[DJC]

[1996 TOP20]

An ambitious $69.5 million expansion project at the Port of Seattle's Terminal 5 (Southwest Harbor Project, Package 6) took the number one spot in the Daily Journal of Commerce's Top 20 Washington Public Construction Projects of 1996. General contractor M.A. Segale Inc. is leading the project toward its expected completion date of Dec. 31, 1998.

The expanded container terminal will be used by American President Lines and the firm's partners and clients. It will nearly double APL's existing terminal, from 83 acres to 160 acres. When the project is finished, increased container traffic through the terminal is expected to generate an additional $220 million annually in business revenue for the region and create as many as 1,500 new jobs.

Combined with the Terminal 5 job, this year's Top 20 has a total contract value of about $471 million. That was less than 1995's total of $527 million, which got a shot in the arm by the $108 million regional justice center in Kent. Like last year, most projects were in the $10 million to $30 million range. About half were located in the Puget Sound region.

Infrastructure and school projects were prevalent on 1996 list, comprising 16 of the 20 projects. Eight education projects made the list, including six elementary and secondary schools and two university science facilities. Road improvements took five spots, including two jobs on Interstate 5, one on state Route 520, one on Route 509/Highway 99 and one on Route 18. Other infrastructure included two treatment plants and the Terminal 5 project.

To be eligible for the Top 20, projects had to be awarded during 1996 on a low-bid basis. That left out those that were part of the GC/CM or design/build contract award process. These alternative project delivery system jobs are featured here.

With the passage of the $3.9 billion regional transit measure last November, more and more road and transit-related projects are sure to pop up in future Top 20s. Regional Transit Authority officials have said they expect to use a straight low-bid process for most of the jobs. But, it will take a while because the RTA's environmental impact statement could take two to three years to prepare.

-- Phil Brown and Benjamin Minnick, Top 20 editors

1 SW HARBOR PROJECT, TERMINAL 5 EXPANSION (PACKAGE NO. 6)
2 SALMON CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, PHASE 3
3 SR 520 -- 104TH AVE NE TO W LAKE SAMMAMISH PARKWAY
4 CWU SCIENCE FACILITY -- PHASE 1
5 EDMONDS-WOODWAY HIGH SCHOOL
6 SOLIDS PROCESSING FACILITIES (WESTSIDE 2000 IMPROVEMENTS)
7 FIRST AVENUE SOUTH BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND REHABILITATION
8 STATE ROUTE 18 -- SE 312TH WAY TO SE 304TH STREET
9 MEADOWDALE HIGH SCHOOL MODERNIZATION
10 SQUALICUM HIGH SCHOOL
11 KLAHOWYA SECONDARY SCHOOL (NO. 6)
12 SR 5 - PIERCE COUNTY LINE TO TUKWILA HOV AND CLIMBING LANES
13 ENGINEERING TEACHING RESEARCH LAB
14 FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE DORMITORIES
15 LASER INTERFEROMETER GRAVITATIONAL WAVE OBSERVATORY (LIGO) COMPLEX
16 SR 5, 164TH TO SR 526 -- HOV LANES
17 VEHICLE MAINTENANCE SHOPS AT FORT LEWIS
18 NEW JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL NO. 6, NORTHSHORE SCHOOL DISTRICT
19 SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION -- MOUNT VERNON SCHOOL DISTRICT
20 RICHLAND SHOPS/WAREHOUSE FACILITY

Copyright © 1996 Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.