No alternate routes available for freight traffic
Travelers using southbound Interstate 5 through Woodland should expect up to 90 minutes of delay during Friday afternoon and evening and should delay travel or prepare for additional travel time.
Beginning Monday, July 22, Washington State Department of Transportation contractor crews reduced three lanes of southbound I-5 to two narrow lanes around-the-clock for the 50-day bridge rehabilitation project at the North Fork Lewis River Bridge near Woodland.
Travelers should obey message signs that direct non-local and freight traffic to stay on the interstate and avoid using local city and county streets to detour around construction as delays are often more significant.
Construction delays
Southbound I-5 is reduced to two lanes 24/7 until mid-September
- Between 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Friday, July 26, travelers should expect 70-90 extra minutes of travel time on southbound I-5 near Woodland.
- Travelers are asked to travel off-peak hours to avoid delays.
- Freight and non-local traffic should not exit the interstate to use local city and county routes as vehicles are getting stuck on roads with steep grades and tight turns.
- If traveling during peak traffic hours, be prepared for significant delays and consider filling the gas tank or charging electric vehicles and packing drinking water.
Travel charts indicating the best times to travel can be found on the North Fork Lewis River Bridge project website under the “Maps and Drawings” tab.
Travelers are reminded to slow down, use caution, stay focused, and expect delays in the work zone until project completion in mid-September.
Know before you go
People can receive real-time travel information via the WSDOT mobile app, or by visiting our real-time travel map.
Also read:
- Opinion: Interstate Bridge replacement – the forever project
Joe Cortright argues the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project could bring tolling and traffic disruptions on I-5 through the mid-2040s. - Opinion: Oversized tires and the frequency illusion
Doug Dahl explains why tires that extend beyond fenders are illegal and how frequency illusion shapes perceptions about traffic safety. - Opinion: IBR’s systematic disinformation campaign, its demise
Neighbors for a Better Crossing challenges IBR’s seismic claims and promotes a reuse-and-tunnel alternative they say would save billions at the I-5 crossing. - Opinion: Is a state income tax coming, and the latest on the I-5 Bridge project
Rep. John Ley shares a legislative update on a proposed state income tax, the I-5 Bridge project, the Brockmann Campus and House Bill 2605. - Board authorizes C-TRAN to sign off on Interstate Bridge Replacement Program’s SEIS
The C-TRAN Board approved the Final SEIS for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, with Camas and Washougal opposing the vote over light rail cost concerns.
