Story Published:
Aug 14, 2007 at 5:22 AM PST
Story Updated:
Feb 23, 2010 at 12:58 PM PST
SEATTLE -- The contractor hired to repave the road surface and replace expansion joints is ahead of schedule, which means the Department of Transportation may close another lane of Interstate 5 as early as Thursday instead of waiting until weekend as originally scheduled.
That could mean fewer lanes available for the Thursday and Friday morning commutes than what drivers have seen so far.
"We've completed work on about half the joints that need to be done," DOT spokesman Paul Johnson said Tuesday morning.
The decision about when to close the additional lane was expected to be made on Wednesday and will depend on how much paving work is completed Tuesday night, officials said.
Traffic was heavier on the roads Tuesday than it was on Monday, but the much-feared commute nightmare did not materialize, as many drivers continued to take alternate routes or stayed home.
The DOT said traffic volumes Tuesday through the construction area were 40 percent of a normal weekday.
Transportation officials had warned of what they called the "boomerang effect," where drivers would become complacent after seeing the easy first weekday commute, and everyone would go back to their old routines.
They fear it could still happen, and when the additional lane is closed the chances for large backups will be even greater.
"It's only going to take one day where people choose to go back to their old habits for us to have a mess out here," said Paula Hammond, the state's interim transportation secretary.
On a normal weekday about 126,000 drivers use the stretch of I-5 that is being repaired.
Adding to the slowdowns is confusion about the right-side lane in the construction zone, which to some drivers appears to be an exit-only lane.
The lane continues back on to the main I-5 line, but many drivers who fear they will end up off the freeway are trying to cut into the left lanes at the last minute, causing further delays to traffic in the area.
Johnson said they plan to have new signs in place to help alleviate some of the confusion.
Construction on I-5 is scheduled to continue through Aug. 29. If the work is completed early, the contractor will receive $100,000 for each day finished ahead of schedule.
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
