Fresh paint coming to these busy Tacoma, Olympia highways next week
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- WSDOT crews will repaint I-5 and SR 16 lane lines overnight, starting Monday.
- Work starts in Thurston County and runs north to Pierce and Kitsap counties.
- Drivers should avoid wet paint; WSDOT denies claims if warning signs are posted.
Nighttime drivers can expect lane closures and congestion next week on Interstate 5 and State Route 16 as the Washington State Department of Transportation repaints road lines.
Starting Monday and continuing through Thursday, WSDOT maintenance crews will repaint lines on I-5 and SR-16 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., WSDOT said. Crews will start south of Grand Mound in Thurston County and work north each night to the Pierce County line north of Fife, according to a press release.
Once that repainting work is complete on I-5, crews will begin repainting lines on SR-16 beginning in Tacoma and ending in Kitsap County near Gorst, WSDOT said.
Drivers are reminded not to cross newly painted lines. If paint gets on your vehicle when there are warning signs present, Washington state will deny a reimbursement claim.
Weather could delay the work, WSDOT said.
WSDOT re-paints thousands of miles of highways every year to keep striping visible and reflective at night, because it wears down over time, according to WSDOT’s website. Quick-dry paint needs to be applied on dry roadways, and the striping season typically runs from April through October.
“Highway paint is special in that it has tiny little glass beads mixed into it, which is what makes it reflective at night. Similar methods are used for highway signs and license plates,” WSDOT said. “When the beads are hit by headlights, they reflect some of the light back towards the driver, making the paint more visible. The glass beads are made from 100% recycled glass.”
