Traffic Barricades Clutter The 520 Freeway Into Redmond
Redmond Washington is home to some of the biggest names in business. Microsoft, Nintendo, Amazon, and many more tech startups. Washington State has long been a destination for companies looking to expand in an area that is cheaper than California but still keeps them on the West Coast. The 520 Freeway connects Redmond to Seattle and passes through areas of Kirkland and Bellevue along the way. The freeway has been under construction for years as growth in the area has surpassed the States ability to manage roadways and traffic. Just in the past few years, the 520 went from a 2 lane bridge in each direction to a 4 lane bridge. The 520 is also now a toll bridge, so commuters are now opting to go around Lake Washington to get to the northern part of Seattle. What we have noticed during this time period is an increase in traffic-related accidents. This increase in automobile accidents is caused both by the flood of residence in the area moving there and commuting to and from work daily, but also from poorly cared for roadways that erode from the constant rainfall the Seattle experiences. Washington has a yearly rainfall average of 38.19 inches of rain. This amount of rain washes out roads and causes other natural problems like mudslides that also impact the road quality. That being said, when traveling from Seattle to Redmond the 520 dumps you out either onto Leary Way or on to Avondale Road which will take you to Woodinville Washington. The traffic becomes extremely congested in this areas as commuters use this access point to travel to and from Seattle. The poorly maintained roadways and constant road construction leave commuters dodging potholes and traffic barricades. Potholes become a major issue as vehicles crash into holes that exceed 6 inches in depth and can experience alignment and balance issues in addition to blown out tires. We spoke to a Redmond mechanic who went on to say that oil pans and axles also suffer from debris on the road. As the roads break up and the asphalt breaks loose it becomes a road hazard and bounces along the underside of moving vehicles causing damage to the parts underneath. They get hundreds of vehicles a year into their Redmond Auto Repair Shop and the issues are consistent from vehicle to vehicle. the damage caused from loose asphalt is never-ending, and the road barricades that force drivers down narrow unmaintained portions of the road are to blame. Washington State needs to fix its road problem at a rate that keeps pace with its growth, or more car owners will be spending more time at the mechanic shop.
Since starting his journey with DPR as an interiors apprentice in 2016, Ronald Brown has made it his mission to take advantage of every opportunity presented. From apprentice to journeyman, journeyman to lead, and lead to project engineer, “Ron has shown tremendous growth in his skill sets, attitude, and ever forward mindset along the way, embracing technologies such as Dusty Robotics for layout,” says superintendent Bryce Castro. Now working on a large medical center project in Southern California, Brown shows no signs of slowing down.
Q: What is your role at DPR? Describe the path you took to get there.
Brown: I’m a project engineer for our self-perform work group. I came up through the carpentry trade and after working in various roles at other companies, I started with DPR eight years ago. Opportunities kept presenting themselves, and I just tried to excel at every one. One thing I’ve learned about DPR is that you will always have the support of the team to walk you through the processes, help you with the learning curve, and get you up to speed. Everyone is willing to help.
I got the opportunity to do layout with Dusty Robotics as a journeyman carpenter, and I did all of the layout for a major medical provider in Los Angeles. I fell in love with the technology of that robot—it makes the layout process so much faster and translates into real schedule savings. We’re using Dusty on this project, and as a project engineer, I’m focusing on all of the multiple scopes we have, trying to bring them all together. As a self-performing contractor, we have different divisions, but we’re one installer. That’s the unique part, bringing it all together.
As a project engineer, Brown focuses on multiple scopes on his current project and appreciates the high level of coordination necessary. Photo: Matt Pranzo
Q: What are some interesting aspects about the project you’re working on right now?
Brown:
This the first project I’ve been acting as a project engineer on. Part of it is a ground-up tower, and part is a renovation of the existing hospital. I’ve been on this project since January of last year. We’re aiming for completion in 2025.
This project isn’t too far from where I grew up, in Beaumont, California, just north of here. This project is a bigger area of operation for me, so seeing the details of all the communication, sequencing and planning that takes place is new to me. Coming from the field where you focus on one scope to now see the management of multiple scopes with so many moving pieces is amazing.
Q: Why do you think being a self-performing general contractor makes a difference on a project?
Brown:
The benefit is the fluidity. There’s no excuse or reason we can’t do anything. If there is a challenge, we have a solution, and SPW is a big part of that because we’re a jack of all trades. Whatever needs to be done, we can do it. We do the research, we get the right folks in the right spots, and we have experts who will catch everyone else up. It’s a big system of trust. I think you can overcome any challenge or unknown with SPW.
There’s also a cultural element. Because we work for DPR, it’s personal and we’re committed to the success of the project. We’re one team. Most of us know each other by name. Not only does that motivate you to work harder, smarter and safer, you take pride in your work. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the office or out in the field. We’re all one team out here, and their problems are my problems. It’s that kind of kind of environment. People want to be a part of DPR.
It’s also about quality. Everyone on our SPW teams is trained to the same standard of quality, and the standards always get higher because people share their knowledge, figure new things out, and often show you a better way of doing things. It’s ever evolving in the right direction. Because of our culture, DPR gives you a seat at the table so you can share your ideas about how to make our projects and our processes better. Everyone has a voice, and in my experience, that’s very rare.
“Everyone on our SPW teams is trained to the same standard of quality, and the standards always get higher because people share their knowledge, figure new things out, and often show you a better way of doing things,” says Brown. Photo: Matt Pranzo
Q: What would you say is your proudest moment at DPR?
Brown:
Recently, at our company meeting, I made an “Unsung Heroes” list. I got to stand up and be recognized—everybody applauded. I try to work hard every day. There’s always something to do, and I’m always busy, but just to get that kind of recognition for the things I’ve done and for my attitude is amazing. That’s probably my proudest moment.
Q: To be successful in your role, what skills does a person need?
Brown: Patience, open mindedness, a go-get-it attitude, and, honestly, being okay with not being the smartest person in the room. It’s a “challenge accepted” attitude. And just be motivated. If working here doesn’t motivate you, something’s wrong.
Brown appreciates DPR’s culture of inclusion. “You can share your ideas about how to make our projects and our processes better. Everyone has a voice, and in my experience, that’s very rare.” Photo: Matt Pranzo
Q: What would your advice be for the next generation of builders entering this field?
Brown:
It’s life-changing in ways that you can’t understand until you do it. There’s this preconceived notion that you have to have this certification or you need that education. You don’t. You just need the work ethic and it will drive you in the direction you’re supposed to go. You create your future success with your effort. Accept the successes, and accept the failures, too. But you have to wake up the next day and do it again.
The construction industry is very underrated and it will change you in ways you had no idea about. There are a lot of good people here, and in the industry as a whole—people who love to contribute to your success. It’s not like anything I’ve ever known. When I got to my first DPR project site, within the first 45 minutes, I knew I was somewhere that was gold. I knew it was different. I thought, “I’m here to stay, and I want to show these guys I want to stay.” And that’s what I did. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.
FOUR TRAJECTORIES TO FUTURE VALUE: OPTIMIZING HEALTHCARE REAL ESTATE
Cascading changes in the healthcare industry and the current economic landscape are necessitating new real estate strategies for health systems as they manage cash and affect sustaining change. Though median hospital margins improved through 2023 and early 2024, according to Kaufman Hall, half of the hospitals and health systems are still operating at a loss despite the deceleration in wage growth and inflation. Interest rates have altered financing costs, and raising capital is more difficult today than just a few years ago. Further, health systems must contend with new entrants who are well-capitalized, nimble, and disruptive.
Owners investing in and operating their real estate portfolios as they did a few years ago are unlikely to realize expected value returns. Those who embrace these challenges and look to rebalance risk and return of capital assets will position themselves for success.
Healthcare systems should consider four potential trajectories for their real estate, identifying the best fit and re-evaluating, adjusting, and creating new portfolio strategies.
1. The Rationalized Portfolio, where existing real estate assets become highly streamlined, right-sized to changing strategic and operational objectives of the health system, and continuously monitored for their performance and returns to the system.
2. The Redistributed Portfolio, where systems begin to source partners and incorporate community nodes of care into their real estate portfolios, potentially moving to models of care hosted in environments that may be managed by others, such as retailers, workplaces, schools and more.
3. The Re-envisioned Portfolio, where providers may supplement a multi-channel technology platform that guides patients toward wellness and resources with an extensive physical network of community care nodes.
4. The Refocused Portfolio, which would shift the paradigm of the hospital from the anchor of the health system to the final and highest-acuity specialty center. In this case, hospitals operate as specialist hubs, portfolios evolve to include an ecosystem of digital and community nodes, a reduced number of ambulatory centers, and access to a number of post-acute sites.
TRAJECTORY 1:
The Rationalized Portfolio
Systems re-examining inpatient and outpatient capital assets should consider restructuring leases, bundling leases, and divesting non-core assets. According to a 2024 Huron survey of 300 healthcare executives, leaders ranked redefining their portfolios and cost reduction/optimization as the top two strategies to confront market dynamics. Real estate costs comprise a significant portion of a health system’s budget, so rationalizing real estate portfolios and optimizing space can be a shorter-term solution to free up capital to be redeployed for patient care and other priorities. While health systems have always had to rationalize their square footage needs, there is now heightened emphasis on finding efficiencies and savings.
In this trajectory, real estate assets become highly streamlined. Assets are right-sized for changing strategic and operational objectives of the health system and continuously monitored for their performance and returns to the system. Tactics can entail exiting underperforming spaces before the end of the contract term, divesting owned and leased spaces, modifying existing lease agreements, or initiating sale-and-leaseback transactions to improve liquidity while reducing unneeded space. Each of these tactics has nuanced accounting requirements and outcomes that should be carefully analyzed before action is taken.
Ultimately, many healthcare organizations can reduce their real estate footprint by comparing the value of a department or service against its operating cost, the location of its providers and specialties, patient volume, size of staff, and care gaps. Increasingly, this will entail aligning the real estate approach with the health system’s strategy—focusing instead on value, not cost per square foot. Doing so will allow the organization to be more strategic about its real estate assets, make changes that improve operations, and enable the health system’s mission and business objectives.
TRAJECTORY 2:
The Redistributed Portfolio
Healthcare delivery is no longer just sequential but horizontal, vertical and longitudinal. Traditionally, care processes have been organized around episodic events, causing wasted time and unnecessary steps for providers and patients. Shifting to an expansive view of care, not only through the disease lifecycle but throughout a patient’s life, requires vertical integration (within the health industry) and horizontal integration (across health and other industries) of a broader set of venues and partners over a longer time frame.
In this trajectory, health systems begin to source partners and incorporate community nodes of care into their real estate portfolios, potentially moving to models of care hosted in environments that others may manage. Community nodes of care can exist in retailers, workplaces, schools, care centers, grocers, gyms, and even social and community events, provided that the branded environment and service experience can be physically extended to the node. In addition, recognizing the shortage of providers and the imperative to reduce operating costs, these nodes can be viewed as a cost-reducing shift in sites of care, rather than net new sites of care.
As providers continue to explore ways of meeting community needs, partnering with external players who excel in logistics and order fulfillment—such as pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME) shops, and other amenities—can amplify convenience and care support. For example, hospital-based pharmacies can become increasingly specialized while most scripts are shipped directly to the home. DME and supplies can be coordinated prior to discharge and shipped to homes hours later. “Ownership” of these additional nodes could be largely or entirely via third parties—the healthcare system’s role is to ensure that these nodes are extensions of their brand. Designing these partnerships should factor into facility and experience design, as they will require coordination but may ease overall space requirements across the system.
TRAJECTORY 3:
The Re-envisioned Portfolio
In a re-envisioning approach, real estate portfolios become highly integrated networks of physical and virtual resources that support total and continuous health. Continuing disruptions from technological advancements and rising consumer expectations necessitate an omnichannel, consumer-led approach. This trajectory requires a balance between in-person and remote access to care, changing from a single encounter to a series of rapid touchpoints across multiple nodes—the focus of the portfolio shifts from footprint and geography to network and connectivity.
For example, a provider may supplement a multi-channel technology platform that guides patients toward wellness and resources with an extensive physical network of community care nodes. Chronic disease management is primarily handled through wearable diagnostic technology distributed to and demonstrated in the home setting, and total health is monitored in a multi-factorial way.
The omnichannel approach is supported by buildings designed as multisensory ecosystems whereby healthcare is integrated, unifying the home, health system and digital environments into a single experience. Acute care hospitals and ambulatory facilities may either go fully remote or only host spaces for specialized care, diagnostics and outpatient interventions that do not require additional services. A net reduction of physical plants and facilities may be possible and part of a sustainable cost-containment strategy for providers. It will be critical for healthcare owners to ensure that a consistent experience is delivered across all modalities—including its online presence, mobile solutions and physical environment.
TRAJECTORY 4:
The Refocused Portfolio
Refocused real estate portfolios shift the paradigm of the hospital from the universal anchor of the health system to the final and highest-acuity specialty centers. Traditionally, we consider a portfolio of multiple ambulatory sites that ladder to an acute care hub and its satellite campuses. In a scenario where hospitals operate as specialist hubs, the portfolio may evolve to include an ecosystem of digital and community nodes, a reduced number of ambulatory centers, and access to a number of post-acute sites.
While important, geographic location becomes secondary to prioritizing care nodes that can provide dynamic, accessible, and convenient care anywhere and anytime. Ambulatory sites are selected based on access, disease prevalence, and consumer preferences. The hospital maintains a site presence, perhaps with a static or smaller footprint.
The defining feature of this trajectory is that basic primary and preventive care are no longer grounded in ambulatory centers—they have shifted out to the nodal network. For specialty care, tertiary and quaternary growth specialties also become largely nodal, selectively joining their primary and secondary counterparts. Thus, ambulatory care facilities evolved into referral centers for super-specialty care, major diagnostic modalities and outpatient interventional care. This trend results in two outcomes: Ambulatory sites are more centralized as they are no longer the highly distributed first line of interaction for the provider, and they are also more focused on high acuity care.
Factors behind the current construction workforce shortage are varied. As high school courses offering hands-on training and job-ready skills have decreased, job openings have increased in the construction industry. The result: a shortage of skilled workers needed to fill industrial trades.
As industry members look for ways to tackle the skilled labor shortage, DPR has taken matters into its own hands to ensure employees have the skills necessary to build for the future. Enter the DPR-run Craft Apprenticeship Program, which is certified by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). This in-house program ensures that team members receive training from experienced DPR builders and graduate with skills that meet high quality and safety standards.
Craft Apprenticeship: Investing in the Future
Aimed primarily at newer craft team members who are less experienced, the Craft Apprenticeship Program lets participants learn journey-level skills through related technical instruction (RTI) coupled with on-the-job training (OJT). Beyond that, apprenticeship allows participants to gain confidence and a better understanding of what’s expected of them in their role.
“Elevating our craft is a big part of how we measure success,” said Will Sheane, a DPR people practices project manager who has been heavily involved in getting the program up and running. “It’s an investment in their future that is provided at zero cost to the employee while being paid their regular wage for training.”
The program begins with core training that covers essentials like construction math, blueprint reading and communication skills. After completing Core, apprentices begin their trade-specific learning path—concrete, drywall or electrical. These paths consist of modules that cover the skills necessary to become a well-rounded journeyman or journeywoman. And since knowledge is only as good as its application, apprentices are given breaks in between levels to apply what they’ve learned on the jobsite. This on-the-job training allows them to see exactly how the rubber meets the road.
Course Structure
Assistant Superintendent Ricardo Reyes Aguilar, who began his career at DPR as a foreman in 2017, was asked to serve as a drywall instructor in the program. He appreciates the length and structure of the program, which takes place over 40 hours, followed by 10-12 weeks of two-hour sessions, two days a week. “That way they can digest the information,” said Reyes. “In the classroom, we go over coursework, and we have an area where they can get their hands dirty, use their tools and practice some of what they’ve learned.”
“This program has given me motivation and better vision of what we do daily, with the hope of improving myself within an excellent team and great camaraderie at DPR,” shared an apprentice from Orlando, FL. Students complete their exams online to show they’ve learned the material, then move to hands-on tasks to show that they can apply what they’ve learned, so everyone gets hands-on experience before going back to the jobsite.
After completing the fundamentals, the students stream into their respective trade paths, which range from two-and-a-half to four years in length. The program is taught by instructors who are DPR foremen or superintendents, ensuring that the training is up to date and provided by subject matter experts through an experienced DPR lens.
Apprentices are required to pass rigorous tests to demonstrate that they have mastered the knowledge within each module. After passing the test and demonstrating their capability, each module completion is logged on an NCCER wallet card. This offers portable credentials that are recognized in all 50 states and three territories and are easily verified online. As further incentive, apprentices are offered regular wage increases for successful level completions, and upon graduating from the program, they receive a certificate and engraved steel card recognizing their official journey-level status.
“A lot of people are retiring from the trades. There are people coming in who need to learn, and the process takes time. It took me years to learn everything I know, but we’re trying to focus and help accelerate the process so we can get our people to be ready to build sooner—and to work safely,” noted Reyes.
Participants felt the program helped them learn better ways to interact in the workplace and gave them more confidence in their work, as well as the ability to share their learning with others. Photo: Ricardo Reyes Aguilar
Apprenticeship Program Graduates
DPR will be celebrating its first graduates of the apprenticeship program in 2024 in both the Central and Southeast Regions. In late March, DPR’s Southeast region will celebrate its first 2024 Apprenticeship Graduates in Orlando and Tampa. Twenty-one of Central Florida’s Drywall Apprentices will have completed close to 290 hours of in-classroom training and hands-on skill assessments, in addition to their on-the-job training. DPR’s Central region plans to celebrate its first 2024 Apprenticeship graduates in Austin in June 2024 with nineteen graduates.
The next group of apprentices began core classes in both the Central and Southeast Regions in Q1 of 2024. Program leaders asked participants in the program about the impact it had on their work. Responses showed they felt it helped them learn better ways to interact in the workplace and gave them more confidence in their work, as well as the ability to share their learning with others.
“What they’re learning is ultimately for them. DPR will benefit if they’re better builders, but the knowledge stays with them,” concluded Reyes.
As industries prepare for the future, investing in and empowering their labor force is a key priority not only for team members, but for overall industry success. DPR aims to get ahead of the curve by elevating its Craft workforce and giving them the tools they need to build great things.
With so many technical elements, an evolving design and a critical customer need for speed-to-market, Haidary talked to us about his role in this facility, and how relying on SPW team members helps DPR control the building of the project itself, giving more certainty to the customer.
Q: What is your role at DPR? Describe the path you took to get there?
Haidary: I’m a senior project engineer in our Charlotte-Greenville Business Unit. I studied civil and structural engineering as an undergrad in Kabul, then I came to Clemson University on a Fulbright Scholarship to do a Ph.D. in Construction Science and Management. I focused mainly on planning and design in the built environment. At the time, DPR was building the Clemson College of Business, which I wanted to work on, so I reached out to the team and got involved with a part-time internship there. I graduated from Clemson in 2021 and then joined DPR full-time.
Haidary’s current project involves retrofitting an existing structure, phase by phase, to transform it into a manufacturing facility that will produce silicon carbide wafers. Photo: Matt Pranzo
Q: Tell me about the project you’re on now. What are some interesting aspects about it?
Haidary: My project in Charlotte was delayed, so I’ve been working on a project in Dallas since August. We’re retrofitting an existing structure, phase by phase, to transform it into a manufacturing facility that will produce silicon carbide wafers used in chips for electronics, like vehicles and phones. The pandemic adversely affected manufacturing in the US due to supply chain issues and chip shortages, but these kinds of projects are coming back to the US. Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022. It authorizes funding to boost research and semiconductor manufacturing here to strengthen our supply chain resilience and to bring these facilities back to America, so now there’s a push toward building these facilities.
This project is a design-build project for an existing client. Their engineers know their processes, so they came to us and said, “Here’s the building we bought. Here’s our process. How can we make it happen?” After phase one is complete, the client will be able to use that portion of the facility while we work on the next phase, and so on. In phase one, there are around 150 pieces of equipment required to make the product, and there are multiple systems required to make that equipment work. There are a lot of chemicals and gases involved, a lot of specific systems involved. That is a part of the complexity. This project will give us really valuable experience to draw on in the future for building these kinds of facilities. There are a lot of things we have to figure out, but it’s fun and challenging. It’s a good learning experience and an industry that’s going to grow more and more in the years to come.
After pandemic-related supply chain issues and chip shortages adversely affected manufacturing in the US, Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act to boost research and semiconductor manufacturing in America. Photo: Matt Pranzo
Q: Why do you think being a self-performing general contractor makes a difference on a project?
Haidary: The schedule on this project is very tight, and because of that, we’re relying heavily on self-perform. We’re doing all interiors—waterproofing, fire stopping, interiors, drywall, DFH, concrete. Our strategic partner, EIG, is involved in our electrical systems and another partner, GPLA, is involved in our structural design. We started designing in mid-August and we’re due to give the facility back to the client for phase 1A on January 31, so using the SPW team and the DPR family of companies helps with the schedule. First, we don’t have to go through the process of prequalification, getting pricing, vetting, and onboarding it takes to get a trade partner on board, which can take weeks. Second, since the project is design-build, we have more control over the work we do. We are designing portions of it, so some unidentified gaps will be identified through the design development process. We don’t know what those are yet, and if we were using a trade partner it would be more difficult to navigate those as they may not be involved until that process is complete. Since we’re using DPR teams, we can do what’s needed ourselves, control the methods, and figure out the paperwork side of it later.
Haidary credits DPR’s self-perform teams with the ability to easily navigate the design development process. “Since we’re using DPR teams, we can do what’s needed ourselves, control the methods, and figure out the paperwork side of it later,” said Haidary. Photo: Matt Pranzo
Q: What is your proudest moment at DPR?
Haidary: That’s a tough question; there are a lot of them. I think the first projects where I did my internship, the Clemson College of Business and the Greenville County Administration Building project. We had largely the same team on both, and we did a really good job. We worked on Clemson during COVID, which affected everything, but we managed to avoid letting it affect our schedule. I was most proud of the team. Because of our efforts, both projects won ENR Best Project Awards in those years. It’s the team that makes it happen. I grew a lot with that team, so if I had to choose one, it would be that.
Haidary credits project success to DPR’s team environment. “You can’t build these projects with just one person. As long as everyone is open minded to different methods and ways of working, I think it can be successful,” said Haidary. Photo: Matt Pranzo
Q: To be successful in your role, what skills does a person need?
Haidary: We can talk all day about technical skills. You’re learning every day, so your technical skills are always increasing. But soft skills are crucial, like having an open mind in terms of all the challenges. That’s very important. I take that very seriously because you can’t build these projects with just one person. As long as everyone is open minded to different methods and ways of working, I think it can be successful. So, skills I take very seriously are open mindedness and having a “team” environment instead of a “me” environment.
According to a recent American Hospital Association e-book, healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience violence in the workplace than those in other industries. Addressing this extends beyond the daily operations of healthcare facilities, and into to the construction and expansion phases, which can include architects shaping designs with security in mind and construction project managers implementing safety protocols.
In Episode 9 of Constructing with Care, DPR’s podcast focusing on healthcare construction, Deb Sheehan, healthcare market strategy leader at DPR, and Jay Farhat, executive director of protective services at Baptist Health, discuss the types of security measures to preventing crime, like security screenings and video monitoring, to the new technologies and innovations that improve safety, to training and recruitment of safety personnel on healthcare campuses. From the construction perspective, they discuss specific security measures that can be implemented into the environmental and building design, and tactics that protect the most vulnerable patients like children.
Innovation is our ally in healthcare security when we’re doing capital building projects. AI, autonomous devices, and collaboration with law enforcement are transforming the way we address risks and ensure the safety of healthcare workers and patients.
Jay Farhat
Baptist Health
FEATURING
Jay Farhat Baptist Health Executive Director of Protective Services
Deb Sheehan DPR Construction Healthcare Market Strategy Leader
In our next episode, Shehan and Farhat continue their conversation, discussing behavioral health departments, the importance of AI and autonomous devices, and the pivotal role of capital projects shaping safer environments.
Subscribe for future episodes to hear conversations with inspiring guests from across the healthcare and construction industry about how considerations in healthcare design and construction can create better clinical workflow, enhance patient experience, improve efficiency, and more.
Redmond Washington is home to some of the biggest names in business. Microsoft, Nintendo, Amazon, and many more tech startups. Washington State has long been a destination for companies looking to expand in an area that is cheaper than California but still keeps them on the West Coast. The 520 Freeway connects Redmond to Seattle and passes through areas of Kirkland and Bellevue along the way. The freeway has been under construction for years as growth in the area has surpassed the States ability to manage roadways and traffic. Just in the past few years, the 520 went from a 2 lane bridge in each direction to a 4 lane bridge. The 520 is also now a toll bridge, so commuters are now opting to go around Lake Washington to get to the northern part of Seattle. What we have noticed during this time period is an increase in traffic-related accidents. This increase in automobile accidents is caused both by the flood of residence in the area moving there and commuting to and from work daily, but also from poorly cared for roadways that erode from the constant rainfall the Seattle experiences. Washington has a yearly rainfall average of 38.19 inches of rain. This amount of rain washes out roads and causes other natural problems like mudslides that also impact the road quality. That being said, when traveling from Seattle to Redmond the 520 dumps you out either onto Leary Way or on to Avondale Road which will take you to Woodinville Washington. 
The traffic becomes extremely congested in this areas as commuters use this access point to travel to and from Seattle. The poorly maintained roadways and constant road construction leave commuters dodging potholes and traffic barricades. Potholes become a major issue as vehicles crash into holes that exceed 6 inches in depth and can experience alignment and balance issues in addition to blown out tires. We spoke to a Redmond mechanic who went on to say that oil pans and axles also suffer from debris on the road. As the roads break up and the asphalt breaks loose it becomes a road hazard and bounces along the underside of moving vehicles causing damage to the parts underneath. They get hundreds of vehicles a year into their Redmond Auto Repair Shop and the issues are consistent from vehicle to vehicle. the damage caused from loose asphalt is never-ending, and the road barricades that force drivers down narrow unmaintained portions of the road are to blame. Washington State needs to fix its road problem at a rate that keeps pace with its growth, or more car owners will be spending more time at the mechanic shop.
