Expect detours: Southbound I-5 ramps closing near JBLM this week
Drivers travelling near Joint Base Lewis-McChord can expect nighttime closures on northbound Interstate 5 this week.
According to a news release from the Washington State Department of Transportation, crews will work on final paving and striping on I-5 approaching Steilacoom-DuPont Road.
The work will be 9 p.m. on Friday, June 26 to 6 a.m. on Saturday, June 27, the release said. During that time, the on- and off-ramps to northbound I-5 will close, and drivers will detour at the 41st Division Drive exit.
WSDOT will also be conducting work later in the summer:
- 10 p.m. on Friday, July 10 to 6:30 a.m. on Monday, July 13: The southbound I-5 on- and off-ramps will close, with drivers detouring through the Central Drive exit. Travel lanes on southbound I-5 will shift towards the median.
- 10 p.m. on Sunday, July 12 to 6:30 a.m. on Monday, July 13: The southbound I-5 off-ramp to the Center Drive off-ramp will close, with drivers detouring at the Mounts Road exit.
Work could be rescheduled if it rains, WSDOT said in the release.
The work will wrap up the $240 million Interstate 5 Mounts Road to Steilacoom-DuPont Road Corridor Improvements Project, which is part of a series of projects that aims to widen Interstate 5.
Previous improvements include:
- Rebuilding the Berkeley Street and Thorne Lane interchanges to improve pedestrian access.
- Adding new HOV lanes and auxiliary lanes in both directions of I-5.
After the project, both directions of Interstate 5 will have HOV lanes between Mounts Road and Gravelly Lake Drive, according to WSDOT.
Crews opened a Steilacoom-DuPont Road interchange on March 22, the release said.
“The new bridge eliminates an at-grade railroad intersection and includes a barrier-protected shared-use path connecting [Joint Base Lewis-McChord] to DuPont,” the release said.
Crews expect to complete the project in late 2026, the release said.
People can call the project hotline at 253-600-1206 with questions.
