Date:  Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Contact: Lauren Penning, WSDOT Communications, 206.440.4473 (Seattle)
Mike Askarian, WSDOT Project Engineer, 206.768.5860 (Seattle)

SOUTHCENTER – This weekend Tri-State Construction crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will begin repairs to S. 178th Street over southbound Interstate 5. For the safety of drivers and workers, crews will close all southbound I-5 lanes overnight Saturday while they use heavy equipment to remove a damaged bridge girder. Drivers heading south through Southcenter and SeaTac late Saturday and early Sunday should expect delays and use alternate routes.

At 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23 crews will close all lanes of southbound I-5 from the I-405 interchange to S. 188th Street. Traffic will follow a signed detour from southbound I-5 to northbound I-405 to southbound SR 167 to westbound SR 516 and then back onto southbound I-5. Drivers should also expect delays on SR 167 during the detour. Crews will reopen two lanes to traffic by 7:30 a.m. with all lanes open by noon on Sunday, Feb. 24.

Crews will also close S. 178th Street over I-5 from 10 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday morning. Drivers wishing to travel over I-5 should look for and follow detour signs.

The following weekend crews plan to close southbound I-5 again near Southcenter to install the replacement girder.

The S. 178th Street overpass was damaged when a vehicle exceeding the height limit on I-5 struck the overpass on Dec. 13, 2006. Since then bridge engineers have narrowed traffic lanes across the overpass to prevent further damage and keep drivers safe while they designed repairs. Repair work will continue on the S. 178th Street bridge deck through May 2008. For more information about the project visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/S178thOverpass/

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