Date:  Thursday, June 16, 2011

Contact: Lisa Copeland, Region Communications Manager, 360-357-2789 (Tumwater)
Jon Deffenbacher, Project Engineer, 253-589-6100 (Tacoma)

LAKEWOOD – Drivers traveling southbound Interstate 5 in Lakewood to graduations or visit dear old dad this weekend will want to check traffic conditions before they head out. The second of four rounds of closures for the I-5 Clover Creek project takes place this weekend and drivers should plan to allow extra time for their trips.

If weather cooperates, drivers can expect triple-lane closures of southbound I-5 Friday June 17, through Sunday, June 18 while crews make repairs to the I-5 Clover Creek Bridge located just south of Bridgeport Way.

Crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will close three southbound lanes of the freeway from 9 p.m. Friday, June 17 to 10 a.m. Saturday, June 18, and again from 9 p.m. Saturday, June 18 to 10 a.m. Sunday, June 19. The overnight lane restrictions are necessary for WSDOT and its contractor to safely replace the concrete bridge approach slabs.

Last weekend, crews worked on northbound I-5 at the Clover Creek Bridge. Backups Sunday reached 15 miles from Lacey to Lakewood due to typical summer Sunday traffic volumes combined with the construction closures and a rolling slowdown for maintenance work in the same area.

“We thank drivers for their patience last weekend,” said Jon Deffenbacher, project engineer. “The backups we saw last weekend are a good indicator of how quickly things can back up on I-5. We ask drivers to check the flow maps and cameras on the Web before they head out this weekend and decide whether or not to delay their trips.”

Drivers can “know before they go” by dialing 511 or by visiting www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic.

To learn more about this $650,000 project and how to stay informed via Twitter or through email updates, visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/CloverCreekBridge.

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