Travelers should anticipate extended traffic shift, long backups, and significant delays on northbound Interstate 5 in Clark County due to repair work on the North Fork Lewis River Bridge, starting August 1, with a two-month around-the-clock traffic shift reducing lanes and speed limits for safety and efficiency during the $17.4 million project. File photo.

Expect significant delays with traffic reduced to two lanes around the clock

WOODLAND – Travelers heading northbound on Interstate 5 in Clark County should prepare for an extended traffic shift, extremely long backups and significant delays.

On Tuesday, Aug. 1, Washington State Department of Transportation’s contractor, M.J. Hughes Construction, Inc., will begin work to repair the northbound I-5 North Fork Lewis River Bridge, just south of Woodland at the Clark and Cowlitz county line.

What can travelers expect

Tuesday, Aug. 1, through Saturday, Aug. 5: Nighttime single and double lane closures.
Monday, Aug. 7, and continuing for up to two months: Around-the-clock temporary traffic shift consisting of two narrow lanes of travel and smaller shoulders with reduced speed limits leading into and through the work zone.

During the traffic shift, half of the bridge deck will be worked on at a time. This configuration creates a safe work zone for contractor crews and enables them to work more efficiently.

“We understand reducing three travel lanes down to two narrow lanes will cause substantial backups and significantly increase travel times,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Susan Fell. “However, this construction staging approach prioritizes safety, efficiency and prompt execution of the work. Given the deteriorating condition of this bridge deck and its importance as a crucial west coast connection on I-5, this project is vital to enhance structural integrity, maintain smooth travel for commuters and goods, and when complete, will minimize the need for emergency bridge closures. To avoid significant delays, we strongly urge travelers to plan ahead!”

Delays and backups will vary depending on the time and day of the week. Friday evenings will likely have the most significant delays, exceeding 50 minutes and causing backups of over 7 miles or more. People should consider rescheduling non-essential trips and avoid peak travel times.

Smart work zone system

Contractor crews will use a temporary smart work zone system and zipper merging throughout the work zone to improve safety and traffic flow. The project’s webpage has more information on both, as well as travel delay charts in the “Maps and Drawings” tab to assist in trip planning.

About the project

Construction on the bridge includes repairing the deck, applying a polyester concrete overlay, modifying expansion joints, and installing new bridge joint seals. Once complete, travelers will experience a smoother, safer driving surface and the life of the bridge deck will be extended for many years to come. Additionally, the current weight restriction will be lifted, and freight truck drivers will no longer be required to move to the center lane when crossing the bridge.

I-5 is the main north-south highway connection along the West Coast. This $17.4 million dollar project will keep travelers, goods and services moving through Washington state. Work to improve the bridge deck along the southbound span of the North Fork Lewis River Bridge is also part of this project and is scheduled to begin in summer 2024. Construction dates will be announced next year. The entire project is scheduled for completion by fall of 2024.

For the most up-to-date construction information on this project and others, travelers can visit the WSDOT real-time travel map website, sign up for county-specific email updates, upload the WSDOT mobile app, or follow us on Twitter.