Traffic Payout

by guest blogger Dave Chesson

This machine helps us to remove the old concrete panels.

The hardwood floor in my house doesn’t look that bad, but it creaks too much and is getting really worn out in places. I know from past experience with other projects in my old house that once I start making repairs, I need to dedicate all the time and resources I can to avoid living for months on end in a layer of constant dust and debris.

So what do my house repairs have to do with your commute? All that construction work we’ve planned to fix northbound I-5 between Burlington and Lake Samish at the Whatcom County line is kind of like my house project. Once you start, you can’t turn back. And like my hardwood floor, we have 12 miles of I-5 pavement that’s cracking and wearing out, and in need of repair.

Our pavement repairs go beyond just fixing the cracks; the repairs go to the very foundation of our interstate. We will be ripping out and replacing bridge approaches and concrete roadway panels and repairing bridge decks, among other projects. This work will be complex, time-consuming and must be done in sequence, which means drivers can expect around-the-clock lane closures for two weeks, Mondays through Fridays.

If you plan to drive this stretch of northbound I-5 during the next few weeks, you’ll want to pay attention: Only one lane of northbound I-5 north of Burlington will be open next week from 7 p.m. Monday, June 20, through 10 a.m. Friday, June 24. You can expect delays of up to an hour or more during the afternoon commute, especially between 2 and 6 p.m. If you want to save yourself a lot of time and help us keep traffic moving, plan ahead and check when the best times are to travel through the project area, reschedule your trips, or take alternate routes. You can find more information on our project website. We need warm and dry weather for this work, so keep your fingers crossed for good weather. If all goes well, crews will complete the second five days worth of work starting on June 27.

When this part of the work is done, the most inconvenient part of construction for travelers will be out of the way. In order to resurface the entire roadway and complete other repairs, crews will still be working overnight during the week and will need to close a lane. There’ll also be the occasional ramp and rest stop closures. When the project is done in the fall, the road will be smooth and as good as new.



Travel graph
Flickr photos