Seattle I-5 Closure - August 2007

[love2cruiseseattle]

Just thought I would post this notice from the Washington State DOT regarding work that will be done on Interstate 5 (South of the City of Seattle) in August. If you will be traveling into the city during this time period, make sure your driver takes Highway 99.

 

 

WSDOT Asks Seattle-Area Drivers to Get Ready for Intense I-5 Closures This August

 

 

Date: Thursday, February 22, 2007

Contact: Bruce Nebbitt, Project Engineer, (206) 716-1170(Seattle)

Greg Phipps, WSDOT Communications, (206) 440-4702 (Seattle)

 

SEATTLE – WSDOT’s message is clear: Start thinking now about your Seattle–area commute this August.

 

WSDOT announced Wednesday it will pave more than one mile of northbound Interstate 5 and replace failing bridge expansion joints between Spokane Street and I-90. These repairs will significantly affect traffic, particularly during 19 continuous days of intense construction from Aug. 10 to Aug. 29 when crews will close several lanes of northbound I-5 at all times, leaving only two or three lanes open to workday traffic.

 

Although WSDOT is working with the City of Seattle and other local communities, businesses and transit agencies to help keep traffic moving during construction, lengthy backups and significant delays are expected. The construction closures will have a substantial effect on West Seattle and south King County commuters and will push traffic onto other routes, including I-405, State Route 99, and city streets in Georgetown, SODO, Rainier Valley and Beacon Hill.

 

“We’re doing everything we can to keep traffic moving, but we really need help from drivers” said WSDOT Regional Administrator Lorena Eng. “These closures have the potential to create unprecedented gridlock on freeways and city streets.”

 

Drivers also can expect periodic closures of the Spokane Street and Columbian Way on-ramps to northbound I-5, and the northbound I-5 exits to Fourth Avenue South, I-90, and James, Madison and Dearborn streets.

 

Eng said drivers can take steps now that could ease their commutes and help other drivers this August:

• Plan a vacation between Aug. 10-29
  
• Consider arrangements to carpool or vanpool
  
• Practice taking the bus or train
  
• Make arrangements to work from home or alternate worksite
  
• Discuss altering your work schedule to come in earlier or later than normal
  
• Try alternate routes
  
• Keep up to date on the project by subscribing to WSDOT’s I-5 Seattle E-mail Alerts and by bookmarking WSDOT’s project Web page

I-5 from Spokane Street to the I-90 interchange is an elevated bridge that is more than 40 years old. It’s one of the busiest sections of freeway in Washington and the daily pounding has taken its toll. The expansion joints connecting the concrete spans that make up the freeway are failing and potentially pose a serious risk to drivers. Collisions and major traffic back-ups are a growing risk as the top steel plates of these joints detach more and more frequently.

 

To help protect drivers and extend the life of the freeway, crews will replace the expansion joints on the northbound bridge and resurface the northbound lanes. They will also repair the expansion joints on the southbound bridge using overnight closures.

 

For more information, visit the project Web site at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/SpokaneStreetBridgeRepair/