February 2013
- Monday, Feb. 4 to the morning of Friday, Feb. 8 - Crews will close up to three out of five lanes of northbound I-5 from South 308th Street to South 260th Street from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly for pavement repairs.
- We are finished with Concrete panel replacement work.
- Crews will return on Monday, February 4th, to grind down three miles of rutted concrete in the northbound direction. The work will last through spring.
- Let us know if you are bothered by night construction noise; call 206-440-4DOT (4368).
Interstate 5 through King County is nearly 50 years
old and is used by more than 250,000 cars, trucks, semi-trucks, buses, and oversized vehicles every day.
The road was designed to last 30-40 years.
Due to the strength of our concrete, the road has held up remarkably well. But it is now falling apart more quickly than maintenance crews can hold it together.
The pavement is cracking and breaking apart,
cracking and has developed significant wheel ruts and potholes which make for a very rough ride.
The cracks in the pavement get longer, deeper and wider each year as the road goes through the winter freeze/thaw cycle. Temporary fixes to that pavement have become more frequent, more expensive and less effective and ultimately cost taxpayers more money in lost time and time-consuming repairs.
Why is WSDOT
repairing I-5 in Kent and Federal Way?
Roads that are in good shape last longer and record fewer collisions. Fewer collisions means fewer unexpected lane closures. On northbound I-5 this fall, crews will:
- cut, break apart and haul away 64 old and broken concrete panels and replace them with new 9-inch thick concrete panels between South Military Road and South 260th Street.
- use diamond grinders to even out the ruts on I-5, smoothing out three miles of northbound I-5.
- restripe three miles of northbound I-5 with highly visible contrast striping and new lane buttons.
- replace 13,000 feet of guardrail
- replace 14 old signs with new highly reflective signs.
The End Result
The end result will be a smoother and quieter ride for all drivers. Drivers will also benefit from new guardrail and new high-visibility striping and more reflective signs.
The road will last longer and need fewer emergency repairs.
Project Benefits
Drivers will enjoy a less bumpy ride on I-5. This work will help hold I-5 together until future funding can be secured.
Engineers estimate that it will cost several billion dollars to replace all the concrete pavement on I-5 in King County. At this time there is no funding idenitified for this work.
What is the project timeline?
- April 2012: Project is advertised for bidders
- September 2012: Project is awarded to Interstate Improvements
- October 2012: Construction begins
- November 2012: Concrete panel replacement work is complete
- spring 2013: All work is complete
Financial Information
Project signage will reflect the cost of construction engineering, project bid award and sales tax.
$6.4 million*
*Total cost includes funding for I-5 repairs in Kent, Federal Way and Seattle.
How can I get more information?
Contact:
Broch Bender
206.440.4699
Broch.bender@wsdot.wa.gov
broch.bender@wsdot.wa.gov
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