Media Center
Transportation Today
News Releases
DOT Flix
Inside Transportation
Archives

Alerts
RPIN Breaking News
Road Alerts
My Commute

King Co. DOT
KCDOT Home Page
Metro Transit
Road Services
KC International Airport
Fleet Administration

You are in: Transportation > Transportation Today > News

Roads Division gets creative to serve remote areas of King County

Money Creek Road near Skykomish is one of the most remote King County roads maintained by the Road Services Division. It is located more than 60 miles from the Roads maintenance headquarters.

At 2,134 square miles, King County is nearly twice as large as the average county in the United States – even bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island. Covering territory that vast is often a challenge for the King County Road Services Division, and more of a challenge when you look at how remote some communities are.

“Our goal is to serve all areas in unincorporated King County equally, whether it’s plowing snow, filling potholes, or removing a downed tree,” says Assistant Maintenance Manager Leo Griffin. “But when you get to more remote areas like Skykomish, Vashon, and east of Ravensdale, it takes a little extra planning, creativity and innovation to provide the services.”

The Vashon maintenance staff saved time and money by bringing in materials on a barge to stockpile for repair projects.

Bob Pugh is the supervisor for the Skykomish maintenance shop. Since he and his crew are located more than 60 miles from the maintenance headquarters in Renton, they have to be self-sufficient when it comes to equipment, materials and supplies.

Cutting down on travel saves both time and money. So, equipment that can do a variety of jobs is permanently stationed at the Skykomish shop. Plus, some materials are purchased locally in Skykomish and Gold Bar, and then stockpiled for later use.

The King County crew also works closely with other agencies stationed in Skykomish, such as the U.S. Forest Service, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), and the city of Skykomish to share resources. WSDOT allows county crews to fuel their equipment at the state pumps, and then bill them later to cut down on travel costs.

“It wouldn’t be efficient to travel back and forth to Renton – or even Monroe – when we need diesel, sand, gravel or other supplies,” said Pugh. “Pretty much everybody up here works together.”

Pugh’s crew keeps a “shopping list” of everyday needs on the corner of the bulletin board. When someone does have to make the trip to Renton headquarters for a meeting or training, they take the list with them.

“It’s kind of like making a Costco run,” said Pugh.

Jim Didricksen faces similar challenges as the maintenance supervisor on Vashon Island. While he and his crew may be located closer to Renton, they work and live on a island and are dependent on ferry schedules to move equipment and supplies.

Earlier this fall, they bypassed the public ferries and barged more than 2,000 tons of rock to the island to ensure there is plenty of material on hand to respond to a variety of road problems this winter. Once again, it was done to save time and money.

Didricksen said it’s not just getting things to the island, he and his crew also have to worry about exporting construction debris and other waste materials. In recent years, they have been able to save money by sending those items to a local recycler on the island.

His crew also cuts costs by collecting rainwater in barrels to use around the shop and yard. And, they share a fueling station with several different county agencies including the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Supervisors at other divisions may be closer in, but all have some areas to serve that are miles and miles away from their shops. The Division 2 crews centered in Fall City maintain the Denny Creek Road at Snoqualmie Pass in the summer, while WSDOT helps out by plowing it in the winter. Crews from Division 4 in Maple Valley have a network of gravel roads in the old mining area of Kerriston to take care of, plus areas southeast of Enumclaw near Greenwater.