Updated I-5 Status

WSDOT prepares to reopen I-5 through Lewis county

Date: Friday, January 09, 2009

Contact: Public Road Condition Inquiries: Call 5-1-1/ out of state callers call 1-800-695-ROAD (7623).

12 p.m. update: I-5 in Lewis county is now open to commercial truck traffic only.

OLYMPIA – WSDOT crews are preparing to reopen Interstate 5 to commercial vehicles over 10,000 GVW between Napavine and Grand Mound (mile post 68 to 88) at noon today. The road will open to passenger vehicles later in the day.

Quickly receding flood waters on I-5 in Chehalis resulted in fewer problems than anticipated. Crews were able to access the freeway and perform necessary safety inspections of the interstate and levee system and begin clean up work. Some exit and on ramps remain closed within the 20 mile section. Drivers should be aware that maintenance crews will be working in the area, repairing potholes and road markers.

I-90 Snoqualmie Pass reopened eastbound at 9 a.m. between North Bend and Ellensburg. The westbound lanes will open around noon. There are still restrictions on three I-90 exit ramps. Exit 45 will remain closed due to water over the roadway. Exits 53 and 54 will have ramp lane restrictions to keep traffic out of the high water. Due to erosion and some undermining of the shoulders, there will be no stopping or parking allowed on the shoulders of I-90 between North Bend and Easton.

WSDOT crews and emergency contractor, Scarsella Brothers, worked throughout the night and early morning to repair the eastbound lanes of the interstate. The contractor poured 40 yards of concrete to restore damaged sections of the roadway. WSDOT and crews are still working to repair sections of roadway in the westbound lanes before they open for travel.

US 2 has reopened to traffic after a two day closure caused by flooding and avalanche danger. The pass reopened at approximately 4:00 p.m. Thursday. US 12 White Pass is not a viable east-west route at this time due to flooding at Randle (mile post 116) and a large washout near Glenoma (mile post 108).

WSDOT estimates the economic impact of the I-5 closure through Lewis county is $12 million per day and I-90 is $6 million per day. A summary of this information is at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Freight/publications.htm As of 10 a.m. 85 sections of state highway have reopened. There are 39 sections still closed and 12 restricted.

Due to extreme weather conditions in the Pacific Northwest, Amtrak service throughout portions of the region continues to be disrupted through Saturday, January 10.

Route information is available at the WSDOT web site, http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ and drivers are encouraged to check conditions along their entire route. WSDOT has established a county-by-county list of road closures at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/news/update/.

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