News

Crews begin repairing I-5

  • Published
  • By 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  Construction, lane closures and congestion will become all too familiar at night and on weekends this spring and summer as the Washington State Department of Transportation and its contractor, Penhall Company, replace concrete panels and smooth I-5 from Lacey to Tacoma. The work began this week and is expected to continue through September.

Traffic going to Lacey, southbound should expect extended double-lane closure from 9 p.m. April 9 to 11 a.m. April 10. The double-lane closure will pick back at 7 p.m. April 10 to noon April 11.

Northbound Lacey traffic should expect nightly lane closures on the evenings of April 9 and 10 from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Drivers should be cautious and allow themselves enough time to get to UTA safely.

Work on a section of I-5 in north Thurston County will completely close northbound I-5 near Marvin Road over night and could occur as soon as the alternate UTA this month.

Traffic backups could reach five miles or more depending on traffic volumes and the number of lanes closed. The work is also weather-dependent, which makes nailing down an exact schedule extremely difficult.

Crews will replace 295 broken concrete panels, install more than 56,700 dowel bars to tie concrete panels together, and grind smooth about 25.5 lane miles between Martin Way in Lacey and 48th Street in Tacoma.

During construction, additional Incident Response crews and Washington State Patrol troopers will be in force to help keep the work zones clear. Drivers are encouraged to check their routes before they go using the WSDOT Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ or by calling 511.

For more information on this project and how to stay informed via Twitter or through e-mail alert updates, please visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/pavementrehab/i5martinwayto48thst

(Editor's Note: portions of this article were derived from the WSDOT article, "Crews begin repairing I-5 from Lacey to Tacoma next week," March 25, 2010)