Friday, March 15, 2024

Paint Maps: The Origin Story

By Sean Quinn and MJ Johnson

Back-to-back Taylor Swift concerts at Lumen Field, Seattle Mariners vs. Toronto Blue Jays, Bite of Seattle and the Capitol Hill Block Party plus closures on the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge, SR 520, and SR 18 - all in the same weekend. The question for us is how do we help the public comprehend the volume of people moving through Washington state, and get where they need to or want to go? Enter, Paint Maps.

For a little less than a decade now, a summer tradition has both entertained and informed our social media followers to plan ahead and know before they go. These artistic masterpieces, affectionately known as our Paint Maps, are made by our Communications team to prepare travelers for most busy summer weekends. We’ve been asked what goes into makes these and why do we do them?

It’s a simple recipe really: A Google map base layer, some detailed but straight-to-the-point text boxes, and of course, the doodles. The not-so-perfectly drawn, but good enough combination. All to reach as wide an audience as possible to keep folks aware of what’s happening each busy summer weekend. But a lot of behind-the-scenes work goes into getting them from the planning stage to the eyes of tens of thousands. While it’s still winter, why not start thinking of warm sunshine while we take a deep dive into the creation of our weekly summer Paint Maps!

History

A collage of many Paints Maps that we’ve put out on social media the last eight years (2016-2023).
A collage of many Paints Maps that we’ve put out on social media the last eight years (2016-2023)

Simply doing a text post for every project with some basic pictures can get stale. During the summers from 2014 to 2016 we would occasionally go live on Facebook, showing the various big impact events and construction/maintenance coming across the entire state using a handy-dandy whiteboard with illustrations drawn with expo pens. We also started adding some silly drawings to the mix. It got folks’ attention, and ultimately that’s a major goal. A more informed traveling public is a better traveling public.

A WSDOT communicator using a white board and drawings on a hand drawn Washington state map to show impactful events and construction taking place during a busy summer weekend back in 2015.
A WSDOT communicator using a white board and drawings on a hand drawn Washington state map to show impactful events and construction taking place during
a busy summer weekend back in 2015

Back in June of 2016, ahead of a jam-packed summer weekend (Pride weekend, Sounders and Mariners games, a car show, etc.) we wanted to come up with a new and creative way to get our message across, and one of our communicators did a quick doodle in Snipping Tool. All it took was a map and some pretty colors, and voila.

A screenshot from the first ever WSDOT Paint Map, from the weekend of June 24-26, 2016. On the Paint Map, events include Hoopfest, a busy I-90 weekend, Mariners and Sounders games, Capitol Hill Pride, and a car show in Greenwood, Seattle.
A screenshot from the first ever WSDOT Paint Map, from the weekend of June 24-26, 2016. On the Paint Map, events include Hoopfest, a busy I-90 weekend, Mariners and Sounders games, Capitol Hill Pride, and a car show
in Greenwood, Seattle

You never know how some of these outside-the-box ideas will go over, but to our delight the picture got a lot of admiration on the platform formerly known as Twitter (now X). While the map wasn’t exactly a masterpiece, comments at the time called it a “beautiful piece of art.” No sense in re-inventing the wheel, we made it a weekly thing every summer weekend for the next seven years. Typically, that means once a week every Thursday/Friday from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends (with a few exceptions here and there). Why summer? That’s when the busiest weekends are for construction, maintenance, and special events!

The process – Data collecting

What is the process of making the Paint Maps? First comes getting the information, go straight to the source.

First things first, a group of about 50 of our statewide communicators meet at the beginning of each week to discuss work crews have planned for the week and the weekend ahead, along with any noteworthy major events taking place. Throughout the week, as work plans change and weather forecasts come in, we keep each other updated.

An example of an email sent from the writer of the Paint Maps to our Communications team, noting the events and construction we have Labor Day Weekend, 2023.
An example of an email sent from the writer of the Paint Maps to our Communications team, noting the events and construction we have Labor Day Weekend, 2023

Whether it’s through a virtual meeting, phone call or email, all of this information makes its way to two communicators: the designers of the Paint Maps. Yep, it’s a two-person crew that turns a whole lot of text into digital artwork (oh, and before you ask – they do lots of other work too, not just the Paint Maps).

Trust the process – Creative writing

One communicator takes all the information and filters it into a hefty bullet point list with: What the work is/name of the event, where it’s taking place and the timeframe. Some weekends, the list is as small as 6-8 items, others it’s more than 16 and requires some adapting like removing some of the less-impactful ones or making two Paint Maps for one weekend. In most cases, it’s not that we forgot about a particular event, it’s that we just can’t fit EVERYTHING on the map.

Once the team filters the list of items down to a manageable load, typically 15 or less, the writer finalizes their work in the text blurbs that later go on the map. The blurbs are written in the same style: Name of the event/what’s closing, location of the event/work, and the start time (event) or duration of work (construction/maintenance). The written blurbs are then sent to the artist.

Trust the process – The doodling

Now for the magic, the doodles. The artist takes the information and chooses drawings that are appropriate for the work being done. If there’s a festival or concert, a logo or portrait of the musician/event may work. If it’s construction on a bridge, maybe a drawing of a bridge, maintenance vehicle, or traffic cone. The possibilities are endless.

Now, it’s time to reveal the sources behind the magic. Although Microsoft Paint served us well for many years, we switched over to using Canva in 2022. This speeds up the process and allows for more detail in the drawings such as Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and even Seattle Kraken mascot, Buoy.

Okay, what’s next?

Next comes the actual artwork. Here’s how it works:

Step One: The first step is to go to Google Maps and take a snapshot of the state that includes where all the work and events are happening. Then we add the WSDOT logo at the bottom right, weekend dates at the top right, and identify which direction is north (we love geography).

Step two: Next is adding in all those written blurbs to the areas where the work or event is happening.

Step three: Then we add all the transparent circles and arrows that point to where the work/events are taking place.


Step four: Now that the basics are done, we get to the fun part, the doodles.

You may be asking, with all that detail, are you really free handing everything? The simple answer is no. Not everything is free-handed, but a majority are! The traffic cones, bridges, cranes, maintenance vehicles and so on are generally all drawn by hand. It’s the more detailed drawings where we get a little help. For those, the communicator uses tracing methods for more inspiration and guidance.

Once the doodles are completed, they’re placed onto the map next to the blurbs. A lot of moving around of blurbs and doodles is done to make sure the map is clean and readable. Sometimes if there’s not enough room, we may have to cut an event or two and do more re-arranging until it all looks pretty.

The final product – The post

Once the Paint Map is finished our team posts them on our social media channels including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Reddit. And sometimes, even TikTok if we’re feeling cheeky! Then it’s rinse and repeat the same formula every week until the summer ends.

A tweet from the WSDOT Traffic X/Twitter account with the Labor Day 2023 Paint Map attached. The tweet says the Labor Day paint map is here, and there’s a lot of events happening which means increased traffic all around so good to keep the Paint Map close by. It also says that at the time of the tweet, SR 20 North Cascades Highway was an active fire area and was subject to unplanned closures.
A tweet from the WSDOT Traffic X/Twitter account with the Labor Day 2023 Paint Map attached. The tweet says the Labor Day paint map is here, and there’s a lot of events happening which means increased traffic all around so good to keep the Paint Map close by. It also says that at the time of the tweet, SR 20 North Cascades Highway was an active fire area and was subject
to unplanned closures.

The future

As the popular expression goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” As long as the public continues to (for the most part) like them, and they’re getting the vital traffic information they need, we’ll keep doing them! As for the future, the looks of the Paint Map may change here and there, but the formula will remain the same. Whatever it takes to get the word out about our busy summer, we’re doing it. The Paint Maps are not meant to be perfect creations, but useful infotainment. We’ll keep painting pretty little trees and traffic cones, as long as the public continues to appreciate them!

Paint maps from years past

The Paint Map from the weekend of Sept. 15-18 2017.
The Paint Map from the weekend of Sept. 15-18 2017


The now-infamous Taylor Swift-themed Paint Maps from the weekend of July 21-24, 2023.
The now-infamous Taylor Swift-themed Paint Maps from the weekend of July 21-24, 2023

Want to browse a selection of our favorite Paint Maps from years past? Check out our Flickr album of them here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/albums/72177720315315201

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Maintaining momentum: improving fish access and roadway resiliency for every Washingtonian

By Barbara LaBoe

Our Fish Passage Program – restoring access and habitat to salmon that was blocked by previous transportation projects – is massive by any definition.

The number of projects (more than 500), the miles of habitat to be restored (more than 1,000 miles) and, yes, the number of road closures or disruptions that accompany this work are all on a large scale. It’s work we started statewide in the early 1990s, but a western Washington area emphasis and deadline were added to the mix by the 2013 federal court injunction and subsequent legal rulings.

The challenges also have been massive. No other state DOT or any other organization has ever been tasked with resolving generations of environmental harm in such a short timeline. By the time Legislative funding was ramped up to address the court requirements we had just a little more than a decade until the 2030 deadline. (The federal court injunction requires we restore 90 percent of habitat blocked by state highways within the injunction area by 2030.)

It’s taken a lot of work. Through it all we’ve learned a lot, made good progress and are doing everything within our control to meet the aggressive deadline, though additional funding will play a key factor in that.

So, where are we?

We’ve done a lot and created great momentum with work stretching from Whatcom to Clallam to Pacific counties and many spots in between.

A map of western Washington shows locations of fish passage projects completed between 2013 and 2022.
This map shows fish passage work completed through 2022, not including work completed in 2023.

As of January 2024, we have corrected 146 injunction barriers, opening 569 miles of fish habitat. By this summer, we plan to have more than 200 more barrier corrections under construction contract. Once those additional barriers are corrected, we will have restored 75% of blocked habitat.

To get to the 90% by 2030 requires an additional $3.5-$4 billion. The injunction required us to do the highest habitat gain projects first. Many of the first projects were the lowest cost and most straight forward. The remaining sites are both more difficult and more expensive. We’ve also learned a lot about what is needed in this work and faced challenges such as supply chain issues, workforce and construction industry shortages and needed design changes as we learned more about each site. We continue working with state leaders, tribal partners and others on solutions to keep making progress without losing the overall project momentum.

Field surveys done by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife confirm fish are returning to many of the restored waterways, and we’ve also seen it ourselves. It isn’t always overnight – sometimes it can take years for fish to return to some locations after decades of blocked access – but they are returning. In September, in just one example, we shared a video on social media of a salmon zipping through Leland Creek near US 101 even before the final work was fully completed.

Three deer walk through the creek under the road. The large culverts are visible as well as logs put in place to help with habitat restoration.
The first Chinook salmon observed returning to the waterway moves through Siebert Creek in 2021 after completion of a fish passage project at State Route 101 between Port Angeles and Sequim.
WDFW photo

Wide ranging benefits

The work to restore salmon to our state’s environment, our waterways, our tribal partners and all people in Washington is important in its own right. But our fish passage work has many ripples of additional benefits.

Replacing aging culverts and bridges over waterways also make our roadways more resilient for travelers. Bridges in flood-prone areas may not need to close as often when new structures are designed for higher water flows. Building new structures to current day seismic standards means bridges replaced to improve fish flow also better withstand earthquakes.

The restored natural stream conditions in our finished projects may also provide better and expanded habitat access for wildlife once the fish barriers are removed  . Work at Padden Creek and Interstate 5 in Bellingham, for example, included an area with a history of vehicles striking deer on the roadway. The fish passage design at this site allowed enough room for deer to pass under the roadway, reducing the risk of crashes and injuries or death to travelers.

An adult steelhead salmon makes its way up a shallow creek during spawning season.
Deer use new access under Interstate 5 at Padden Creek in Bellingham after a fish passage project improved access for many types of wildlife. Allowing deer better access under the roadway is designed to reduce the number of deer-vehicle collisions on the highway.

Thriving salmon and steelhead also:

  • Provide an important food source for over 100 species of wildlife, including orca whales.
  • Contribute to Washington’s economy through recreational and commercial fishing.
  • Support an estimated 16,000 jobs and over $500 million in personal income alone.
  • Create jobs and benefit local economies through habitat restoration work
  • Have cultural importance to the many tribes who rely on salmon and steelhead as a food source. Washington state must uphold treaty-reserved fishing rights, ensuring that salmon are present and available for harvest.

Aren’t there other barriers?

Our work – and the court order – focuses on state-owned roads, culverts and bridges, but those aren’t the only areas where fish struggle to use the waterways. Sometimes there also are blocked culverts above or below areas we have projects. We try to partner with other agencies whenever possible when we do work.

Our work alone may not fully restore access, but it can help create momentum for overall restoration of the waterway. Previous work makes it easier for smaller agencies, tribes and landowners to obtain grants and funding for their portion of the work because they can point to the benefit of adding to the new state improvements.

The barriers owned by others to be addressed – and are required to under state law – but they’re not subject to the 2030 deadline. That means we’re often the first to do this work, and we’re one part of the overall watershed restoration puzzle.

Our work is not done

This a permanent injunction so our role and responsibilities extend beyond the 2030 deadline. The goal is to ensure fish access is restored and maintained as new barriers are identified – and we remain committed to this work and program.

And while the scope of work remains massive, it’s also rewarding. We’ve seen habitat improved and fish return to waterways. We’ve also begun rebuilding trust and relationships with Washington tribes through this work. Since the injunction, we have worked extensively with our tribal partners and continue to do so on how best to approach fish passage into the future.

This challenging, massive amount of work takes time. The reward is knowing that repairing generations of environmental harm by removing outdated fish barriers will benefit Washingtonians for many more generations to come.

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Take a look under the hood: Understanding the I-405 express toll lanes and SR 167 HOT lanes

Changes are coming to the I-405 express toll lanes (ETLs) and SR 167 HOT lanes March 1, including new minimum and maximum toll rates and extended hours of operations. We know there are a lot of questions about the benefits of the express toll lanes and HOT lanes and how things will work with the new rates. In this blog, we share more about how the tolled lanes keep traffic moving, and where your toll money goes.

How does the system work?

Toll rates change based on real-time traffic conditions, and beginning March 1 the tolls will range from $1 to $15 for drivers with a Good To Go! pass.

The toll rates are adjusted every five minutes by an algorithm that assesses the level of congestion throughout the corridors and within each of the toll zones – one zone for SR 167 and three on I-405, corresponding with the three rates you see on each sign.

A toll rate sign above I-405 shows a different toll rate for each of the toll zones, demonstrating how drivers will pay a different toll depending on how far they travel in the toll lanes.
A toll rate sign on I-405 shows what toll you will pay depending on how far you want to travel in the toll lanes. In this case for someone who plans to exit the lanes at the end of the first toll zone – Northeast 128th Street they would pay $6.75. For people continuing on through the second toll zone – which ends at Northeast 85th Street, or the third – which ends at Northeast 6th Street –
they would pay $8 for their trip.

As congestion increases on the roadway, the toll rates increase to help control the amount of vehicles entering the tolled lanes. The goal is to prioritize moving more people through the corridor, particularly those traveling toll-free by carpooling and using transit, and for drivers who choose to pay a toll when they need a reliable trip the most.

How do the express toll lanes actually help move traffic?

One way to measure the effectiveness of the express toll lanes is to compare them to similar corridors without express toll lanes. In November 2023, we looked at daily vehicle volumes on northbound I-5 at Northeast 145th street, where the highway features four general purpose lanes and one HOV lane. On this segment of I-5, daily volumes averaged 87,000 vehicles. During that same period, daily volumes on northbound I-405 just north of Northeast 85th Street —where the highway contains three general purpose lanes and two tolled lanes — averaged 108,000 vehicles.

A pair of charts comparing the traffic throughput of northbound I-5 at Northeast 145th Street and northbound I-405 at Northeast 85th Street. On I-5, on average 4,750 vehicles passed through the corridor during the peak travel period in the general purpose lanes and 1,300 passed through the corridor in the HOV lane. Meanwhile, under the same conditions on average 4,850 vehicles passed through I-405 in the general purpose lanes and 3,300 people passed through the corridor in the express toll lanes. It shows that there was significantly more throughput on I-405 which makes use of the express toll lanes as a toll to manage congestion.
The charts show that despite having a matching number of lanes and general congestion level, I-405 – which uses tolls to help manage congestion – moved considerably more vehicles through
the corridor in the same peak travel period.

Having at least one lane moving more efficiently acts as a relief valve of sorts and allows more vehicles to get through the corridor. On average, 21,000 more vehicles were able to get through the I-405 corridor in similar traffic congestion and road conditions compared to I-5 in November 2023 because we were able to use tolls to help manage congestion and keep lanes on the roadway moving.

Why did you build express toll lanes and not more general purpose lanes?

The I-405 corridor, much like the rest of western Washington, continues to see population growth. With more people using the corridor, the demand for a reliable trip continues to grow as well.

We know we can’t build our way out of congestion; there are funding limitations, a lack of physical space needed to build new capacity, and environmental considerations. That means we need to get more out of what we already have.

A two-panel cartoon with the top panel showing a person sitting alone in a car surrounded by other solo drivers in a crowded two lane road stating “can’t wait for the road to be widened.” The bottom panel shows that same person stating “Finally” while sitting in a three-lane road that is just as congested as it was before.
This cartoon demonstrates what we’ve historically seen, that adding lanes to a roadway doesn’t relieve congestion, instead people who previously found alternate methods like carpooling, transit
or traveling in off-peak hours fill the newly added capacity.

We also know that the express toll lanes move more people through the corridor more efficiently than the old layout of general purpose lanes and one HOV lane. Last year, drivers who used the SR 167 HOT lanes saved an average of 7 minutes while traveling southbound and 6 minutes while traveling northbound when compared to general purpose lanes in fiscal year 2023. The average speeds in the HOT lanes were 15 mph faster northbound, and 12 mph southbound. There were similar benefits on I-405 in the same year with drivers who used the I-405 express toll lanes saving an average of 8 minutes while traveling northbound and 6 minutes while headed southbound when compared to the general purpose lanes. The average speeds in the express toll lanes ranged between 12 and 25 mph faster in the northbound direction and 9 to 15 mph faster southbound than their general purpose counterparts, with the greater average speeds in the dual-lane section of the road between Bellevue and Bothell.  

Transit is also important in providing a choice and moving more people through the corridor efficiently. Several transit routes take advantage of the express toll lanes and HOT lanes to bypass congestion and provide a more reliable trip to their riders – who also avoid the toll and sitting in traffic. Transit riders will see future advantages to their trips as the ongoing I-405/167 corridor program includes projects that benefit transit and allows for additional high-capacity bus routes. The projects are possible because the tolled lanes help manage congestion and allow the transit routes to move people more efficiently and reliably through the corridors.  

The express toll lanes give drivers a choice they didn’t have before, so that people have a way out of congestion when they really need it. They also generate revenue to be reinvested back into the corridor for projects to help address pain points that contribute to congestion.

How does increasing the maximum toll rate actually help manage traffic?

While we don’t know how often people will choose to use the lanes when the toll rate reaches the new maximum, we do know that current rates are reaching their cap during peak periods more frequently, and when that happens speeds and overall performance decreases. As traffic volumes continue to increase, the demand for a more reliable trip will grow.

With a higher maximum rate, we have more room to provide a reliable trip when drivers need it the most. In other words, drivers will have even more of a choice to make when considering whether to use the express toll lanes or HOT lanes. If a driver thinks the rate is too high, they’ll stay in the general purpose lanes, freeing up capacity in the tolled lanes for transit, carpools, and drivers who really need the reliable trip. Drivers who choose to pay the toll and use the express toll lanes or HOT lanes will in turn free up space in the general purpose lanes and experience more value for their money in the form of a quicker trip.

While everyone decides for themselves when paying a toll is worth it in the I-405 express toll lanes and SR 167 HOT lanes, we know that not everyone will opt to pay the higher toll rate and some drivers will adjust their travel times, and some may adjust the way they commute (by joining a carpool or using public transportation) – that helps keep vehicles out of the tolled lane as well.

What does my toll actually pay for?

Toll revenue is used to cover the costs of operating and maintaining a safe facility and any funds remaining after covering these expenses are reinvested back into the I-405 and SR 167 corridor.

A doughnut chart showing the breakdown of how toll revenue was used in fiscal year 2023. Of the $25.8 million in total toll revenue, $0.5 Million (2 percent) went to facility maintenance, $8.9 million (35 precent) was spent on operations and $16.2 million (63 percent) remained to be reinvested back into the corridor for capital improvements.
This chart from the Toll Division’s Annual Report for fiscal year 2023 indicates that approximately 40 percent of the toll revenue collected for trips in the I-405 express toll lanes and SR 167 HOT lanes is used to run the program, while more than 60 percent remains to be reinvested into improvement projects
throughout the corridor.

Expenses that fall under the description of operations and maintenance include printing and mailing bills, credit card fees, maintaining roadside tolling equipment like cameras and pass readers, and administrative costs of overseeing customer service operations, planning system improvements and calibrating the systems that monitor road congestion and adjust the dynamic toll rates.

WSDOT does contract out for certain services like the Good To Go! back office system, operating tolling equipment in the lanes, and customer service centers, and these contracts are awarded based on a competitive procurement process. The contracts also require the vendors to have local employees and operations to provide additional benefits to Washingtonians. Currently our vendors employ over 100 people in Washington to support the Good To Go! program.

Our financial statements and other revenue details are all readily available online so you can see the exact break down of how toll revenue is used.

I sometimes see people weaving in and out of the lanes. Can’t you build barriers?

It’s important to note that enforcement of drivers trying to evade tolls is an industry-wide problem. We work with our partners at Washington State Patrol on enforcement, and use double white lines — which are illegal to cross — to separate the express toll lanes and general purpose lanes. If you notice a location or time of day when you see violations more frequently, you can share that information with WSP.

We can’t use barriers to separate the express toll lanes for a few reasons:

  • They’re expensive to build and maintain, and in some areas we don’t have the physical space.
  • They can pose a safety hazard by preventing first-responders from accessing collisions that occur in the express toll lanes.
  • When a collision occurs in the general purpose lanes, we wouldn’t be able to route vehicles into the express toll lanes to keep traffic moving.

If you still have questions or concerns, reach out to us on social media. We’re always happy to help answer questions.

And remember, if you do opt to pay a toll to use the I-405 express toll lanes and SR 167 HOT Lanes you can save money by opening a Good To Go! account – and you have the option of toll-free travel as a carpool if you use a Flex Pass and have the appropriate number of people.

You can find out more about accounts at passes at our website www.MyGoodToGo.com.

Friday, February 23, 2024

Navigating rough roads between highway projects: Rough Roads signs coming to I-5 in Clark County

By Celeste Dimichina & Kelly Hanahan

Maintaining roads and ensuring travelers safety is our top priority. But the reality is, there’s a lot of work to do.

Every day, our maintenance crews work to keep the roads open and safe for every user. When they see potholes, they work to fill them. When they see tree branches hanging over the roadway or blocking road signs, they trim them. This is their mission: building and maintaining systems to keep people and goods moving throughout our state every day. Sometimes that means making temporary repairs until we have funding for the needed long-term projects like rebuilding roadways or replacing concrete panels.

If you see Rough Road signs along your favorite highway, this is what’s happening. These signs warn people that traveling the roadway ahead needs a little more care until we can address failing pavement.

Rough Roads in Southwest Washington

If you often travel Interstate 5 and 205 in Clark County, you already know what we are talking about. Failing concrete panels that are sunken or cracked make a very bumpy commute. The section of southbound I-5 between Ridgefield and I-5/I-205 split is made up of 8,400 concrete panels. Hundreds of which have cracked, settled and ultimately must be replaced. These panels were originally installed 50-70 years ago and are beyond repair. Additional factors like extreme weather (ice storms!) and increased traffic volumes only worsen the roadways already long overdue for replacement.

What’s happening?

Travelers heading south on I-5, between Ridgefield and the I-5/I-205 junction in Salmon Creek will soon see a series of Rough Road warning signs.

These signs will be strategically placed just after on-ramps and just before rough patches of roadway, giving people advanced warning of road conditions ahead. Travelers will also notice signs that advise speed limit reduction from 70 mph to 60 mph and from 60 mph to 50 mph.

The main goal of these signs is to encourage travelers to take extra care until we make long-term road repairs. By giving advanced warning, drivers can adjust their speeds.

Are these roads going to be fixed?

Yes! As funding has become available, we have focused on addressing the “worst of the worst” panels first. We will continue to work on it until we’ve rehabilitated the entire section of roadway, but that will take several years. In 2017, we identified six projects to address in this stretch of interstate between the I-5/I-205 split and Woodland. Due to budget constraints, many of these projects have been delayed. We don’t determine our ultimate budget and are continuing to work with state leaders on the best way to pay for these repairs and others across our state.

Upcoming projects

Beginning in summer 2024 we’ll start a project estimated at around $2 million. This project will replace about 25-30 of the most damaged concrete panels on southbound I-5 between Ridgefield and the I-5/I-205 split.

In 2025, we’ll tackle another project valued at approximately $12 million. This one will focus on fixing and smoothing out all panels on a section of southbound I-5 from 179th Street to the I-5/I-205 split.

If funding is available, we’ll undertake an approximately $25 million project in 2025-2026 to fix and smooth out all panels on southbound I-5 between Ridgefield to 179th Street. To give you an idea of the scale, this project will use more than 100,000 tons of asphalt. One truck carries 15 tons. That adds up to more than 6,600 trucks full of asphalt for this one project.

Recent projects

While there is more work to do, we have made other recent improvements.

Between 2004-2020, we repaired and resurfaced failing concrete panels in Clark County between Ridgefield and the I-5/I-205 split.

In 2021, a $7.6 million project fixed and smoothed out a section of panels on southbound I-5 between North Fork Lewis River and East Fork Lewis River just south of Woodland.

Between 2022-2023, we completed a nearly $9 million project to replace 100 of the most damaged panels on southbound I-5 between 179th Street and the I-5/I-205 split while also rehabilitating bridge joints along I-205.

Rough roads can reduce fuel efficiency, which means you spend more on fuel. They can also affect tire wear and vehicle repair costs. Slower speeds required on deteriorated roadways also means lost time for commuters and freight transporters. We have a backlog of work waiting on funding for preservation projects.

We have a lot of work ahead of us to improve the condition of this stretch of highway. Thank you for your patience while we work on repairing or replacing sections of this road for smoother travel.