Repairs to begin on North Fork Lewis River Bridge on Interstate 5

As the saying goes, nothing is certain except death, taxes and Southwest Washington bridges requiring work or replacement.

The bridge in question this time is the Interstate 5 North Fork Lewis River Bridge south of Woodland. It will undergo two months of bridge deck repairs on the northbound span starting on Aug. 1.

There will be nighttime single- and double-lane closures from Aug. 1-5. Starting on Aug. 7 for up to two months, seven days a week, three lanes will be reduced to two narrow lanes, which is expected to create long backups and significant delays as long as 50 minutes on Friday afternoons.

“We understand reducing three travel lanes down to two narrow lanes will cause substantial backups and significantly increase travel times,” said Washington State Department of Transportation Project Engineer Susan Fell. “However, this construction staging approach prioritizes safety, efficiency and prompt execution of the work.”

The bridge has experienced a litany of problems over the past few months, primarily due to the structure’s age and use — the southbound span was built in 1940 and the northbound span was built in 1968.

During the two months, the contractor will repair the deck, apply a polyester concrete overlay, modify expansion joints and install new bridge joint seals. Additionally, once the repairs are complete, a weight restriction will be lifted and freight truck drivers will no longer be required to move to the center lane when crossing the bridge.

The deck repairs are part of a $17.4 million, two summer project to improve the safety and drivability on the bridge. Work on the southbound span should start next summer.