Two-month, 24-hour southbound I-5 roadwork begins near Woodland

Travelers who use the southbound Interstate 5 North Fork Lewis River Bridge in Woodland will need to plan for significant travel delays.

Beginning last week, Washington State Department of Transportation contractor, M.J. Hughes Construction, began setting up a work zone to address bridge deck repairs across the North Fork Lewis River Bridge. Crews will reduce southbound I-5 from three lanes to two.

The around-the-clock lane closure reduces the overall timeline and cost, increases quality, and protects crews and the traveling public from work zone collisions, according to a news release.
What to expect:

• Nighttime single- and double-lane closures to install signs began last week.

• Beginning Monday, July 22, travelers will see narrowed lanes and shoulders in the work zone.

• The speed limit on southbound I-5 will be reduced from 70 mph to 60 mph through the work zone and to 45 mph along the bridge.

• Possible additional double lane closures during nighttime hours.

• Trucks are reminded to check the height of their loads and to move to the inside lane when crossing the bridge. Delays and backups will vary depending on the time and day of the week. Traffic data shows that Friday afternoons are the worst days to travel, with delays of up to 70 minutes or longer and backups extending beyond 10 miles on southbound I-5 approaching the work zone, according to the news release.

Drivers will want to consider rescheduling non-essential trips during peak travel hours.

Travelers are asked to slow down, pay attention and look for changes in the traffic pattern while in the work zone. The Smart Work Zone System will analyze roadway conditions to give travelers real-time traffic information on reader board signs placed at 1-mile intervals leading up to the work zone. Drivers should follow the messages, which will direct them to “zipper merge” using the full length of the travel lanes and merging just before the lane ends.

When work is complete, the current commercial vehicle weight restriction will be lifted, and freight truck traffic will no longer need to shift to the center lane to cross the bridge.

This $17 million contract repairs the bridge decks along both the northbound and southbound I-5 North Fork Lewis River Bridges and is scheduled for completion in fall 2024.

To help drivers plan ahead and avoid delays, people can receive real-time travel information with the WSDOT mobile app, or by visiting our  real-time travel map, wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/, or by visiting the project webpage and clicking on the “Maps and Drawings,” tab to view travel delays charts.