Date:  Thursday, April 15, 2010

Contact:

Neal Uhlmeyer, project engineer, 360-412-3420
WSDOT Communications, 360-357-2789

Weather-dependent construction impacts northbound traffic April 16-18

LACEY – After more than doubling its expected design life, the aging I-5 concrete between Lacey and Tacoma is going to be looking young and fresh again.

WSDOT and contractor Penhall Company are rejuvenating the roadway, replacing sections in Thurston and Pierce counties to create a smoother concrete surface with less bumps and ruts. The $8.4 million project replaces 295 concrete panels and installs more than 56,700 supporting dowel bars between Martin Way in Lacey and 48th Street in Tacoma.

The second of nine weather-dependent extended closures is scheduled this weekend, and WSDOT is urging motorists who must use northbound I-5 to change their driving times if possible. The best times to travel are Saturday and Sunday afternoons. This weekend’s construction closures are from:

• 7 p.m. Friday, April 16 to 11 a.m. Saturday, April 17
• 7 p.m. Saturday, April 17 to noon Sunday, April 18

Crews working on southbound I-5 last weekend in Lacey replaced 30 panels and cut slots for more than 1,000 roadway supporting dowel bars. They also provided motorists a glimpse of what the rehabilitated I-5 will look like as well as the construction it will take to complete the six-month project, which began in March.

The first weekend closure scheduled for the project was a success, and while traffic backups were bad they could have been worse, said region administrator Kevin Dayton.

“Motorists definitely paid attention to our warnings about potential traffic delays,” Dayton said. “The biggest backup we saw was about three miles, which isn’t too terrible considering that southbound I-5 was down to just one lane. If drivers had not avoided the area, we could have had up to 21-mile backups.”

Upcoming construction requires multiple lane closures on I-5 between Lacey and Tacoma. Drivers can stay informed, and watch the progress by visiting http://www.tacomatraffic.com/.

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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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