Date:  Thursday, August 27, 2009

Contact: Meghan Pembroke, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4704 (Seattle)
Amir Ahmadi, WSDOT Project Engineer, 425-225-8700 (Everett)

Drivers will notice less congestion, faster travel times

ARLINGTON – Crews will open a new on-ramp to southbound Interstate 5 at the I-5/SR 531 (Smokey Point) interchange in Arlington at 5 a.m. Friday, Aug. 28, nearly six months ahead of schedule. The new ramp will help relieve heavy backups on SR 531 (172nd Street NE) during peak commute times.

“We’re excited to open this ramp ahead of Labor Day weekend,” said Amir Ahmadi, project engineer. “Drivers should notice less congestion and faster travel times right away.”

More than 40,000 vehicles use SR 531 to access I-5 each day, and traffic is heaviest for drivers heading from westbound SR 531 to southbound I-5. Currently, westbound drivers must wait at a traffic signal and use the same on-ramp as eastbound drivers. The new two-lane ramp loops from westbound SR 531 to southbound I-5 and will provide a free right for turning drivers.

Crews have completed work on two of the four ramps that will be constructed or improved at the busy interchange. In July, crews opened a new off-ramp from southbound I-5 to SR 531, just west of the new loop ramp. Crews relocated the off-ramp to the west to allow room to finish building the new loop ramp.

“This is a major milestone for our project,” said Ahmadi. “What makes this even better is that we’ll be able to wrap up our work nearly six months ahead of schedule.” Engineers originally planned to complete construction in late 2010, but now expect to finish by next summer.

The project is not only ahead of schedule, it is also under budget. WSDOT engineers were able to reduce costs during project design, and bids for the project were lower than the engineering estimate. The total amount budgeted for the project is now $23.5 million, with the majority of the funding coming from the 2005 gas tax. The $10 million cost savings will be reallocated to pay for other state transportation projects.

When the project is complete next year, drivers will also benefit from wider on- and off-ramps to and from north- and southbound I-5, and new right-turn lanes at the intersection of eastbound SR 531 and 27th Avenue. For more information visit the project Web site: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr531/i5loopramp.  

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