Site_Visit_Notes_06122017.pdf

I-90 Job Walk Notes 6/12/2017 Snoqualmie Pass Fire District 7 Building

Attendees: WildLands, Inc, LKE Corp., USFS Restoration Services Team (Kelly Evans, Helen Lau, Lynda Moore), WSDOT (Mark Norman and Doug Eitemiller), Katie Johnston and Dana Stringer Kelly Evans is COR and primary contact for project. Helen Lau will be Kelly’s backup, and if needed Lynda Moore will provide support to the team.

15 miles between Snoqualmie Pass and Easton will experience major construction. Installation of wildlife connectivity structures, wetland enhancement, habitat construction, etc. Planting window varies year to year, but typically planting can be conducted until approximately mid-October to mid-November.

Three sites of focus today: Sunset Highway, Townsend Creek, and Resort Creek. Construction is complete on Sunset Highway and Townsend Creek but timeline of Resort Creek is uncertain. It may not be complete until 2018, although intention is 2017.

Hydrology will have a major impact with regard to access. Contractor should anticipate rolling slow-downs and other temporary traffic control measures.

Staging may be available at the Stampede Stockpile parking area, Crystal Springs Campground, and possibly on an old road near Townsend Creek. Staging at all potential sites will require significant hand transport of plants to be utilized (distances of 0.1-0.33 miles).

A contract modification will be submitted to include the collection and delivery of all bins and plant containers back to the nurseries (only for Derby Canyon and Coeur d’Alene nurseries, not Sunquist).

Q: There had been mention of possible transplanting of plants with regard to deer fencing but it isn’t in solicitation, is it included?

A: No. There remains a large number of plants available and the survival rate of restoration plants in the past has been extremely high, therefore no deer control is thought to be needed.

Q: Will fertilization and application of Mycorrhizae be included?

A: It is a possibility and kept as an option, but decision will need to be made by COR on the ground during implementation.

Q: Were sites of previous project phases de-compacted?

A: Yes. There is wood straw in place at Townsend Creek and wood chips at Sunset highway, and all sites were decompacted after construction.

Q: Will traffic control be needed?

A: It will most likely be needed at Sunset Highway and Townsend Creek. Shoulder closures will be needed at minimum, lane closure possible. Recommended that drop-off and staging of material be conducted at night during lower traffic flows. Depending on completion of Resort Creek it might be needed there as well.

Q: Will there be any blasting (by the primary contractor)?

A: No. There will be blasting but not during the work nor at the locations contained in this contract.

Emergency evacuation plan distributed and safety sheets signed by attendees and the group left for the field.

Stop #1: Sunset Highway Approximately 0.75 long old road section. Anywhere that has shredded woody material on the ground is a planting area. Shredded woody material is up to 10-12 inches deep in some areas, if helpful the contractor can rake it and plant beyond the old road prism. Site stays damp and most, if not all year.

Plant spacing is ≤ 3 feet on center.

Stop #2: Townsend Creek Wetland construction is complete. Soil of site is rocky everywhere, more so on east end of project. Plan sheets will be distributed in their original format (rather than two per page).

Q: Is there weed control involved in this contract?

A: No. Weed control is being conducted by others (entire length of all phases of the project).

Q: Are there cameras at all sites?

A: No. There is only one camera, situated on the south side of the Townsend Creek site.

Stop #3: Resort Creek Planting to occur on both sides of I-90. Seasonal high water levels will be a factor to access, as will flow of work by the primary contractor. There will be a 12-15 foot berm on the west side to plant.

Q: What will accessibility be like?

A: It is expected that by mid-late September two lanes westbound will be on the new bridge and two lanes eastbound will be on the existing highway. There’s a chance all travel lanes might be on new bridge, which would leave the existing highway lanes vacant and available for access. The worst case scenario is that eastbound and westbound traffic will be utilizing both bridges (new and existing), necessitating temporary traffic control. All traffic is expected to remain on the existing highway until mid-late September.

Q: What if lane closure is required? Contractor wouldn’t be able to get lights on the southeast side of the existing highway to safely unload and stage plants at night.

A: There should be one available lane, the uncertainty at this point in time is which lane that will be.

It might be possible to stage at the balance site, but this would necessitate significant transport of plant material by hand.

Q: Are more plants to be installed on the southeast side of the highway?

A: Yes.

Q: How will the alluvial fan be impacted during the primary construction?

A: Excavation is required beneath both the new and existing bridges. This material will be used on the alluvial fan. If additional material is needed it will be imported to the project site.

Grading plant sheets relative to excavation under the two bridges and distribution of the material on the alluvial fan will be distributed.