Date:  Thursday, March 25, 2010

Contact:
Neal Uhlmeyer, project engineer, 360-412-3420
Lisa Copeland, region communication manager, 360-357-2789

Drivers should expect closures at night and on weekends through September

OLYMPIA – Construction, lane closures and congestion will become all too familiar at night and on weekends this spring and summer as WSDOT and its contractor, Penhall Company, replace concrete panels and smooth I-5 from Lacey to Tacoma. The work will begin next week and is expected to continue through September.

This $8.4 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded project will support an estimated 86 jobs. Low-bidding on several tier one stimulus projects made it possible for this tier two project to receive funding. This section of I-5 is more than 50 years old – more than twice its 20-year- expected life span – and is in dire need of the repairs.

Crews will replace 295 broken concrete panels, install more than 56,700 dowel bars to tie concrete panels together, and grind smooth about 25.5 lane miles between Martin Way in Lacey and 48th Street in Tacoma.

“It’s going to be a long, tedious construction season for I-5 drivers,” said Kevin Dayton, region administrator. “We expect to have different closures almost every night and on weekends, and we could see very lengthy backups.”

Traffic backups could reach five miles or more depending on traffic volumes and the number of lanes closed. The work is also weather-dependent, which makes nailing down an exact schedule extremely difficult.

Work on a section of I-5 in north Thurston County will completely close northbound I-5 near Marvin Road over night and could occur as soon as April 24.

During construction, additional Incident Response crews and Washington State Patrol troopers will be in force to help keep the work zones clear. Drivers are encouraged to check their routes before they go using our Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ or by calling 511.

For more information on this project and how to stay informed via Twitter or through e-mail alert updates, please visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/pavementrehab/i5martinwayto48thst/.

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