Date:  Friday, March 05, 2010

Contact: Susan Fell, WSDOT Assistant Project Engineer, (360) 759-1310 (Vancouver)
Abbi Russell, WSDOT Communications, (360) 905-2058 (Vancouver)

Interstate detour will close existing SR 501 bridge to through traffic

RIDGEFIELD – WSDOT’s contractor on the I-5, SR 501 Ridgefield Interchange project will reach a major construction milestone next week when they begin setting girders for the new SR 501 bridge (mile post 14.2). This major milestone comes with a major traffic impact.

I-5 southbound will close from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. the nights of Wednesday, March 10, Thursday, March 11, and Monday, March 15 to place the first set of girders on the west span of the new SR 501 bridge.

I-5 northbound will close nightly from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Tuesday, March 16 through the morning of Friday, March 19 while crews set the east span girders.

Crews will detour up to 600 vehicles per hour through the existing SR 501 interchange while I-5 is closed, and for the safety of all drivers the SR 501 bridge will be closed to through traffic. Drivers will be able to make right turns onto and off of the I-5/SR 501 ramps.

Two large cranes will be set up on I-5 to lift the 130 foot-long, 150,000-pound girders off the back of a semi truck and into place across the interstate. Each of the two bridge spans has 14 girders and crews will place and stabilize up to five girders each night.

After all of the girders are in place, crews will form the bridge deck, install reinforcing steel mats, and start pouring concrete. The project is on-schedule and expected to be complete in late 2011.

The I-5, SR 501 Ridgefield Interchange project improves safety and mobility on state and local roads by building a wider bridge to take SR 501 over I-5 and improving the I-5 on-ramps. Construction on the $28 million stimulus-funded project began in August 2009.

For more information on the I-5, SR 501 Ridgefield Interchange project, please visit the project Web page at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/I5/SR501Interchange. 

Washington State is administering the Recovery Act investments with an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability. Gov. Gregoire has created a new website, www.recovery.wa.gov, enabling every Washingtonian to see where their tax dollars are going and hold government accountable for the results. On the federal level, President Obama has appointed Vice President Biden, a proven and aggressive Inspector General, to oversee all state’s recovery efforts and root out waste and fraud. This combined oversight will ensure taxpayer dollars aren’t wasted.

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WSDOT's mission is to keep 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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