Orange barrels and 92 million sheets of toilet paper: A busy summer with our maintenance crews

By: Tina Werner, WSDOT maintenance communications

Summertime = busy, am I right?

Whether it was cheering on your favorite sports team, camping in the mountains or hopping on a ferry, we’re sure you were busy these past few months. No matter where you went, chances are you encountered something else along the way.

Orange barrels. And lots of them.

Some of those barrels marked major construction projects. Others marked something much smaller, but no less important. An overnight pothole repair. Freshly painted lane markings. Guardrail replacement. A broken picnic table at a rest area that needed to be fixed.

Behind many of those orange barrels were some of the people who quietly keep Washington moving every day: our highway maintenance crews.

Maintenance crews used a “hydromill” while repairing potholes along eastbound Interstate 90 near Spokane this summer. This equipment allows crews to quickly remove rough sections of the road and pour new pavement during a single shift.

A crew member stripes southbound State Route 302 in Gig Harbor to allow for a new bike and pedestrian lane for safety. This work was prompted by citizen and partner agency requests, and an overall increase in all travel modes on SR 302.

Summer stats
Our crews repair signs, clear vegetation, sweep roads, remove fallen or dead trees, repair traffic signals, inspect drainage systems, collect bagged litter and patch thousands of potholes. They are also the same crews that plow highways in the winter and respond when wildfires, floods and other emergencies strike.

During the eastern Washington wildfires this summer, our maintenance crews helped close roads and documented and repaired damage like these burned signs.

They also help with some out-of-the ordinary tasks as well. This included staffing road or ramp closures for international soccer matches or – and we’re not making this up – when a semi full of corn spilled onto the road.

Oh shucks! Maintenance crews help clean up after a corn spill along the southbound I-5 ramp to Thorne Lane in July.

So, what did our crews accomplish this year? A lot.

From June 1, through Aug. 31, 2026, they:

• Completed 1.6 million square feet of pavement repairs
• Painted 5,301 lane miles of road stripes, helping keep travel lanes clearly marked
• Painted more than 40,000 pavement markings, totaling nearly 1,100 miles. This includes things like arrows, crosswalks and stop bars that improve bicycle and pedestrian safety.
• Removed 1,498 hazardous or dead trees to improve safety and visibility – a 27% increase from last summer
• Swept 3,805 miles of roadway to clear small debris – a 1% increase from last summer
• Installed 855 guideposts, providing 431 miles of lane delineation along state highways
• Repaired 1,109 highway lights
• Repaired 471 traffic signals
• Inspected, cleaned or repaired 7,209 catch basins to help prevent flooding before the rainy season
• Repaired 86 culverts, separate from our fish passage work which is completed as part of new construction projects
• Removed 346,442 square feet of graffiti
• Flew 88 drone flights to document disaster damage or inspect hard-to-reach areas and help identify repairs
• Collected 318 tons of trash – the equivalent of about 42,351 full litter bags. ( Litter is picked up by Ecology crews and Adopt-A-Highway volunteers and then our Maintenance crews gather and dispose of the bags)
• All told, crews logged 53,815 unique work entries for highway maintenance tasks statewide.

And then there are the rest areas, which get a workout each summer.

• This summer, travelers flushed our safety rest area toilets about 9.2 million times .
• They also used about 92 million sheets of toilet paper – enough to stretch from Olympia to Spokane and back, with enough left over to gift-wrap Mount Rainier.
• Crews also supplied 3,648 gallons of hand soap . That’s enough to fill 730 five-gallon buckets. Or enough soap for Washington’s largest-ever bubble party. You decide.

Crews replaced damaged guardrail from the SR 7 ramp to northbound I-5 in Tacoma. Crews also cut back vegetation, swept the road and cleaned up large debris during the five-hour closure.

The heroes of our highways
Nearly 1,500 highway maintenance workers are stationed from Forks to Pullman and everywhere else in between. These are our boots-on-the-ground crews. Many live in the communities where they work, travel the same roads you do and often work behind the scenes to make sure those roads you depend on remain safe and reliable.

At a high level, they are responsible for maintaining:

• Nearly 19,000 lane miles
• 47 safety rest areas
• 3,502 state-owned bridges
• 55 tunnels
• 1,616 traffic signal systems (flashing beacons, traffic signals, etc.)
• 3,250 highway lights
• 278 ramp meters
• 946 electronic highway signs
• 26 weigh stations
• Nearly 100,000 acres of rights of way

Their planned, daily workload can change in an instant depending on weather conditions, collisions, emergencies or whatever else lands on Washington’s highways – like corn.

In other words, their job description is a never-ending to-do list. Their work is prioritized based on safety.

The work doesn’t stop when the sun goes down
Our maintenance crews work around the clock to keep people moving. That includes working at night when it’s safe to do so. It’s a balance of making repairs when traffic volumes are lower (where possible) and keeping our crews safe and making emergency repairs when we need to.

We know what some of you might be thinking: “Well, aren’t you just doing your job, WSDOT?”

Yep. We are. We also think there’s value in showing you what that job actually looks like. They’ll keep doing all this work and more, but they need your help.

Maintenance crews repair overhead lights in the I- 5 Seattle Convention Center tunnel following a series of international soccer matches in the area.

Every orange barrel represents work to help keep travelers and goods moving across our state. These same barrels are protecting crews, who are working just feet away from moving traffic. These workers could be your neighbor. Your friend. Your relative. Next time you are traveling through a work zone, please slow down, pay attention and give them room to work safely.

A maintenance worker holds a stop sign to help direct traffic along SR 20 while crews add fresh striping to the highway this summer.

Join us

Does this work and photos we shared look fun? If you’re looking for work that makes a difference in communities across Washington, we’re hiring! Learn more about joining our highway maintenance team online.

Aging bridge joints: Sturdy Gertie in Tacoma needs a total knee replacement

By: April Leigh and Cara Mitchell

Emergency lane closures across the State Route 16 Tacoma Narrows Bridge to Gig Harbor for bridge joint repairs on April 27, 2026.

Heads up State Route 16 commuters: more emergency repairs on the westbound 1950 Tacoma Narrows Bridge that takes travelers from Tacoma to Gig Harbor are on the horizon.

A quick history lesson first: the westbound bridge opened to travelers in 1950. It replaced the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge, forever known as “Galloping Gertie.” The 1950 westbound bridge has a few nicknames – one of which is Sturdy Gertie.

We want to level with you on the challenges our dear Sturdy Gertie is facing. We also want to share the steps we are taking to keep this landmark structure working for years to come.

The most pressing issue is the expansion joints. Those are the steel pieces on the bridge deck that make the “thuh-thunk” sound when you drive over them. There are small joints and large joints on the bridge. Like joints on a person, they work together to help the bridge move.

Three of the four large expansion joints near the towers have approached the end of their useable life. Up to now, we've been able to make temporary repairs and keep lane closures to a minimum. But temporary repairs can only last so long.

A detailed description of the location, age and recent repairs of the large expansion joints on the westbound State Route 16 Tacoma Narrows Bridge to Gig Harbor.

The graphic shows the locations of each expansion joint on the 1950 Tacoma Narrows Bridge. There are two by each tower, and each are labeled. There is a section in the Tacoma West Joint where temporary fixes will no longer work. This section is mostly under the two right lanes where the heaviest loads travel. We are at the point where a more extensive repair is needed to keep all lanes open until the aging joints can be replaced. The cost estimate for this extensive temporary repair is $140,000.

Here's the good, the bad and the not-so-surprising details on what's ahead:

The good

There is only one solution between temporary repairs and completely new joints– that's a partial joint replacement. This is a herculean effort, considering these parts aren't exactly available at the hardware store. We've been working with a local steel fabricator since August to create the partial joint and prepare it for installation.

Parts of the new partial joint during fabrication.

The bad

Installing a new partial joint is a big job and requires two lanes across the bridge to close around the clock for two weeks. During the work the two right lanes of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to Gig Harbor and the Jackson Avenue on-ramp to westbound State Route16 will close. This means two weeks of long afternoon commutes and delays for travelers. Many of us use the bridge daily and know what a pain this will be.

We expect to make these repairs in October and will share the start date for the work as soon as it's available.

When you drive across the bridge and pass the work zone while repairs are underway, chances are you may see little to no activity. That's because most of the repairs are happening underneath the bridge deck. After the work is finished, we also need time to see how the bridge responds before opening lanes for travel.

Daylight hours are required for this work. If we could do this kind of work at night, we would. This is precision work in a confined space while suspended high above the water. We do lots of other work at night, but this isn't one of them.

The not-so-surprising

This repair is one of many temporary fixes to help keep lanes open until the joints are replaced. It doesn't mean travelers won't see more emergency repairs in both this and other locations. Unfortunately, you can expect more lane closures across the bridge.

Whenever possible, we try to limit repairs during the weekday afternoon commute. But emergencies are just that, and we're not always able to wait until the evening or weekends to do the work.

In some cases, it's nearly impossible to identify where an expansion joint is damaged until it becomes apparent. There are areas of the bridge joints that are encased in concrete. Failures in those areas are often not visible until the driving surface begins to crack and deteriorate around them.

Why the joints keep breaking

The bridge is no spring chicken. As materials age, things begin to break. It faces wind, high traffic volumes and heavy loads. The metal and concrete driving surface expands and contracts in hot and cold weather.

We are now finding cracks and failures in the large steel joints with increasing frequency. Of the 10 emergency repairs since 2024, eight have occurred at the large joints on the bridge.

We weld new steel and add support structures where we can. But with each new temporary repair, the joints deteriorate more. We fix one spot, only to have another crack show up right next to it. It's like breaking a leg, getting a cast, and then breaking the same bone- just in a different spot.

Repairs to large expansion joints on the SR 16 Tacoma Narrows Bridge to Gig Harbor April 23, 2026.

Project to replace the joints coming

A project to replace the joints is in currently in design, with construction planned in 2027. We aren't building a new bridge – we're fixing Sturdy Gertie. Until we can get the work started, travelers need to be prepared for potentially more emergency lane closures and short-term repairs. We know you'll have lots of questions on what that construction will look like next year – we do too. We will share those details once we have them.

Replacing the bridge joints is one of several preservation projects we are tracking on the 76-year-old bridge over the next six years. We are prioritizing the work based on the emergent need and available preservation funding. The most recent increase in preservation funding in the state's transportation budget will help us keep Sturdy Gertie working as it should for years to come. Right now, just over $300 million is programmed through 2031 for preservation projects specific to the westbound bridge. Beyond next summer's bridge joint replacement work, additional preservation work includes painting the deck truss and towers of the westbound span in the next five years. This is a proactive step to preserve the steel. This proactive work means we save significant money in the future by not having to rehab and replace corroded elements of the bridge. The painting project would include some steel repair work, but it would not be to the point of major rehabilitation, if done soon. Painting the bridge would require full containment over The Narrows, which brings a high cost.

Bridge deck rehabilitation and cable dehumidification need to be done in the next 10 years. This work was recommended following a 2019 inspection.

We can't do all this work at the same time. Paying for each of these repair projects is dependent on funding in the state transportation budget, which is created and approved by the state legislature and signed by the governor.

Don't tolls pay for repairs on the westbound bridge?

No, the tolls you pay on the eastbound SR 16 Tacoma Narrows Bridge do not pay for maintenance on the westbound bridge. Tolls support the operations, maintenance, preservation and insurance costs for the eastbound bridge, which opened to travelers in 2007. The tolls are required until debt service, deferred sales tax, and loans provided by the state have been repaid. More details on Tacoma Narrows Bridge tolling can be found on the Washington State Transportation Commission's website.

Some areas of the expansion joints are encased in concrete. During this 2024 repair to one of the smaller joints, crews scoured out old concrete to repair underneath it.

Why can't you switch one of the bridges to handle both directions of travel?

The bridges do have this capability. However, it takes a long time to convert one bridge to accommodate both directions of travel. They are not set up like Seattle's express lanes. Switching directions of travel across the SR 16 Tacoma Narrows Bridge requires miles of traffic control barrels, cones and signs on both the Tacoma and Gig Harbor sides of the channel. It also requires reduced speeds in both directions. Putting this into place can take up to four hours, plus additional crew to implement. Trying to switch travel during heavy commute hours on this bridge would cause more backups, not less for travelers.

Is the bridge still safe to travel?

Yes. While we do have to close lanes and make emergency repairs, the bridge remains safe for travel in the open lanes.

Know before you go

If you travel from Tacoma to Gig Harbor, make a plan for emergency lane closures. Check the WSDOT app or the real-time travel map before heading across the bridge. Also, please sign up for our email updates. We work to only send these updates when necessary. We'll send out advance notification of significant work or an explanation of what's happening if we need to suddenly close lanes on the bridge.

When traveling, pay attention to messages on the electronic signs above the highway near the bridge. Have a full charge or tank of gas. Travel outside traditional afternoon commute hours whenever possible. There is also the possibility we'll open the HOV lane to all travelers, so please watch for announcements on the overhead electronic signs.

SR 525 Bridge Over Railroad and Paving Projects

Exciting projects are happening on State Route 525! We are hard at work with multiple projects along SR 525 this year. This blog post highlights some recent accomplishments, current events and future direction for the route.

New paving on SR 525 in Lynnwood

We repaved a section of SR 525 between the I-5/I-405 interchange and SR 99 in Lynnwood this past construction season. Eight ramps were also repaved. This section of SR 525 was built in 1984 and was last paved more than 20 years ago in 2004. Preservation work is needed to keep the highway in a state of good repair as more people use SR 525.

The asphalt on this stretch of SR 525 outlived its expected 15-year lifespan. Cracks, ruts, and potholes have developed through the years. These make the roadway uneven, causing pooled water and reduced tire traction. This makes drivers slow down to handle the wet conditions, which impact travel times. Our updates will improve driving conditions and extend highway life.

Community engagement highlight – summer 2025 online open house

We wrapped up our summer 2025 online open house for both the SR 525 Mukilteo Bridge Over Railroad – Bridge Replacement and SR 525 Spur Vic to Mukilteo Ferry Vic – Paving and ADA projects. Thank you for the feedback!

The online open house aimed to understand:

• Active transportation priorities.
• Issues with the existing bridge, bike and pedestrian improvements.
• How people currently move through the area, as well as future use with new facilities.

Nearly 3,000 people viewed the online open house and 87 submitted survey responses. Survey highlights are included below.

• Over one in four respondents walk, bike or roll through the area daily. Nearly one in three respondents stated they would travel the corridor daily if new improvements were made.
• Over 60% of respondents ranked “address safety concerns for those who walk, bike, or roll” as a project priority. “Wider sidewalks” followed, which was a priority for 44% of respondents. Other priorities included:
• Keeping roads open during construction
• Improving the flow of traffic
• Being aware of the impacts of community growth
• Effective transit integration
• Beautification and safety
• When asked to select the top three facilities that respondents would like to see included in the project:
• 52% picked wider sidewalks
• 45% picked separated bike lanes
• 44% picked separated shared use paths

Find the project’s summer 2025 online open house report for full summary of what we heard.

Learn more about the project by reading its FAQ document.

What is Currently Happening – SR 525 Spur Vic to Mukilteo Ferry Vic Paving & ADA

Construction has started for the SR 525 Spur Vic to Mukilteo Ferry Vic – Paving and ADA project. This project will pave SR 525 right up to the railroad bridge that leads to the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal. The project will repave SR 525 with Hot Mix Asphalt and construct Americans with Disability Act upgrades from the SR 525 Spur, which is located just north of Harbour Place, to 2nd Street.

Work will happen nightly (9 p.m. to 7 a.m.) on Sunday nights to Friday mornings. Northbound SR 525 will alternate traffic in the intersections between Paine Field and the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal (mileposts 5 to 8).

We are also making the following improvements:

• New bike lanes from Paine Field Boulevard to 84th Street Southwest
• Intersection improvements, with rectangular rapid flashing beacons, at multiple locations:
• 88th Street Southwest
• 81st Place Southwest
• 80th Street Southwest
• Clover Lane

Due to the short timeframe to deliver the upgrades, the full vision of active transportation facilities needed to meet the complete streets requirement will be built by a later, unfunded project.

What to Expect on SR 525 Moving Forward – Mukilteo Bridge Over Railroad Replacement Project Design & Construction

We picked a two-way bike lane design (also called a cycle track) to meet complete streets requirements. The alternative includes the following to serve those who bike, walk, roll and access transit and decrease vehicle speeds:

• Buffered two-way bike lanes (cycle track) and sidewalk on the west side of SR 525.
• Narrower traffic lanes (11 feet).
• Buffered sidewalk on the east side of SR 525.

The design process for the SR 525 Mukilteo Bridge Over Railroad Replacement project is now underway and is expected to continue through spring 2028.

There will be opportunities to learn more about the project as bridge design continues. The expected construction timeline is spring 2028 through winter 2030.

Beneath the bridge: Meet the interns helping protect Washington's bridges

By: Tina Werner

Most people cross a bridge without giving it a second thought. For Austin and Katelyn, they say every bridge tells a story.

This summer, the two civil engineering students traded college classrooms for hard hats and safety vests. Instead of solving problems from a textbook, they spent their summer helping inspect bridges. We have more than 3,400 bridges and overpasses we maintain across Washington.

Austin stands on the shoulder of US 12 near Morton to measure the depth of water and the conditions of Lake Creek below. This is an important part of bridge inspections, especially for bridges that cross rivers or other waterways.

They climbed under bridges, tested aging bridge decks and noted potential repairs. This hands-on experience gave them a look at the work that keeps our transportation system safe and operational. Traveling across the state and being mentored by Washington’s top bridge engineers – also a bonus.

Learning by doing

Austin, a civil engineering student at Saint Martin's University in Lacey, is spending his second summer with us. Austin is a United States Army veteran and said public service is important to him.

Austin in his United States Army uniform during an airborne operations training in 2019.

"I've always wanted to do work that serves people," Austin said.

His internship focused largely on bridge inspections. Working alongside experienced bridge engineers, he helped document bridge conditions. He learned to look for signs of wear and tear and how inspections help prioritize repairs.

One of his favorite discoveries?

"By far the coolest part was learning about Washington’s timber bridges," Austin said. "We don't really study those in school because they're an older bridge design."

Washington is home to hundreds of older bridges. Many of them have safely served travelers for decades due to regular inspections, maintenance and preservation work. In fact, we maintain 342 bridges* that are more than 80 years old, showing how ongoing care can extend a bridge's service life. Of those, 57 bridges are timber structures and over 80 years old.

Looking beyond the roadway

Katelyn is a Washington State University civil engineering student. She spent much of her summer seeing bridges from a perspective most travelers never experience.

Katelyn stands inside the bucket of an under-bridge inspection truck along State Route 25 over the Columbia River in Northport. This summer, she helped perform chloride testing on bridge decks. She also helped inspect bridge components and examined structures from below. The testing helps find where salt may be causing corrosion inside the concrete before larger problems develop.

"My friends didn't realize we inspect the belly of a bridge," Katelyn said. "Most people only think about the roadway they drive on. There's an entire structure underneath that has to be inspected piece by piece."

Finding issues early allows us to schedule maintenance before damage becomes more extensive. This helps us extend a bridge's lifespan. It also reduces future costs and minimizes disruptions for travelers. This work coincides with the day-to-day work by our maintenance crews.

Every bridge is different

One lesson both interns quickly learned is that no two bridges are the same. Bridge engineers inspect each structure on a regular schedule. Typically, every two years, they check its condition and identify potential repairs.

Some inspections happen from under-bridge inspection trucks. These special trucks allow engineers to reach areas hidden from drivers above. Others need specialty underwater dive teams to inspect bridge foundations. Our movable bridges need mechanical and electrical expert inspectors to do their jobs.

Austin said riding in an under-bridge inspection truck while examining bridges was one of the highlights of his summer.

Underneath the SR 509 bridge near Dash Point State Park. Austin helped inspect several components of the bridge with our bridge preservation team.

"It gives you a completely different perspective when you are in a UBIT below the deck," he said.

The work also showed them that bridge repairs rarely come with an off-the-shelf solution. Many repairs need engineers to design custom fixes because every bridge has its own history, design and challenges.

"People think bridges are all the same," Katelyn said. "They're not. Every bridge requires its own solution. That's what makes this work exciting."

Building tomorrow's workforce

The internship also offered something unexpected: seeing women in engineering leadership roles on our Bridges and Structures Team.

"It was inspiring to see women leading projects and solving complex engineering problems," Katelyn said.

Austin and Katelyn finished their internships on Thursday, August 20 and will now return to college this fall. Both say the experience confirmed they chose the right career path. They hope to someday work for the state of Washington in some capacity.

Their summer wasn't just about inspecting bridges. It was about learning how engineering improves people's everyday lives. Bridges are one component of our state’s complex and evolving transportation system. They keep families connected, support local communities and help millions of people get to work or the grocery store each day. For these interns, every inspection was another step toward becoming the next generation of engineers. We look forward to this next generation, who will design, inspect and preserve Washington's bridges for decades to come.

Learn more about our internship opportunities. And check out our careers in engineering, maintenance and transportation planning.

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*Based on June 2025 bridge data.