Overview
In an effort to extend the life of the freeway we replaced approximately 440 deteriorating concrete panels and ground down the worst areas of uneven pavement. Crews worked on northbound and southbound I-5 between the Boeing Access Road in South Seattle and the King/Snohomish County line and in the I-5 express lanes. They also repaved the NE 50th Street on-ramp and replaced signs, guardrail and impact attenuators.
I-5 is a grid of concrete panels. Each panel is a slab of concrete that is 15 feet long, 12 feet wide and nine inches deep. In the worst areas of I-5 we removed and replaced the panels. The work included: removing the cracked and rutted concrete, smoothing out the roadbed, installing bars to lock the new panels with the existing panels, pouring new concrete and grinding the panel and adjacent lanes to provide improved traction. We also ground out long stretches of tire ruts and bumps on the freeway to make the road surface even.
Concrete panel replacement and pavement grinding work are interim fixes to address the most severe problems. Eventually the entire roadway surface, except for bridge decks, needs to be replaced.
 | Improves Safety
The new, smoother road surface will enhance driver safety in the areas worked on because of improved traction and fewer holes and cracks in the roadway.
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 | Economic Incentive
These repairs will help preserve the freeway and cut down on temporary repairs until we are able to secure funding to repave I-5 between south Seattle and the King/Snohomish county line.
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Partnerships & Cooperation
We awarded the contract for this project to Interstate Improvement, Inc. in November 2008. We began construction in February 2009 and finished work in December 2009.
Funding
This project was funded through the following sources:
• 2003 Gas Tax (Nickel Funding) - $14.3 million
• Total funding from all sources - $14.3 million
Contact Us
Aleta Borschowa
WSDOT Construction Office
Phone: (206) 768-5862
E-mail: Borscha@wsdot.wa.gov
Broch Bender
WSDOT Communications
Phone: (206) 440-4702
E-mail: Benderb@wsdot.wa.gov
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