Date:
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Contact:
Dustin Terpening, WSDOT Communications, 360-757-5997
Marco Foster, WSDOT Engineering Manager, 360-757-5991
BELLINGHAM - Drivers can avoid big backups in Bellingham this April and May if they plan ahead now. Night lane closures start 11 p.m. Monday, March 31, and weekend-long lane closures will follow soon after.
Crews will close lanes at night and on weekends to repair broken panels, smooth bridge transitions and pave rough ramps on I-5 from Samish Way (exit 252) to Sunset Drive (exit 255).
“Without help from commuters, delays and backups could be hours and miles long, especially on weekends,” Engineering Manager Marco Foster said. “I-5’s capacity during construction will literally be cut in half, and there are no easily accessible alternate routes to avoid the work.”
For the first two weeks in April, crews primarily will close lanes from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The first weekend-long closure is scheduled for April 11 through April 14. I-5 will be reduced to one lane in each direction for three miles. Lanes will close at 10 p.m. Friday and reopen at 6 a.m. Monday.
The weekend work could take up to four weekends to complete and is weather dependent. The closures could be delayed if the weather forecast calls for rain.
“We’re asking local residents to avoid I-5 and use alternate routes during lane closures,” Foster said. “And we’re asking those passing through Bellingham to use I-5 at off-peak times. Without this help, we could see significant delays.”
Approximately 80,000 drivers use I-5 every day through Bellingham.
The best times to travel I-5 during the weekend-long closures will be after 8 p.m. and before 8 a.m. WSDOT expects stop-and-go traffic the rest of the time on weekends.
Graphs are available on the WSDOT Web site that show the best and worst times to use I-5.
Drivers can check Bellingham traffic conditions with WSDOT traffic cameras before leaving the house.
One good way to stay informed about lane closures is to sign up for e-mail updates, and subscribe for Whatcom County.
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