Project news

• Work on this project began in May 2021.
• Expect overnight lane reductions. Weekend-long lane reductions will resume in spring 2022.
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Needs & benefits

In spring 2021, our contractors began a two-year restoration project on southbound I-5 between I-90 and Spokane Street. This is one of more than restoration 20 projects planned to rehabilitate the I-5 corridor in King County in the next 10 years. This two-year rehabilitation project requires up to 16 weekends of southbound lane reductions in 2021 and 2022 to:

• Replace 40 expansion joints on I-5 between I-90 and Spokane Street
• Replace expansion joints on westbound I-90 ramp to I-5
• Rehabilitate 1.25 miles of the interstate between I-90 and Spokane Street

Expansion joints, which run across the width of the freeway, allow elevated sections of highway to expand and contract with weather conditions and to flex under the weight of heavy vehicles. These joints generally are replaced a half at a time to lessen the effects on traffic. We are working closely with partner agencies in Seattle to determine which weekends this replacement work will happen. Crews need about 55 hours for each replacement to chip out the old joint, place the new one and allow concrete around the joint to cure.

The 1.25-mile section of southbound I-5 that was repaved hadn’t been rehabilitated in nearly 55 years. Decades of traffic created deep tire grooves that can create spaces for pooled water to collect, causing cars to slide. This pooled water can also freeze, creating pockets of ice on the road. Crews grinded off the higher parts of the old concrete and repaved it with a polyester concrete to eliminate these deep grooves, creating a uniform surface and extending the expected lifespan of the highway.

Timeline

• November 2020: Project advertised for competitive bidding.
• January 2021: Contract awarded to CA Carey Corp.
• May 2021: Work began.
• June 2021: Weekend-long lane reductions begin.
• Fall 2022: Work to be complete.