First to the right, now to the left as I-5 lanes through Fife change again
UPDATE: The northbound I-5 traffic lanes shift and striping has been rescheduled from Jan. 16 to Jan. 23, according to WSDOT. The southbound lanes shift and striping have been completed.
ORIGINAL STORY BELOW:
For nearly a year, drivers have been taking a shimmy to the right as they travel north or south on Interstate 5 through the Fife curve. Starting Thursday, they’ll swerve left to the median — if weather permits.
Crews working for the state Department of Transportation are going to reposition lanes on southbound I-5 overnight. Next week, they’ll work on northbound lanes. The curves have been ushering drivers around a work zone where two new bridges over Hylebos Creek are under construction.
Lane closures should begin around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday as long as skies stay dry.
“The weather plays a major role in this,” said WSDOT spokesperson Kris Olsen.
When both directions of I-5 are moved away from the shoulders and onto the new bridges, the outer portions can be finished.
The bridges are part of the $376 million Route 167 Completion Project, which will connect Interstate 5 to state Route 509. The tolled expressway will eventually connect with the current end of SR 167 at North Meridian Avenue as part of WSDOT’s $2.38 billion Puget Sound Gateway Program.
No more orange stripes
The orange and white stripes that were an attempt to slow drivers through the work zone will go away when the travel lanes are repositioned. So will the 50 mph speed limit. While the limit will be 60, WSDOT still advises 50 through the construction zone.
The current curves to the right are substantial but the new curves to the left will be less so, Olsen said.
“They are going to go a little bit to the left, but it’s going to be far, far more subtle,” she said.
The bridges should be finished in summer 2024 with the creek flowing below them.
This story was originally published January 10, 2024 at 2:21 PM.
