OLYMPIA — Freeway drivers may get caught in “miles-long backups” on Interstate 5 in the Olympia area this weekend and next when the Washington State Department of Transportation is making roadway repairs.
Maintenance crews will close the left lane of I-5 in both directions near the U.S. 101 interchange from 5 a.m. to noon on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 27-28, according to a WSDOT travel advisory. Crews will begin repairing the center barrier, which was damaged in recent collisions, WSDOT says.
This weekend, crews plan to build the “forms needed to case new concrete barriers” at three locations within the work zone. Lanes are expected to be closed again next weekend, Feb. 3-4, to complete the repairs.
WSDOT advises drivers to change their travel plans to avoid significant congestion in both directions of I-5.
“Avoid delays by traveling before or after the work,” the advisory says. “If you must travel during the work window, add extra time or combine trips.”
WSDOT said the work must be completed during the day because concrete plants operate during the day and have limited availability.
“Driver behavior is usually safer during daylight hours as well, and crews can be more easily seen,” said Olympic Region Maintenance Manager Matt Beattie.
WSDOT scheduled the work for the weekend when traffic volumes are typically lower, according to the news release. Drivers are advised to slow down and be mindful of workers on the roadway.
Six workers were hospitalized last Sunday after a driver believed to have been inebriated crashed into their trucks on I-5 in Vancouver, according to WSDOT posts on X. The workers were preparing to fix potholes and are now recovering at home.
“So, PLEASE, if you don’t remember anything else about this, remember that those are REAL PEOPLE out there, and the decisions to drink and drive, speed, check text messages, they have real consequences,” one of the WSDOT posts says. “Please do your part to keep road workers safe.”
The advisory for the work in Olympia notes it may be rescheduled depending on the weather. The public can see real-time road conditions on the WSDOT app and the WSDOT Travel Center Map.
