MARYSVILLE – All eyes are on the forecast with hopes of dry weather after the wettest El Nino winter on record has twice postponed weekend expansion joint replacement work on Interstate 5 in Snohomish County.
In an effort to get ahead of the rainy weekend forecast, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation could complete weather dependent roadway striping work as early as Thursday night, March 10.
“Our contractor needs to restripe I-5 to keep traffic moving during the weekend lane reductions,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Mark Sawyer. “Drivers would only have one lane through the work zone if we didn’t restripe I-5, and that would have a huge impact on traffic.”
If the Thursday evening forecast calls for rain, contractor crews still have the option to restripe I-5 on Friday night, March 11.
Contractor crews will monitor the forecast and make a decision to proceed with lane restriping I-5 at 9 a.m. Thursday. The final call to proceed with weekend lane reductions will occur at 9 a.m. Friday.
Expect narrower lanes and a reduced speed limit on southbound I-5 on Friday morning
- Southbound I-5 drivers will have three narrower lanes open for the morning commute Friday, March 11.
- Speed limits will be reduced to 40 mph through the construction zone.
- Drivers should plan for possible delays on southbound I-5 Friday morning through Sunday night.
- All lanes will be returned to the normal configuration by 4 a.m. Monday, March 14.
A total of eight weekends of lane reductions will give crews the space they need to replace aging and deteriorating expansion joints in both directions of I-5 on the Steamboat Slough and Ebey Slough bridges.
WSDOT needs your help to keep traffic moving
The length of backups and delays will depend on how drivers travel. Consider traveling early or late in the day when volumes are lighter. Carpooling and public transportation are also great alternatives.
WSDOT estimates even if 30 percent of drivers find other ways to travel through the area, there will still be major backups and delays on I-5. Many regional highways will also see increased congestion as drivers find ways around the I-5 work zone.
Why weekend closures are necessary
The expansion joints on the Steamboat Slough bridge are 48 feet long. Because of their size, they can only be replaced during weekends when longer hours are available to chip out the old concrete, remove the existing joints, install the new ones, and pour new concrete.
Helping you through the backups
Start to plan your weekend commute strategies now:
- A new Snohomish County traffic map is available online with real time traffic cameras and travel times.
- Weekend travel updates will be available on the WSDOT Blog
- WSDOT’s mobile app offers information for travelers on the go.
- @wsdot_traffic will provide updates about this project using the hashtag #SnoCoSqueeze
- The What’s Happening Now page chronicles closures and issues affecting travelers.
- Consider other commute and travel choices
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