Briefs: Infrastructure projects and employment trends

Washington eases traffic on I-90, New York upgrades navigation systems, and industry employment stats in June

Washington: project to ease traffic on Interstate 90

Washington’s Department of Transportation is enhancing the interchange between Interstate 90 and Route 18 to alleviate congestion in the Snoqualmie Valley, one of the state’s busiest areas. The project includes a temporary reconfiguration of lanes and the permanent installation of a diverging diamond interchange.

Interchange reconfiguration will occur in multiple stages, with the current installation of girders for a new bridge over Route 18 continuing until July 11. Subsequently, starting from July 17 at 9 p.m., a westbound lane of State Route 18 will temporarily close to relocate westbound lanes to the left. This phase will include a new five-light signal to regulate turns, effective until the completion of the diverging diamond interchange on Interstate 90.

In addition to improving traffic flow, the Route 18 expansion involves constructing new bridges over Lake Creek and Deep Creek, designed to address fish passage barriers. The new interchange is expected to be operational by late November, with the full opening of the expanded roadway anticipated by the end of 2024.

New York: navigation systems to display bridge, tunnel, and underpass heights

Vehicle collisions with height-restricted bridges are a persistent issue in New York State. A year ago, a law was enacted to initiate a state campaign enforcing regulations related to these incidents, as over 800 such collisions were recorded statewide in the past two years, according to Governor Kathy Hochul’s office.

Increased traffic and the use of GPS navigation systems have contributed to the rise in bridge accidents in New York, despite existing warning signs. Recently, the Assembly passed Bill 8582 to address this issue more effectively. This bill would require GPS navigation systems to display the heights of bridges, tunnels, and underpasses along proposed routes to combat this problem.

The bill stipulates that navigation systems must show legal heights of bridges and overpasses along suggested routes, ensuring drivers are accountable for complying with vehicle height and weight restrictions and other traffic laws.

June stabilizes trucking industry jobs

In June, employment in the trucking industry stabilized after two consecutive months of losses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 100 jobs were lost in the trucking sector in June, marking the third consecutive monthly decline following five months of growth.

So far in 2024, trucking industry employment has decreased by over 3,000 positions. Nevertheless, compared to last year’s total of 30,000 jobs, this figure offers some optimism for the sector. Furthermore, the transportation sector as a whole has seen a net increase in employment, with significant gains noted in transportation support activities, land passenger transportation, and air transportation.

On another note, wages in June showed year-over-year and month-over-month increases, with the average weekly wage reaching $1,163.15 for all transportation and warehousing employees. The unemployment rate for transportation and material moving occupations rose to 6.7%, up from 5.9% the previous year.

Overall, employment across all industries increased by 206,000 jobs, though revised data indicates slower growth than initially estimated in April and May.