(The Center Square) – The Washington Department of Transportation recently announced a $202 million project along the I-5 corridor to “relieve chronic traffic congestion and improve mobility along I-5 [Interstate 5] in the vicinity of Joint Base Lewis-McChord.”
The third in a series of projects dating back to 2015, this latest phase is meant to extend High Occupancy Vehicle lanes further through the congested areas on I-5, as well as provide much needed overpass upgrades.
The 66-year-old Steilacoom-DuPont overpass will receive a major facelift, including a new roundabout on the western side of I-5, as well as a new partial diverging diamond interchange that reduces the need to stop traffic for crossflow.
On the eastern side of I-5, improved access to and from Joint Base Lewis-McChord is intended to help alleviate rush hour traffic.
From the standpoint of public safety, the most important update may be the new Steilacoom-DuPont overpass incorporating a bridge over the train tracks running parallel to I-5. The bridge is meant to eliminate at-grade crossing, drastically reducing a major bottleneck and improving safety and travel times for motorists and freight trains.
Travel times are likely to get worse before they get better.
Northbound I-5 lane closures are permitted overnight at the following times:
Monday through Thursday from 7:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. each following day.Friday from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Saturday.Saturday from 8 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. Sunday.Sunday from 9:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. Monday.
Southbound I-5 lane closures are permitted overnight at the following times:
Monday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. each following day.Friday from 9:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. Saturday.Saturday from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. Sunday.Sunday from 7:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. Monday
For those interested in further information, WSDOT has put together an online open house to go into more detail on the project.
For a full list of closure times and roads, please refer to the WSDOT website.
The project is expected to be completed sometime in late 2026.
