOURCE:

• DOT website

SEATAC – A 22-year-old Fife woman died after her car was hit at about 6:45 Friday morning by a school bus going north on Interstate 5 near SeaTac.

The State Patrol says an Acura rear-ended the car of Megan R. Simon, of Fife, as traffic slowed on Interstate 5 (near South 200th Street) during the morning commute.

Trooper Jeff Merrill says Simon lost control of her car and swerved left into the HOV lane, where a school bus slammed into her car.

There were no passengers on the bus, which was on its way to pick up students from the Kirkland campus of the Northwest School of Innovative Learning.

Merrill says Simon had head and internal injuries. She was taken to Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, where she died.

She was alone in her car. No one else involved in the crash was injured.

In the aftermath of the crash, Merrill says another car struck the damaged cars, then sped off. Witnesses say the car was blue, but no better description was available.

Troopers are asking anyone who saw that crash or the initial crash to call 425-649-4370.

The crash blocked most of the freeway for more than three hours, causing an eight-mile backup at one point.

SOURCE:

•  KOMO-TV News