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Project Title & Location
I-5 HOV - South 48th Street to Pacific Avenue, Tacoma
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Project Description
Improves safety on I-5, from 38th Street to I-705 by adding a collector-distributor lane for safer merges on and off the freeway.
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Recent Progress
Both north and southbound traffic has been shifted for the next phases of bridge demolition; demolition is expected to finish in spring 2007. Phase 2 of bridge demolition is complete, work is continuing on the artistic noise barrier walls along northbound I-5 and the artistic wall panels between M St and SR 16.
The base lifts of asphalt paving are complete on the new ramps and new collector-distributor.
Repairs to the storm water and sewer systems under the Yakima Pond from the November storms are complete. The work was performed by the City of Tacoma.
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Environmental Impacts / Compliance
Noise barrier walls are being constructed to minimize the effects of traffic noise on adjacent residences and schools.
Storm water detention ponds have been constructed for use as part of the contractor’s temporary erosion control measures. They will later be modified for permanent water quantity and quality treatment to accommodate the widened roadway.
Water quality is monitored to ensure that turbidity and pH thresholds are not exceeded at discharge points.
To ensure compliance with all permits and regulations, on-site meetings are conducted with the Department of Ecology bi-monthly and with the City of Tacoma quarterly.
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Impacts to Traffic
The northbound lanes have been shifted to the collector-distributor and the southbound lanes to the old northbound lanes to facilitate the demolition of the Yakima, Delin, and Tacoma Avenue bridges. Getting southbound traffic around bridge-demolition work required a major shift – a fairly dramatic detour into the regular northbound lanes. Drivers will negotiate sharp curves getting in and out of the detour prompting WSDOT to lower the speed limit to a cautionary 45 mph on the mile-long stretch. These traffic revisions are required to get drivers safely around the bridge demolition work and get this safety and mobility project completed.
Drivers also should be aware of an extended barrier between the southbound mainline and the merge lane from downtown Tacoma. The barrier severely reduces the time drivers will have to merge left to the mainline from downtown, against the grain of mainline drivers maneuvering right to exit at State Route 16 or South 38th Street.
Motorists can expect periodic nighttime lane closures on northbound and southbound I-5 throughout the project limits.
Electronic message signs and highway advisory radios (HARs) will be deployed throughout the area to alert travelers about traffic conditions and lane closures during construction.
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