Story Published:
Aug 9, 2007 at 4:08 PM PST
Story Updated:
Aug 11, 2007 at 10:43 AM PST
The first stage of the largest construction closure in state history began on Friday night when three of the five northbound lanes of Interstate 5 were closed. Several freeway ramps were also closed.
Crews began closing off lanes around at 7 p.m. and by 10 o'clock, three northbound lanes of I-5 were closed between Spokane Street and Interstate 90. The following three freeway ramps were also closed:
the Columbian Way ramp to northbound I-5
the West Seattle freeway and Spokane Street on ramps to northbound I-5
the Northbound I-5 ramp to I-90 and Dearborn
Most northbound lanes on I-5 from Spokane Street to I-90 will be closed for 19 days until Aug. 29 while crews work on the roadway south of downtown Seattle. Crews will repave 1.13 miles of the freeway as well as other key areas. Besides repaving, they will replace or repair deteriorating expansion joints that connect concrete freeway deck slabs.
The speed limit through that segment of freeway will be 45 mph during the entire project. There will be no high-occupancy-vehicle lane in the construction zone.
That disruption will cause nearly 130,000 vehicles a day to find alternate routes.
Many fear the lane closures could cause chaos for those who use the interstate as a part of their commute.
Traffic could choke for 30 miles, all the way south to Tacoma, in the state Department of Transportation's worst-case scenario for renovation of a crucial stretch of northbound Interstate 5.
In the best case, more than half of the 126,000 vehicles that typically use that stretch of freeway daily will find different routes or avoid traveling at all. Then traffic might be sluggish but still able to move during the 19-day project, DOT spokeswoman Meghan Soptich said.
Either way, department officials are worried.
"If we do have free-flowing traffic, we're worried drivers will think the construction is not that big of a deal," Soptich said.
If drivers underestimate the impact, and return en masse during a later stage of construction when the northbound freeway could be constricted to just one lane, the department thinks traffic could slow to a dribble, or even stall entirely.
"It would be horrendous," Soptich said.
What's the plan?
If drivers can't stay away, they're urged to try alternate surface streets or travel at non-peak hours. Drivers are also strongly urged to take public transportation or carpool.
King County Metro is adding 15 more buses to try to keep routes on schedule. Special rates are being offered for van pools. More passenger-only ferry runs are being added between Seattle and Vashon Island and even the water taxi between downtown Seattle and West Seattle will run more often.
To keep traffic flowing, State Patrol dispatchers will be able to send tow trucks to collisions and disabled vehicles before troopers actually arrive at the scene.
Troopers will keep an eye on traffic from the air and with DOT cameras and, as soon as something happens, they'll dispatch a tow truck.
The city of Seattle equipped at least three trucks with special rubber bumpers to move cars out of the way. They're also carrying gas and water for cars that overheat or run out of gas while sitting in traffic.
The State Patrol Aviation Section will also use several of its video-equipped aircraft to help the Transportation Department and troopers in King County monitor traffic on the freeway and surface streets.
"We've been planning and gearing up for this for a long time," Trooper Jeff Merrill said.
Airlift Northwest plans to add another helicopter, based out of Boeing Field, to provide quicker transit for northbound medical emergency cases.
In case of emergencies, an additional medical evacuation helicopter is being based at Boeing Field, south of the construction.
For More Information:
Check our online traffic section for continuing coverage of the I-5 construction project, get your questions answered by KOMO traffic reporter Jenni Hogan, and check travel times, live cameras and more:
http://www.komotv.com/traffic
