Date:  Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Contact:
Neal Uhlmeyer, Project Engineer, 360-412-3420
WSDOT Communications, 360-357-2789

LAKEWOOD – Concrete panel rehabilitation work continues on the southbound lanes of I-5 in Tacoma and Lakewood and on the northbound lanes from Lacey to Nisqually again this weekend. With it, lane restrictions and ramp closures that stretch throughout the construction zone.

This work is part of a summer-long project that repairs and rehabilitates 25.5 miles of I-5 in Thurston and Pierce counties.

“Last weekend, crews replaced 36 concrete panels and installed 1,386 dowel bars on I-5,” said Kevin Dayton, region administrator. “But the backups in Pierce County were manageable because so many drivers planned ahead or postponed trips.”

As of May 1, crews have replaced 159 of 295 panels and installed 8,478 of 56,000 dowel bars.

The weekend’s work in Tacoma and Lakewood may cause significant traffic delays. Three lanes of southbound I-5 close between 48th Street (milepost 131) in Tacoma and Gravelly Lake Drive (milepost 124) in Lakewood this weekend for concrete panel rehabilitation. The work hours are:

• Friday, May 7 – two lanes of I-5 southbound close at 9 p.m., three lanes close by 11 p.m. All lanes reopen by 11 a.m. Saturday, May 8.
• Saturday, May 8 – two lanes close at 7 p.m. with a triple-lane closure in effect by 8 p.m. All lanes reopen by noon, Sunday, May 9.

Two lanes of northbound I-5 close between Martin Way (milepost 109) in Lacey and Nisqually (milepost 114) with the first lane closing at 7 p.m. Friday, May 7 and two lanes closing by 10 p.m. All lanes reopen by 8 a.m. Saturday, May 8.

Drivers are encouraged to adjust their travel times or take alternate routes if at all possible. The best times to travel this weekend are Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

WSDOT is gearing up for an extended weekend closure near Clover Creek in Pierce County May 14 through 16, which closes all lanes of southbound I-5 and requires motorists to drive on the shoulder of the highway through the work zone.

This week’s entire current work schedule can be found on the region’s weekly impact report at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/Olympic/Construction/ or drivers can stay informed about this project by visiting www.tacomatraffic.com.

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