Night time closures planned to reduce travel delays

VANCOUVER – Say goodbye to cracks, ruts and potholes and hello to a smoother ride on Interstates 5 and 205 in Vancouver.

Beginning on Wednesday (Aug. 24) the Washington State Department of Transportation’s contractor, Granite Construction Company, will start work to replace approximately 100 broken and cracked concrete panels in both directions of I-205 and on southbound I-5.

The broken panels on I-205 are located between the Oregon/Washington state line near the State Route 14 interchange to the I-5/I-205 split. On southbound I-5, the panel replacement work will occur between Northeast 179th Street and the I-5/I-205 split.

“These two stretches of highway are heavily traveled with the southbound lanes of I-5 seeing almost 100,000 vehicles a day and both stretches of I-205 seeing nearly 75,000 vehicles a day,” said Mike Briggs, WSDOT project engineer. “The concrete panels and bridge joints along these two highways have served this stretch of interstate for many years. This work will extend the life of the interstates, creating a smoother surface for all travelers.”

Construction details

Crews will remove and replace concrete panels by sawing through the aged concrete, removing the panels with an excavator and installing new concrete on the highway, shoulders and some area ramps. Crews will also rehabilitate the bridge joints on several bridges in both directions of I-205. This will extend the life of the bridges and create a smoother transition between the highway and the bridges. 

• Travelers should expect night time single and double lane closures on both highways between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., along with intermittent on- and off-ramp closures and reduced speed limits through the work zones.

This $7 million dollar project is scheduled for completion in fall 2022. 

Travelers are reminded to plan ahead by signing up to receive construction updates or checking real-time travel information by downloading the WSDOT mobile app.