Date:
Friday, June 23, 2006
Contact:
Stanley Eng, Project Engineer, (253) 872-2958 (Kent)
Greg Phipps, WSDOT Communications, (206) 949-8078 (cell) (Seattle)
FEDERAL WAY – Starting Thursday night crews will begin a major traffic shift for WSDOT's Interstate 5 widening project between Federal Way and the King/Pierce county line.
The shift marks a midway project milestone as WSDOT and contractor Icon Materials team up to reduce congestion and improve safety on this busy stretch of I-5. Over the next two weeks crews will restripe northbound I-5 between the county line and S. 320th Street to shift traffic toward the median and onto the newly completed HOV lane. Crews will work on segments from north to south, starting tonight with the segment between S. 336th and S. 320th streets. Drivers should take extra care as they adjust to the new lane configuration.
After crews shift the northbound lanes they will restripe the southbound lanes and shift traffic toward the median and the new southbound HOV lane. Although we’re moving traffic onto the new HOV lanes, the lanes will be open to all drivers until crews complete widening on the outside of the freeway. Drivers will travel on four lanes in each direction until we complete the project in spring 2007 and expand I-5 to five northbound and five southbound lanes.
The northbound lane shift and continued southbound I-5 paving and pavement grinding will require the following lane and ramp closures between S. 320th Street and the county line. We will provide signed detours for all ramp closures:
Thursday, June 22 and Sunday, June 25
At 7 p.m. crews will close one northbound lane. Three lanes will be closed by 11 p.m., reducing northbound I-5 to one lane of traffic. All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. each following morning.
Monday, June 26
At 7 p.m. crews will close one northbound lane. Two lanes will be closed by 10 p.m. Both lane will reopen by 5 a.m. Tuesday.
At 8 p.m. crews will close one southbound lane. Three lanes will be closed by midnight, reducing southbound I-5 to one lane of traffic. All lanes will reopen by 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Tuesday, June 27
At 7 p.m. crews will close one northbound lane. Three lanes will be closed by 11 p.m., reducing northbound I-5 to one lane of traffic. All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. Wednesday.
At 8 p.m. crews will close one southbound lane. Three lanes will be closed by midnight. All lanes will reopen by 7 a.m. Wednesday.
At 9 p.m. crews will close the northbound I-5 ramp to westbound State Route 18 and the eastbound SR 18 ramp to northbound I-5. Both ramps will reopen by 5 a.m. Wednesday.
Wednesday, June 28
At 8 p.m. crews will close one southbound lane. Three lanes will be closed by midnight. All lanes will reopen by 7 a.m. Thursday.
At 9 p.m. crews will close the southbound I-5 ramp to eastbound SR 18, the westbound SR 18 ramp to southbound I-5, and the northbound I-5 ramp to eastbound SR 18. All three ramps will reopen by 5 a.m. Thursday.
Thursday, June 29
At 7 p.m. crews will close one northbound lane. Three lanes will be closed by 11 p.m. All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. Friday.
At 8 p.m. crews will close one southbound lane. Three lanes will be closed by midnight. All lanes will reopen by 7 a.m. Friday
At 9 p.m. crews will close the northbound I-5 ramp to westbound SR 18 and the eastbound SR 18 ramp to northbound I-5. Both ramps will reopen by 5 a.m. Friday
For more information or to sign up for weekly project e-mail updates, visit the project Web page at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/hovPiercetoTukwila/i5HOV_Pierce_S320th
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