Date:  Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Contact: Abbi Russell, WSDOT Communications, (360) 905-2058 (Vancouver)

Drivers can steer clear of delays by avoiding peak hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

VANCOUVER – Drivers face another weekend of possible traffic delays on I-205 starting Friday, Aug. 6, as Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) contractor crews launch around-the-clock double-lane closures to replace more joints on the Glenn Jackson Bridge.

Two lanes on the southbound span of the bridge will close by 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6, and remain closed until 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 9. The ramps from SR 14 to southbound I-205 will also close from 9 p.m. Aug. 6 to 5 a.m. Aug. 9.

The Glenn Jackson Bridge carries an average of 140,000 vehicles per day. Extensive backups are possible on I-205 and I-5, connecting highways and local streets unless drivers change their travel plans.

Drivers helped avoid serious traffic snarls during the first weekend of closures in late July by traveling outside the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Traffic volumes decreased by as much as 20 percent during the peak hours, which helped avoid projected 10-mile backups and hours of delays during construction.

WSDOT asks drivers to continue planning their trips around peak travel hours. Know before you go by checking Vancouver traffic flow maps and area web cameras at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/vancouver/VancouverTraffic/.

For statewide traffic information, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic, or call 5-1-1 or 1-800-695-ROAD.

ODOT is replacing 20 aging bridge joints on the north end of the Glenn Jackson Bridge this summer. The joints are nearly 30 years old and at the end of their functional lifespan.

For more information on the I-205 Glenn Jackson Bridge Joint Replacement Project, please visit: http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION1/GlennJackson/. 

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WSDOT keeps 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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