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KENNEWICK -- Rain may be rare in the Tri-Cities, but drivers say when it shows up, the roads become slick around the new roundabout and Highway 395 overpass and interchange at the south end of the blue bridge.
Concrete was poured to create the new interchange because it is more durable than asphalt, but state Department of Transportation and Washington State Patrol officials acknowledge concrete becomes a bit more slippery than asphalt when wet.
Moe Davari, DOT project engineer, said he hasn't heard much concern about slickness in the roundabout, but transportation workers have done "corrective work" on Highway 395.
"We have done some more grinding to improve the friction numbers to make the roadway not so slippery," he said.
Crews also put in more drainage to minimize water accumulation on the southbound lanes of Highway 395 from Pasco to Kennewick.
"There's no plan at this point to do anything in the roundabouts," Davari said. "We really haven't had much of a concern on the roundabout."
On Wednesday morning, light rain created slick conditions in the double roundabout where a Kennewick police traffic sergeant crashed his patrol motorcycle.
Sgt. Ken Lattin suffered minor injuries when he was thrown from his bike, said Officer Tony Valdez.
Lattin was entering the roundabout from Highway 240 onto Columbia Drive at a low speed when his motorcycle tires lost traction.
The bike fishtailed twice before throwing Lattin off, Valdez said.
Lattin landed on his side, then hit the back of his head on the ground. He was wearing a helmet.
He was treated for a minor hip injury at Kennewick General Hospital and released.
Washington State Patrol troopers who investigated the crash determined speed was not a factor, Valdez said.
Davari said the only problems he has heard about in the roundabout are caused by speed, but added that he'll be checking to make sure wet roadways aren't creating issues.
He also said he was waiting for rain on Highway 395 to see if the drainage work helped the problem.
The National Weather Service showed 0.02 inch of precipitation fell at the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco on Wednesday.
Showers are in the Tri-City forecast again today -- a 20 percent chance is predicted before 11 a.m. -- with partly cloudy skies and a high near 75. Partly cloudy skies are expected to stick around at night, but skies are supposed to be mostly sunny with highs in the mid- to upper 70s through Wednesday.
In May, a semi-truck driver lost control on wet roadway as he tried to pass a slower-moving car and slid off the Highway 395 overpass south of the blue bridge. He narrowly missed landing on a truck below him on Highway 240.
State Patrol officials have said that the new interchange and roundabouts have created some new traffic issues with the slick roadway and some fender benders in the roundabouts, but crashes are less frequent and less severe than before.
Before the cloverleaf was removed and the new teardrop roundabouts were constructed, rear-end collisions at 40-50 mph were common on the blue bridge, troopers said.
Those crashes tied up traffic across the bridge and some caused serious injuries.
There still are crashes in the roundabout, but drivers typically are going 10-15 mph, and the low-speed impact usually results in nothing worse than minor injuries. Those crashes typically are caused by drivers not properly navigating the roundabouts, officials said.
State Patrol officials say the overall improvements at the interchange outweigh the negatives.
-- Paula Horton: 582-1556; phorton@tricityherald.com
