The Washington State Department of Transportation replaced the aging Colman Dock to better serve pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers and provide a critical link for continued economic growth. (WSDOT photo)

Nine state department of transportation projects from the western region of the United States won coveted 2023 America's Transportation Awards for their dynamic contributions to the nation's transportation infrastructure.

Hailing from Texas, Utah, South Dakota, Washington State, Arizona, and Nebraska, those winning projects were carefully selected from a pool of 20 regional nominations submitted by state departments of transportation of the Western Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (WASHTO).

One of those winning projects was the construction of Colman Dock in the Quality of Life/Community Development, Large Category.

The $467 million terminal provides a vital connection on both sides of Puget Sound to jobs, businesses and recreational activities. Over its 50 year life, the dock became "seismically deficient," making it increasing vulnerable to earthquake damage.

The Washington State Department of Transportation replaced the aging Colman Dock to better serve pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers and provide a critical link for continued economic growth. Furthermore, as it is located on the bustling Seattle waterfront, the new Colman Dock is part of the extensive tourist industry while also serving commuter and freight transport needs as it serves as a maritime extension of the state's highway system.

Crews began construction work in 2017 to replace the seismically vulnerable terminal at Colman Dock. Since that time, the project has reached multiple milestones:

• Completed the southern third of the new terminal building, which opened in September 2019;
• Launched work on the second and final phase of terminal building construction,
• Constructed a temporary pedestrian overpass at Columbia Street to the terminal, which allows people to bypass busy Alaskan Way;
• Completed the new overhead loading passenger structure for slip 3, on the north end of the terminal;
• Constructed the foundation of the new trestle for current and future vehicle holding, with a total of 500 new steel piles and concrete to meet seismic and operating requirements;
• Built the new passenger-only ferry terminal on the south side of Colman Dock for the King County Water Taxi and the Kitsap Transit Passenger Only Ferry boats.

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