Date:
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Contact:
Kris Olsen, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4475
Broch Bender, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4702
Crews begin working tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 11 on the north and southbound lanes of I-5 as WSDOT’s pavement repair project finally gets underway. Snow and freezing temperatures on Monday and Tuesday delayed the start of construction.
Tonight, crews begin grinding work on northbound I-5 in south Seattle, weather permitting. At the same time, a second overnight crew will prep the pavement on southbound I-5 between Stewart Street and I-90 for the weekend work. The weekend lane closure begins Friday, Feb. 13 and ends at 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 16.
This is the first week and weekend of our major I-5 pavement repair work.
Starting tonight, Feb. 11, crews will close:
- Up to three lanes at night on northbound I-5 from Corson Avenue to the West Seattle Freeway Wednesday, Feb. 11 through Friday, Feb. 13; Sunday, Feb. 15 through Tuesday, Feb. 17
- Lane closures begin at 7 p.m. Three of four lanes will be closed by midnight. All lanes will reopen at 5 a.m.
- Up to three lanes at night on southbound I-5 from Stewart Street to I-90 Wednesday night, Feb. 11 through Friday morning, Feb. 13. Lane closures begin at 8 p.m. All lanes will reopen at 5 a.m.
Around-the-clock weekend closures start Friday, Feb. 13:
- Up to three of four lanes on southbound I-5 between Stewart Street and just south of I-90 from Friday, Feb. 13 through Monday, Feb. 16. Lanes close at 8 p.m. on Friday and reopen at 5 a.m. Monday. Feb 16.
- The Howell Street (near Denny Way) and Union Street ramps will be closed during all southbound closures. A signed truck and vehicle detour is in place.
To reduce the amount of rough road and minimize additional cracking on concrete pavement, crews from Interstate Improvement of Minnesota will grind off up to one-quarter inch of the concrete pavement. This will level the pavement in the worst spots on I-5. WSDOT engineers have identified 18 miles worth of locations to do this work.
On the weekends, crews will close lanes to replace nearly 450 cracked concrete panels. They need up to 18 hours to allow the concrete to cure.
What should drivers do?
- Drivers travelling through Seattle to points north and south should use I-405 to avoid the city.
- Drivers headed into downtown Seattle can use I-5, but should plan for up to an hour delay on the weekends.
- Drivers can also use SR 99 or I-405 to get to I-90. We do not expect significant congestion on I-90.
Drivers should also use the multiple travel tools WSDOT has in place to get information before they leave home and information while they are on the road. These tools include:
Use the Web to plan ahead: Construction closure information could change. Check our 2009 construction season Web site for the most up-to-date construction closure information: www.wsdot.wa.gov/construction/2009.
Learn more about the I-5 Pavement Repair project:
www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/SeattlePavementRepair/
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WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/or by dialing 5-1-1.
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