Acme Concrete Paving Inc., of Spokane, has begun a $6.4 million repaving project on a section of Interstate 90 that runs through Snoqualmie Pass, in western Washington, says company President Robert Seghetti. 

The project, which began in mid-May and is slated to be finished in August, is being funded largely through the Washington state Department of Transportation, which also acted as the engineer, Seghetti says. He also says some federal aid is being applied to the project. 

The project, which involves an eight-mile stretch from mile marker 47 to mile marker 55 in the eastbound lanes, involves replacing concrete panels, some concrete grinding, and dowel bar retrofitting, Seghetti says. Dowel bar retrofit is a method of reinforcing cracks in highway pavement by inserting steel dowels in slots that are cut across the cracks.

In total, Acme will be replacing more than 3,800 square yards of concrete panels, handling more than 12,600 dowel retrofits, and doing more than 71,800 square yards of concrete grinding. 

“We’re also doing some work around the maintenance area (there), rebuilding the parking lot, making sure the drainage is good,” Seghetti says.

One feature of the project, he says, is that Acme also is installing solar-powered LED lights on the barriers and center lines on that stretch of highway. 

“It’s kind of a test section for the DOT,” Seghetti says. “They have a really hard time keeping (paint) striping on the pass there, so this could be a solution to that.”

Since its inception in 2001, Acme has paved more than 50 intersections in the Spokane area, as well as projects at Spokane International Airport and elsewhere.