Troopers say that Katerina M. Valavala, 20, of Des Moines, died in the one-vehicle crash around 9:15 p.m. Saturday night on I-5 just north of SR-518.

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The first 911 call occurred at 1:53am Sunday morning, and in total, eleven 911 callers followed, updating the State Patrol communications center of the vehicle’s exact location. With that information, communications officers were able to dispatch troopers in the area.

Troopers apprehended the driver without incident and immediately detected that the driver was under the influence of alcohol.

The wrong way driver was booked into the King County Jail on charges of DUI.

Next Tuesday (Aug. 10), the Washington State Department of Transportation’s new, high-tech “Smarter Highways” signs will light up above nearby northbound I-5.

The WSDOT says in a statement that these signs will “automatically alert drivers to change lanes when an incident blocks traffic or to adjust their speed before reaching slower-moving traffic. The new signs will help reduce rear-end collisions, allow for earlier escape to alternate routes and smooth lane shifting caused by incidents like stalls or collisions.”

“We’re asking drivers to get familiar with Smarter Highways ahead of time so they know what to do when the sign above their lane shows a yellow arrow or a reduced speed limit,” said Patty Rubstello, WSDOT Systems Engineer. “This is new technology for us and the United States, so we know it will be a big change for drivers.”

The WSDOT is also encouraging drivers to boost their Smarter Highways knowledge:

• Visit the Smarter Highways website here: www.smarterhighways.com
• Watch the four-minute Smarter Highways video here.
• Visit the I-5 Smarter Highways project website here.
• Look at photos of the high-tech signs on Flickr here.
• Talk about Smarter Highways on the WSDOT blog here.

WSDOT traffic engineers have rigorously tested the Smarter Highways on I-5 since May to ensure the complex system of traffic sensors, electronic signs and fiber optic are ready to activate.

“Getting Smarter Highways up and running is more than plugging in signs and flipping a switch,” said Rubstello “We need to make sure all system parts run together like clockwork.”

Installing Smarter Highways on I-5 will help keep people and goods moving during construction to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The I-5 project is funded through WSDOT’s Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program.

Drivers will use Smarter Highways on three of Washington’s busiest corridors. The locations and activation dates are:

• Northbound I-5 between Boeing Access Road and I-90 on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2010
• SR 520 between I-5 and 130th Avenue NE in Bellevue in fall 2010
• I-90 between I-5 and 150th Avenue SE in Bellevue in spring 2011

Here’s what the signs look like:

Photo courtesy WSDOT.

To learn more about WSDOT’s new program, visit: www.smarterhighways.com.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will be closing northbound I-5 between the Boeing Access Road and I-90 over the next three weekend nights, so they can install some 95 high-tech “Smarter Highways” readerboard signs.

The new signs, being introduced first on northbound I-5 then on SR-520 this summer are the latest smarter highway technology aimed at increasing safety, reducing collisions and reducing congestion. To learn more, visit the project Web site: www.smarterhighways.com.

Crews will close northbound I-5 between Boeing Access Road and Spokane Street beginning at 11:59 p.m. on the following nights:

• Friday, April 16
• Saturday, April 17
• Friday, April 23
• Saturday, April 24
• Friday, April 30
• Saturday, May 1

Signed detours will be in place to guide drivers northbound on Airport Way and back to I-5. Drivers should expect delays or take alternate routes.

Here’s a mockup photo of what the new signs will look like:

Photos courtesy WSDOT.

For more details visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/ActiveTrafficManagement/map.htm.

The Washington State Patrol is looking for witnesses to Wednesday morning’s fatal multiple car accident on I-5 in the southbound lanes of I-5 in Tukwila near SR-518.

The fatality was a 43-year old Seattleite who was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser without a seatbelt. A passenger in a Toyota Camry was treated for minor injuries at the scene, while others involved were not injured.

Most of southbound I-5 was closed during the morning rush hour while police and detectives investigated the scene.

If you saw the accident, you are urged to call 425-401-7719 as soon as possible.

Cerrissa Christensen will likely face 6 1/2 years in prison when she is sentenced April 25 in King County Superior Court.

The 27-year-old woman pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and vehicular assault for the Oct. 9 crash, which killed Bawny McQuistin, who was riding in the passenger seat as her boyfriend, Eric Hillstrom, 19, drove toward downtown Seattle.

Hillstrom suffered broken bones in his legs and back and was left with serious brain injuries.

Christensen had been drinking at a Seattle bar before the crash. Several of her friends told her she was too drunk to drive and offered to give her a ride, but she managed to sneak away and get behind the wheel, Deputy Prosecutor Amy Freedheim said.

She entered the freeway’s northbound lanes headed south. She was speeding — 100 mph at times — in the car pool lane when she saw a state trooper and slowed down, “not even comprehending that she was going the wrong way,” Freedheim said.

The trooper and others tried, unsuccessfully, to get her to stop.

Her blood-alcohol level was 0.25 percent — more than three times the legal limit — according to court documents.

Christensen would have faced roughly 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 years for the charges, but she had a previous drunken-driving conviction that added two years to her sentence range. Prosecutors and her lawyer agreed to the top end of that range.

She also has a previous drug charge and various driving tickets and convictions, including ones for reckless driving and hit-and-run.

SOURCE:

• Seattle P-I

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.

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SOURCE:

• DOT website