Northwest City Scoop: Construction Starts in Seattle

Before the COVID-19 crisis, value of new contracts was expected to rise 12% in 2020

Gains had been forecast for the non-residential and non-building sectors, while a decline was expected in residential.

City Grill

Jeanine Viscount
Vice President
WSP USA

Most WSP USA Seattle-area work continues, including remote planning and design, while construction management services and design support during construction are beginning to resume, says Viscount, vice president of WSP USA and Women in Transportation’s 2020 Woman of the Year.

“In transportation, we are anticipating existing projects to continue while new projects might start later than planned once budgeting is more clear,” she says, noting that Washington State’s Dept. of Transportation’s Puget Sound Gateway Program released on May 12 its request for proposals for the I-5 to 24th Avenue S. New Expressway. The project award is expected in December.

“Some of the largest public owners in the Pacific Northwest and other local agencies have been enormously impacted by the virus as revenue from gas taxes, tolls and fare boxes have plunged dramatically,” Viscount says.

WSP is helping clients assess COVID-19’s impact on capital and operations as proposed projects are reviewed and reprioritized, she says. The firm is also advising clients on optimizing emergency relief funding.