Slow down as road work speeds up: Vancouver area enters road-repair season
May 9-Summertime road work already is ramping up around Vancouver.
The Washington State Department of Transportation kicked off a $12.3 million "rough road" restoration project Monday that will affect southbound traffic on Interstate 5 between Northeast 179th Street and the Interstate 205 interchange through the summer.
"This stretch of I-5 has been a rough ride for years," WSDOT project engineer TJ Prendergast said in a news release. "This work will help create a smoother road for travelers."
WSDOT completed similar work - replacing damaged concrete panels on southbound I-5 between Ridgefield and Salmon Creek - during the summer of 2024.
This year's project will help smooth out a 2.2-mile, bumpy and uneven stretch of highway north of Salmon Creek that, according to WSDOT, contains concrete panels built in 1969 that have since deteriorated, creating a rough roadway.
Replacing all 8,400 concrete panels in this section of highway would be too expensive, according to the agency, so the project has focused on replacing the most damaged ones. The agency said it already has replaced 180 of the "worst of the worst" panels.
The agency said it will replace more damaged panels this summer and plans to remove the "rough road" signs between 179th Avenue and I-205 after completing the work in late summer.
Crews will rebuild the road using a method that applies four layers of 2-inch-thick asphalt to create a smoother, more durable surface.
The road work happening through the end of summer is weather-dependent and will stop during the Clark County Fair in August and other major events in the area.
According to the news release, travelers can expect to see weekend lane closures with two lanes open on I-5 during the day, occasional shoulder closures and up to three lanes closed in the work zone.
The agency also said work crews will occasionally need to close I-5 and I-205 near the interchange but that most of these full closures will take place at night or on the weekends to limit traffic disruptions.
"Travelers should plan for heavier traffic and possible delays of up to six miles on southbound I-5," according to the news release.
Vancouver paving
The city of Vancouver will begin its 2026 road paving and preservation work later this month and continue through the summer months.
According to a news release, the city will invest $14 million to pave or preserve more than 100 lane miles to extend the life of Vancouver's streets.
The funds will primarily come from the city's street and general funds as well as license fees collected through Vancouver's Transportation Benefit District.
According to the news release, the city plans to pave about 30 lane miles in the Cascade Highlands, Cascade Southeast, Edgewood Park and Vancouver Heights neighborhoods, and on West Fourth Plain Boulevard. The city also will preserve more than 70 lane miles throughout the city, including residential streets in the Burnt Bridge Creek, Columbia River, Fircrest, Fisher's Landing East, North Image and Riveridge neighborhoods.
In conjunction with the annual paving and road-preservation program, the city also will turn existing on-street parking into bike lanes on Southeast First Street from Northeast Hearthwood Boulevard to Northeast 160th Avenue and on Northeast 172nd Avenue from Northeast Eighth Street to Northeast 18th Street.
The city will send notices to residents and businesses in the affected areas.
For more information, visit the city's pavement-management program website at cityofvancouver.us/pavement.
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This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 6:01 PM.