HomeMy WebLinkAboutGlenn Wiggins Glenn Wiggins
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Peninsulallorthwest � FEB 5 2018
DAY,MAY 2,2017 A5
DanKelly
CITY OF HT ANGELES "
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PENINSULA DAMY News n overwhelming majority of Clallam Clallam and Jefferson
County commissioners,Port
PORT ANGELES—TheCounty, residents and several North of Port Angeles commission-
state Department of AOlYmPic Peninsula municipalities favored err and the Port Angeles
Transporation should con- and Forks city councils
sider Dan Kelly Road an
the option to build a new bridge on a new have formally endorsed
alternative to replacing the alignment just north of the existing span. option 7.
U S. Highway 101 bridge Transportation officials
over the Elwha River, CW- said Mondaythe were still
lam County commissioners bridge piers' take two to three years to evaluatingthe three
heard Monday. State officials are plan- build. remaining options using
A group of citizens toldling to replace e cracked l iggins said the actual different approaches to the
the board that a new high- bridgeon anew,PaaIl1 or cost would be closer to $20 bridge.
way on Dan Kelly Road existing alignment. million. "We do not have a firm
would eliminate the need to Meanwhile, crews are "We believe that the cost timeline for a decision, but
replace the 91-year-old momtoring the bridge with of the Dan Kelly route is are moving forward aggres-
Highway 101 crossing, tilt meters. Transportation substantially less than the siveN" Transportation offi-
which is being undercut bofficials say the bridge is DOT proposal," Wiggins cials said on the Elwha
the now free-flowing Elwha safe to drive on. said, bridge project web site.
River. Last year, Transports- Commissioners took no The state House and
The Dan Kelly highway hon officials sought public action after a lengthy dis- Senate approved$20 million
would use the existing state feedback on seven design cussion on the alternate to$30 million in funding for
Highway 112 bridge to alternatives' route, saying they would the Elwha bridge project in
cross the river west of Port An overwhelming major- seek clarification from DOT a transportation budget.
Angeles ity of Clallam County resi- on the cost estimates The amount of funding
"We believe the Dan dents and several North because they vary so widely, will depend on which design
Olympic Peninsula munici-
Kelly route is not only Commissioner Bill Peach option is selected.
cheaper, but also assures a pa hies favored the option said he would attempt to
much more stable Highway new a new bridge on a organize a meeting with Reporter Rob 014kainen can be
101 leading to the West gement just north of DOT officials to discuss the reached at 360-452-2345, ext_
End,"said Glenn Wiggins, the existing span. bridge project. 56450,or at rollikainen�
mv a That option — No. 7 on "We are dai Peninsula
former Port Angeles mayor, powerless to ynews.crom.
Who suggested the route in DO' fist — would allow stop this,but you the county
a letter co-signed by Bill traffic to flow on the exist- commissioners are not,"
Kindler, John Teichert and mg bridge during construe- Wiggins said.
Kevin Yancy tion and would eliminate "We believe that a thor- Got an
"The power of this river the sharp comeriust east of ough review by a non-biased
will always present a sig- the bridge. third party is the recom-
idea
nificant risk toany new DOT officials said option mended way to go."
structure in the flood lain 7 would cost between $18 County citizen Kenneth •
ProP�d by DOT,not so by million and$25 million and Reandeau testified that the
using the existing 112 take one to two years to Dan Kelly highway option
bridge." build. is a bad idea because state
The Elwha River bed Last December, DOT Highway 112 is inadequate
has dropped 12 feet since removed from consideration to handle the additional •.I Just email contact.
Lake Aldwell was drained four other options, includ- traffic.
in 2012, Transportation mg an "alternate highway" "I find thus to be a real numand our sta;�f III
•-
officials said. that would put U.S. High- troubling conversation,"
Borings revealed that way 101 on or near Eden Reandeau said. check it out.
the Highway 101 bridge Valley Road, which is near "The consensus so far peninsula
foundations were built o e Dan Kelly Road. has been Option 7.It's been newsa
gravel instead of bedrock, DOTestimated that the endorsed by municipalities '
contrary to the 1926 plans. Eden Valley option would and individuals, other enti
Transportation crews cost about $40 million and ties."
installed more than 3,300
tons of riprap to prevent
further erosion around the CLALLAM COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS
702 Caroline St.
Port Angeles, WA 98362
May 1, 2017
Clallam County Commissioners
223 E. a St.
Port Angeles,WA 98362
Gentlemen:
We wish to present our concerns about the DOT's plan to replace the Elwha River bridge with a
new bridge in the flood plain just north of the present wne �%hich is failing. These concerns were
expressed by my presentation at the public hearing on Z 2. t (attached)which supports an alternate
location known as the Dan Kelly route. DOT', ie5,Imii e to this idea is also attached that shows an
estimated cost of$25 million for the repla((�ii wnt bridge and $40 million for the Dan Kelly route. This
difference was surprising. We had a h i n,l,I� qualified, retired DOT engineer who has worked on similar
projects check it out. His figures show a high end cost of$20 million for the Dan Kelly route. Such a
disparity cannot be ignored.
We reached the following conclusions, some of which have been influenced by conversations
with other persons in and out of government positions.
These are:
1. The DOT believes their proposal for a parallel bridge near the old one is the way to go because of
the cost differential in their favor. We believe that the cost of the Dan Kelly route is substantially less
than the DOT proposal.
2. We believe the Dan Kelly route is not only cheaper but also assures a much more stable Highway
101 leading to the west end. The power of this river will always present a significant risk to any new
structure in the flood plain proposed by DOT, not so by using the existing 112 bridge.
3. Since DOT is intent on promoting their plan and is presently in the design phase, we are powerless
to stop this, but you as County Commissioners are not.
4. We believe that a thorough review by a qualified, unbiased 3'parry is recommended at this time to
evaluate the wide disparities that exist. We know that the County is staffed with qualified engineers
who could make such an assessment by reviewing in detail the DOT's Value Engineeering Study of the
Dan Kelly route.
5. We have studied USGS river flow data in the Elwha(enclosed)that reveal much higher floods in
this river in past years with flows in 1897 of 41,600 cfs and 36,000 cfs in 2007. We do not have data
since the dams were removed over the last 5 years but are certain they do not reveal such high volumes.
Kevin Yancy, here today, was responsible for operating the dams during the 07 event and can provide a
detailed description of what can happen in a flash river with a high gradient such as the Elwha.
-2-
6. During our meetings the issue of emergency response has briefly been discussed. Reason suggests
that,in the event of an earthquake, the stable 112 Bridge, in comparison,would have a better chance of
survival. Even so,we cannot make that assumption without further study.
7. We know that time is of the essence; however,we also know that during low river flows the present
bridge can be strengthened beyond what has been done thus far by utilizing sheet piling, concrete,and
steel around the existing piers thus providing additional protection while making this important
decision.
8. Our main purpose in all of these recommendations is for public safety and service to those living
west of the Elwha. Many events may occur during the life of any access route chosen by those who
will make the final decision. We should not rush to judgment but reach the right decision now.
9. Mr. Chairman, this concludes our presentation,but at this time I would ask for a few moments for
each member of our team to present his individual comments on this issue. Unfortunately, Mr. Kindler
has a conflict this morning.
Thank you,
Bill Kindler John Teichert
Kevin Yancy Glenn Wiggins
p.s We are available for your questions. Please direct them to anyone on this team.
Bill Kindler had a thirty one year career in the pulp and paper industry and retired in Port Angeles in
2002. He currently serves on boards for NatureBridge, the Port Angeles Education Foundation, and the
Port Angeles Waterfront Center.
John Teichert is a former Chief of Maintenance of Olympic National Park, a registered architect, and
the project manager for the reconstruction of the Sol Duc Road west of Lake Crescent
Kevin Yancy had a 37 year experience in water and power management and was the Operations and
Maintenance Supervisor of the Elwha dams for 8 years until the dams were terminated.
Glenn Wiggins was a timber manager and forester with PenPly and Merrill and Ring, and a former
Mayor of Port Angeles
p.s. We have been aware of Commissioner Peach's idea about using the Dan Kelly route as an
emergency access connecting Highway 101 and 112. We believe this to be a valuable suggestion
should the DOT proceed with their preferred Option 7 parallel to the existing bridge.
abourblan�
Elwha Bridge Alternative 2/25/17
Let me preface my remarks by saying that I am skeptical at this time that anything I say is
likely to alter your plans to build a bridge near the present one in the flood plain. This is
partially based on your dismissive response to my suggestion to study an alternative route. At
the very least,a serious appraisal of this idea has merit. To do anything less could only be
described as a lack of due diligence.
I plan to read this to avoid misunderstandings or to forget something. Please refer to the
photos and map that are attached.
Having learned of DOT's request for comments, I did so by Email suggesting that a route
utilizing the 112 Bridge might be a better alternative. Your response expressed that your major
concern was to cross steep draws. I did not encounter them anywhere when 1 walked the route
last Friday. If you go via the Dan Kelly Rd. to the Karpen Rd., then to its intersection with the PA
1000 Rd. (a DNR logging road),you will notice it runs almost due south for quite a distance
(about 2 miles) when it turns west paralleling Highway 101. 1 have included some photos that
depict the terrain there which is quite gentle. There are no major draws and 24"culverts
handled all of the drainage.
First of all the 112 Bridge was carefully located and is tied on both ends to solid rock in a
narrow canyon downstream of the former site of Lake Aldwell. There is no way a meandering
river can affect this bridge, but the one contemplated would always be exposed to the power of
this wild river, now unleashed by dam removal. The present 101 Bridge did not sustain this
power for very long before its potential failure became evident. It is true that a stronger bridge
could be built, but the location continues to be the problem.
We have not seen a large snow melt with heavy rains since the dams were removed. I have
lived here for 57 years and can recall some of these events. It will surely happen again. Then,
not only the torrent becomes a problem but the heavy wood that will come with it would no
longer be intercepted at Lake Mills. Since the lower dam is out of the way,this debris could
conceivably jam in the narrow canyon below the 112 Bridge backing up water towards 101 at
the site of the new bridge that you propose.
You are making an expensive decision here. You might revisit the idea of using the 112 Bridge
for Highway 101 traffic, avoid floods in the river, and build a stable highway by perhaps using
portions of the logging road which passes primarily through DNR land. During my tour, I found
no impediments that would preclude constructing a highway at this location. All road locations
have issues. This road would be no exception, but they pale compared to the potential of
continuing to fight a raging river on its terms.
Thank you for this opportunity to comment. Glenn Wiggins
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alysis of Dan Kelly Road alternate
Subject: Analysis of Dan Kelly Road alternate
From: "Bingham Baker, Claudia" <BakerC@wsdot.wa.gov>
Date: 3/16/2017 4:33 PM
To: "'glen n@olypen.com"' <glenn@olypen.com>
CC: "Wynands, John" <WynandJ@wsdot.wa.gov>, "Bruning, Christopher"
<BruninC@wsdot.wa.gov>
Hello Mr. Wiggins.
Attached is an analysis of the cost involved in pursuing your idea of building a new US 101 connection near Dan
Kelly Road. You will see that WSDOT concluded that a new Elwha River Bridge would be less expensive and
quicker to build than a new highway connection.
We appreciate the effort you made to put forth the idea and your helpful attitude. Feel free to contact me if you
have questions.
Sincerely,
Claudia
Claudia Bingham Baker
Communications Manager
Washington State Department of Transportation I Olympic Region
P.O.Box 47440
Olympia,WA 98504-7440
Office: 360-357-2789
Cell: 360-480-3194
Email: bakerca� wsdotwa.gov
WSDOT Olympic Region I tacomanf iic.com
Attachments:
Alternate Dan Kelly Route.docx 14.6 KB
This estimate addresses the cost of constructing an alternate route over Dan Kelly Rd and DNR
1000 Rd rather than replacing the existing Elwha River Bridge.
New Elwha River Bridge
The cost to construct a new structure near the existing bridge is estimated at roughly 25 million
dollars. This includes Right of Way, design,wetland mitigation, environmental costs, roadside
restoration, removing the existing bridge after completion of the new structure and construction
of the new structure.
Proposed Route Analysis using Dan Kelly Road
The proposed route would take traffic onto SR 112,to Dan Kelly Rd then south over DNR 1000
Rd to US 101 in the vicinity of the log yard at MP 238.This route consists of approximately 5.5
miles of new highway. Another option would be to connect to US 101 at MP 235.14,which is
just west of Grannies Cafe and would add an additional 5 miles to the route.
An EIS would need to be performed at an estimated cost of$500,000.The EIS would take close
to 5 years to complete. Over 50 separate land parcels would be affected by the work because the
existing Dan Kelly Rd would need to be widened and improved to full design standards.
The intersections of US 101/SR 112,SR 112/Dan Kelly, and the new connection onto US 101
would need to be reconstructed to allow traffic movements at S5 mph. Passing lanes would be
necessary to allow cars to overtake slow truck traffic,adding to the total cost. Due to the
elevation, maintenance costs would also increase during the winter months.
From previous highway widening projects, 2-lane highway construction is estimated at 2-3
million dollars per mile in level terrain,while construction casts in upland areas would be closer
to 5 million. The projected construction cost for this route could therefore be close to or exceed
$25 million. Project design is estimated at$7.5 million when compared to similar projects;
purchasing necessary right of way for the route would be approximately$7 million. This total
comes to roughly$40 million dollars compared to$25 million to replace the existing bridge.
This cost estimate does not include evaluation of seismic stability or existing geologic instability
that could add additional costs to construction and design.This estimate also does not include
the additional costs to keep the existing bridge functioning for 5-7 years,while the EIS and
design effort were completed.
With this limited evaluation, WSDOT's conclusion is that replacing the existing Elwha River
Bridge with a new structure is less expensive and would take less time than the proposed Dan
Kelly Road route.
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