Work Zones and Wildfires, Hardhats and Fire Helmets: Our Road Workers Pull Double Duty for Washingtonians

by Celeste Dimichina

Valerie Bergmann: One of WSDOT’s many volunteer firefighters

By day (or night!) you can find Valerie in a work zone on a state highway. Rain or shine, hot summer days or during a winter storm, Valerie is out with her fellow crew members making sure that Washington state travelers get where they need to go safely.

In her free time, Valerie works as a volunteer firefighter. Aside from regular service to her community, she worked on four wildfires just on the Fourth of July alone!

“Impressive and inspiring!” is what most people think when they learn about her story. Not only that, did we mention she’s only 21 years old? Valerie is a young person who is truly dedicated to her community.

Valerie Bergmann, currently a Highway Maintenance Worker 2 in southwest Washington, started her WSDOT career at just 19 years old through the “High School to Highways” program. This two-year program allows high school graduates to start working with WSDOT. After that, she transitioned to a full-time job as a Highway Maintenance Worker 2. When not on the road, Valerie volunteers with the Cowlitz County District One Fire Department.

And it’s not just Valerie! More than 50 WSDOT employees who work in roadway maintenance are also volunteer firefighters. So, the next time you drive past a work zone, know that any of those crew members might also be volunteering to fight fires in your community!

Valerie shares a selfie with a garter snake she found while cleaning up debris alongside the highway.

Valerie’s passion for helping people is clear. Her story highlights the dual roles many of our employees fulfill, balancing professional duties with community service.

Choosing between fight or flight

Following a round of winter weather in January, Valerie and her crew were called to fill potholes along I-5 in northern Vancouver. As the crew parked on the shoulder to prepare for the evening’s work, a suspected drunk driver struck their trucks from behind at nearly 70 miles per hour. All six employees ended up in the hospital. Three of the six crew members, including Valerie, are volunteer firefighters with first aid training. They attended to each other and the driver that struck them before they headed to the hospital themselves. Though they survived the crash, crew members sustained injuries that some of them are still dealing with over seven months later.

“Seeing and assisting with crashes as a firefighter is one thing but experiencing it firsthand with your own crew is an entirely different situation. It really shakes you to your core.” Despite the trauma, Valerie’s firefighter and first aid training kicked in: “Even after being hit, in a split second, I just knew how to react, and I knew I had to choose between fight or flight. Given the extensive emergency training I’ve had, I couldn’t choose flight – that’s just not me. So, we checked in with one another to see if everyone was okay. Then we began assessing the driver’s injuries. While it was a scary situation, it was a familiar situation.”

Valerie stands in front of a controlled housefire as part of her ongoing firefighting training.

However, following the crash, the mental toll it took on Valerie was significant. “It was depressing. Being taken away from my job and the community I serve was hard. I found myself sitting at home feeling really frustrated that I couldn’t do what I love doing. My hope is that my story serves as a reminder and that it encourages at least one person to make safer choices while on the road.”

Each of our crew members takes pride in their work as public servants and first responders, and Valerie is no different. Since graduating high school, she has dedicated both her personal and professional life to serving the public. Now, she is asking the public to help her continue doing just that.

Driving home the importance of road safety

Valerie’s story underscores the importance of safety in work zones. She urges drivers to realize the impact of their actions. “Behind the orange vest, we are people with families who are waiting for us at home. Not to mention, our communities depend on the volunteer services that firefighters provide. If we get hurt and can’t work or volunteer, that’s one less person to help you during an emergency – when you want as many people to help you as possible! If you’re driving, please, don’t text. If you have a drink, don’t drive. Focus on driving and driving only. I can’t stress this enough.”

Valerie also highlighted the need for better driver behavior. “Driver behavior needs to improve nationwide. How many more people need to get hurt or die while on the job? We understand that distractions happen. So, we’re asking everyone to do their part to minimize them and just focus when you’re behind the wheel.”

Comparing public perceptions

Valerie pointed out the difference in public interactions with firefighters versus road workers:

“Both jobs are about helping and serving the public. We repair roads for you, often working late at night, early in the morning, and in all types of weather. It’s important work. Our crews are dedicated and working hard to keeping every road user safe.”

“On the other hand, the work I do as a volunteer firefighter is equally important. The crew of volunteers I fight fires alongside are some of the hardest-working, most dedicated folks I’ve ever met, who volunteer to keep their neighbors and communities safe. But while people immediately move over for fire trucks, they often ignore road workers. If everyone just took a few extra minutes to slow down and move over when you see our crews working, it gives us the peace of mind we need to know that you see us, and you care about us and the work we’re doing to keep you moving – which helps ensure everyone gets back home safe at the end of the day.”

A photo from one of the four wildfires Valerie was called to on the Fourth of July.

The dangers of driving under the influence

In 2023, there were 1,228 work zone crashes statewide, including 10 fatal and seven DUI-related. In the first six months of 2024, Clark County alone recorded six work zone crashes tied to suspected impaired driving, resulting in eight injuries, including the incident involving Valerie.

Work zone safety reminders

Valarie’s story is a crucial reminder to:

1. Stay focused: Eliminate distractions, especially in work zones.
2. Obey speed limits: Follow posted speed limits to keep everyone safe.
3. Plan ahead: Be aware of work zones and plan alternate routes if needed.
4. Show respect: Give road crews space to work safely and acknowledge their efforts.
5. Stay sober: Impaired driving causes accidents, injuries, and fatalities every day.
6. Follow the rules of the road: When you see lights and hear sirens, slow down and move over. It’s the law!

Valerie poses for a photo in the snow while wearing her firefighting “turnout” gear.

Valerie, along with many WSDOT employees, dedicate themselves to their roles with the agency and as volunteer firefighters, emergency responders and more within their communities. Their commitment to serving the public is a powerful reminder of the importance of road safety and the impact our actions can have on the lives of others.

Final work to improve fish habitat in Chico Creek at State Route 3 and Chico Way Northwest

 By Mark Krulish

We’re nearing the end of a big fish passage project in Kitsap County. Over the past three years, our contractor, Guy F. Atkinson Construction, has been hard at work at Chico Creek. Culverts at the creek and its tributary, located south of Silverdale, were barriers to fish migration.

This fish barrier removal project opens about 21 miles of potential fish habitat near State Route 3 and Chico Way Northwest. Completing this summer’s scheduled in-water work will bring us closer to the finish line.

Before the project, there were multiple barriers to fish near and under SR 3 at Chico Way Northwest.

The project built new bridges on SR 3 and Chico Way Northwest to create more room for Chico Creek and the tributary.

What we’ve accomplished so far

When finished, this project will create more room for fish migration. Creek water will have more space to flow beneath the roadway. This improves fish passage and access to spawning habitat for native fish species.

How did we do this? We removed the old culverts and built new, wider bridges over the creek. We realigned the on- and off-ramps from southbound SR 3 to Chico Way Northwest to make more room for Chico Creek. This is because Chico Creek now flows beneath SR 3 instead of through smaller culverts.

All major construction on the project is complete. Here’s what our crews have accomplished:

• Realigned southbound SR 3 on- and off-ramps to Chico Way Northwest to accommodate the new bridges on SR 3 and Chico Way Northwest.
• Built a wider bridge on SR 3 that provides fish access to Chico Bay.
• Built an elevated bridge on Chico Way Northwest, creating an easier crossing and improved habitat for fish in the tributary.
• Eliminated fish barriers by rerouting the creek and tributary.

Once the project is completed, fish will have access to 21 miles of potential habitat and an improved connection to Chico Creek and Chico Bay.

The finishing touches of the project

Wow, that’s a lot of work already done! If you’re just driving along the highway, you might not see much activity. That’s because the big work is happening down in the water.

However, there is still important work going on underneath the roadways. Construction crews are excavating the new and enhanced alignment for Chico Creek. Once that’s complete, crews will connect the tributary to the enhanced creek.

While crews complete this work, travelers using the Chico Way interchange can expect occasional nighttime ramp and single lane closures through Fall 2024. When we do have these closures, travelers can expect them to happen at the following times:

• The Chico Way Northwest on-ramp to southbound SR 3 closes from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m.
• Northbound SR 3 exit to Chico Way Northwest closes from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• During weekend mornings, ramps reopen as late as 10 a.m.
• SR 3 single lane closures may begin as early as 7 p.m.

Protecting fish during in-water work

We can only work in the water during a certain time of year. It’s usually in the summer. We call this the “fish window.” We worked with the Suquamish Tribe and Department of Fish and Wildlife to identify this fish window. It’s the time of year when fish will be least active in the waterway.

We only work during the fish window in order to protect fish during their spawning season. This allows native fish, like salmon, to safely travel upstream to spawn.

During the fish window this summer, crews will safely relocate any fish remaining in the stream, then reroute and connect the new stream alignments. The new alignment will include updated natural streambeds with more space and improved habitat for fish and other wildlife.

What’s next

Crews will complete nearly all project work by the end of 2024, with some final tasks lasting through March 2025. One of the final tasks is filling in the old culverts. Crews will fill in the old culverts instead of removing them. This approach reduces roadway construction and makes it possible to restore a more natural alignment for the creek and tributary.

The old culvert is a barrier to fish passage. The entire culvert is a barrier as it reduces the habitat available for fish. There is also a steep drop off on the other end. Crews rerouted Chico Creek to make it easier for fish to reach Chico Bay and its tributary.

Visit the project website for more information, to sign up for email updates, and to learn more about other fish barrier removal projects in the state.

An Olympic (Peninsula) Feat: Milestone achieved at Grays Harbor County fish barrier removal sites

By Angela Cochran and Brian Turner

While we recover from the excitement of the Paris Olympics and await the glory of the Paris Paralympics (say it three times fast), we have another kind of Olympic story for you. This story is about removing barriers to fish on the Olympic Peninsula. Although no one will get any gold medals, it’s still a win for people, the environment and fish.

Locations of work zones along US 12 and SR 8 in Grays Harbor County.

We’ve reached a milestone in Grays Harbor County between Montesano and the Thurston County line. You may have seen construction at several locations along US 12 and State Route 8. Our contractor, Cecannti, Inc., has finished building four bridges on the highways. A fifth bridge is complete on an adjacent roadway. A new box culvert is nearly complete at the site east of McCleary. All are designed to help remove barriers to fish. We’re also rebuilding streams at each location.

The culvert for Camp Creek in Montesano also goes under Simmons Road next to the highway. We completed the bridge there earlier this year.

That brings us to more good news. We’ve finished temporarily relocating highway lanes at all sites along US 12 and SR 8. If you live in or drive through the area, you may have noticed our crews are now working on the opposite side of the highway. Throughout spring and summer, each location has gone through a series of temporary changes. This allowed crews to start building the second round of bridges and install the second half of the box culvert. US 12 and SR 8 are divided highways, so structures must be built for each direction of travel.

But that’s not all we’ve been doing this summer!

Working with mother nature

What we think a fish window should look like.

While something like this completely made-up image may pop into your mind when we say we are in a "fish window," it actually means something else.

The fish window, or in-water work window, is the short period of time when we are allowed to work in a stream. The timeframe varies from project to project but is generally between July and October. It’s based on when there is the least number of spawning fish in a particular stream. This is determined by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

This little coho was recently moved out of the work zone at Mox Chehalis Road East near McCleary.

Before starting work in the water, we catch and document any aquatic life in the stream. We move fish and other creatures safely down or upstream away from the work. Then our crews do earthwork so we can rebuild the stream. Where does the stream go during this time? We divert it around the work zone. The stream is often contained to a pipe and diverted downstream.

Fish projects benefit all of us

This project is designed to benefit fish, but how does it benefit people? At some locations, you may have noticed an incline that wasn’t there before. That’s because some of the highway is in a floodplain. The structures we are building can handle increased stream flow and coastal flooding. They are also built to current earthquake safety standards. They replace old, outdated culverts that are reaching the end of their useful life anyway. The structures replacing them are built to last at least 75 years. This helps provide more reliable transportation routes for the communities we serve. Preventing flooding on the roadway also means less maintenance from water damage and reduced highway closures.

Smart signs keep people moving

A unique feature of this project is the innovative technology we use to keep people moving around the work zones. Each work zone has electronic signs. If there is a backup approaching the work zone, the signs will activate a series of messages. Most of the time, the signs are blank. We turn them on every weekend, but the messages are only activated when a backup reaches a certain trigger point. We’ve seen this happen on busy weekends when people are heading to and from the beaches. The message displays include: "Traffic Backups Present", "Slow or Stopped Traffic", "Use Both Lanes, Take Turns at Merge". These messages let people know what to do as they approach the work zone.

Our Queue Warning System uses sensors to activate messages on electronic signs during a traffic backup.

A quick note about zipper merging. We encourage the practice of zipper merging when traffic is slow and congested. That just means people use both lanes up to the closure point. Remember, "merge late, cooperate." We know this may be hard to do. Most of us were trained as young children to wait in line. As strange as it sounds, though, a zipper merge reduces the backup more quickly. Everyone getting in one lane super early actually increases congestion. Be kind to each other. We all want to get to our destinations.

Help us help you plan for more work in the roadway

After shifting the work zones, crews are now working on new structures at all of the sites. In early September, some of the bridges will be ready to add the support beams. Sometimes we use rolling slowdowns to get the support beams to the work zone. Rolling slowdowns use vehicles to temporarily slow or stop traffic so we can work further down the road. Please, never pass one of our vehicles while doing this. We do this for your safety. Plus, the crews further down the road are not expecting any traffic. Whether there are rolling slowdowns or not, always pay extra attention when traveling through work zones.

Workers use a large crane to pick up a support beam for the westbound US 12 bridge in Montesano.

We will let you know in advance when the work is scheduled. You can sign up to get email updates for work on state highways in Grays Harbor County. Use our online open house when planning a road trip to get information on all our major projects happening on the peninsula. Don’t forget to check our real-time travel center map and app before heading out the door.

We are on track to wrap up work on this project by the end of 2025. The minor traffic delays you see now are worth it in the long run. This project is a win for fish and people.

Improving salmon habitat and transportation for generations to come

By Roger Millar, Washington State Secretary of Transportation

Perfect is the enemy of good. This feels remarkably applicable to the Washington State Department of Transportation's work improving fish habitat. A 2013 federal court order directed WSDOT to correct hundreds of outdated fish barriers and open hundreds of miles of habitat. We're doing just that: working to remove 400 fish passage barriers and restore 90% of habitat blocked by state highways in little more than a decade once the Legislature ramped up funding.

The federal court order requires this work and sets the parameters (prioritizing projects by potential habitat gain) – and that's how we're going about it. As of June 2024, we have corrected 146 injunction barriers, opening 571 miles of potential fish habitat – 50 percent of the total blocked habitat of injunction culverts. We currently have 160 additional sites under construction contract. Once those additional 160 barriers are corrected, WSDOT will have restored access to 70% of blocked potential habitat. With existing funds, we expect to restore access to 75% of blocked potential habitat. The remaining work to get to 90% requires additional funding estimated at $4 billion.

Crews work to install a buried, concrete box-like structure that will allow Skagit River fish
better access under SR 20 between Concrete and Rockport

In the past year, the Seattle Times has questioned the value of the projects we've addressed, confused our court mandated approach with other state agency fish passage efforts and asserted the presence of other fish barriers up- or downstream of our projects renders our work little more than "stranded investments." Here are the realities. The legal fight to arrive at these court-ordered requirements started in 2001 and lasted 17 years. Is the project list perfect? Does it immediately resolve every other barrier in every waterway we've worked on? No. But contrary to the assertion that we're building "stranded investments," we're simply the first owner out of the gate.

State law requires every barrier owner to fix their barriers and we just happen to be the only barrier owner also required to do the work by the court. Our work is the linchpin. When we correct our barriers, it creates or continues momentum as WSDOT barriers are often the largest and most expensive. Other owners in that same watershed may have less expensive barriers that likely will score higher for grant funding opportunities to correct them after our work is complete. Subsequent actions taken by other barrier owners makes every WSDOT investment valuable. As with anything difficult, if there's not motivation to do the work, no one will get it done. Salmon can't wait decades and again, perfect is the enemy of good. And our share of the effort would only become more expensive if we were to wait the years or decades for all partners to be ready to go at the same time.

One of two new box culverts shown here now helps tributaries to Patterson Creek flow freely underneath SR 203 near Fall City, opening up a potential 11 miles of habitat
for salmon and other native fish.

I call this work a moonshot – a monumental, aspirational effort – because that's exactly what we are delivering. No other state department of transportation or organization anywhere in the nation has been tasked with fixing generations of significant environmental harm in such little time. Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife field surveys confirm fish are already returning to many of the restored waterways.

We've faced many challenges not directly within our control, including funding, supply chain, workforce and construction industry shortages, right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation and the presence of up- or downstream barriers. We've gotten better and more efficient with the work, including new contracting methods and bundling projects to save time, money and impacts to the traveling public.

Workers dig under a new bridge to restore a stream under US 12 in Grays Harbor County

By committing ourselves to correcting fish barriers, WSDOT is also building relationships, trust and goodwill with Washington’s tribes. Since the court order, WSDOT has worked extensively with our tribal partners, and we will continue to work with them on how best to approach fish passage into the future.

SR 108: A worker holds a small cutthroat trout gently removed from a fish passage construction site in Mason County before work begins to improve access along SR 108. All fish are removed, counted and then released into another part of the waterway as part of the preparation process. This fish passage work improves access for salmon as well as many other types of fish.

While a federal court requires this work, correcting fish barriers benefits every single Washingtonian present and future. From a purely transportation perspective, removing fish barriers allows us to design and build structures to better withstand earthquakes and extreme storms and flooding. The new structures' natural stream conditions restore runs and open habitat to salmon and many other types of wildlife. More importantly, improving salmon habitat is one crucial step we can take to repair the fragile ecosystem of the beautiful state we call home. WSDOT remains committed to continuing this hard, rewarding work in partnership with Washington's tribes.

Bottom line – the court injunction lays out roles and responsibilities for culverts under state-owned roads. Local governments, landowners and tribes have roles to play in broader watershed and stream restoration efforts. While WSDOT culvert projects may not bring back salmon solely on their own, they are a critical piece of the puzzle – OUR piece of the puzzle.

Bridging Art and Structure: Vancouver's Evergreen Community Garden Mural

By Sarah Hannon-Nein

Welcome to the streets of Vancouver, Washington, where a masterpiece is breathing life into the city's heart. The Evergreen Community Garden Mural is located along the East Evergreen Boulevard overpass over Interstate 5.

Ana Honsowetz, also known as "Ana the Artist," created this 600-foot-long mural. Her love for enhancing communities through art inspired the project. Ana's passion for mural art brings Washington travelers a beautiful view. It also discourages graffiti, reducing costs to taxpayers.

Many partners were involved in making the project happen. It started with her work with the Vancouver Downtown Association (VDA).

• The VDA then worked with us to get approval for the mural. We were able to use the Adopt-A-Highway program to get permits.
• Then they worked with the Historic Trust, Design Consign and the city of Vancouver's Culture, Arts and Heritage Commission.
• The project received $18,000 in grants from the City of Vancouver, Design Consign and the VDA.

The Evergreen Community Garden Mural represents our shared commitment to community. "Together, we're not just painting a picture. We're brightening our corner of the state by creating a permanent living garden, unaffected by the changing seasons," Ana said.

Ana spent almost a year painting the mural, from September 2023 to June 2024. Then she used five gallons of a clear coating to protect it from graffiti. It's the longest mural she has ever painted, covering 300 feet on each side of the overpass. With the help of volunteers, she used 10 gallons of forest green paint for the background. Then she used 45 different colors in quart-sized containers to paint the artwork. The mural includes flowers, animals and other details.

The Evergreen Community Garden Mural isn't just a static painting. It's designed to engage everyone who sees it. It includes images of native wildlife and plants. These details create a connection with the community and its surroundings. And if you're up for a challenge, try out the scavenger hunt to discover hidden surprises within the mural. You might find several community members' pets. Ana took requests from people walking by to add their pets as she worked.

We're excited about our role in this project. We believe it highlights how art and infrastructure can work together. Murals improve how highways look and reduce graffiti. This paves the way for less graffiti in communities across Washington.

In 2023, we spent over $815,000 on graffiti removal statewide. Our maintenance crews covered 700,000 square feet along our highways.

"This area used to get tagged a lot, which is why they wanted to paint it." Ana said. "If it ever gets tagged again, the clear anti-graffiti coating makes it easy to wash off, instead of having to repaint it. That saves time and money."

From the Evergreen State to the Evergreen Bridge, our partners are helping us pave (or paint) a path to community pride and connection. We hope this mural is the first of many more art and infrastructure partnerships to come.

Halfway there: Fish Passage progress on US 101 between Sequim and Discovery Bay

By Doug Adamson

It's all looking up from here! We are on our way to completing three of six fish barrier removals under US 101 in Clallam and Jefferson County.

Schedule of work for the rest of 2024 through 2025

What we've done

Last summer we kicked off construction at Eagle Creek. Part of that work required reducing US 101 to one lane for one week. It was a difficult week for the Olympic Peninsula. But with your help, we were able to replace a culvert that was a barrier to fish. The old culvert compared to the new bridge and rebuilt stream at Eagle Creek. Work is completed at this location near Gardiner.

Before and after comparison of the work that removed barriers to fish. Eagle Creek (left) had been carried under the highway in a culvert that didn’t meet the needs of fish. Workers rebuilt the culvert (right) to be much wider and taller to remove the barrier to fish.

This year, work has been moving right along at Discovery Creek and Chicken Coop Creek. These are the work zones you see near Blyn and Sequim. We had two active two-lane bypass roads near West Sequim Bay Road at milepost 268.5 and near Deerhawk Drive at milepost 271.9, respectively, that allowed us to replace the culverts with minimal effects to traffic.

It's a common tool we use during this type of work. While we dig up the highway, people use a two-lane bypass road next to the work zone. We're keeping people moving while we remove barriers to fish.

Travelers are now using new highway bridges at both locations. Check out our progress!

The new bridge at Discovery Creek. This work near Sequim will be completed this fall.

Our new bridge at Chicken Coop Creek near Blyn. Work here will be completed this fall.

What's to come

This spring our contractor began work on the bridge at Contractor's Creek (bu-dum-tiss). They have temporarily widened US 101 to shift travelers away from the work zone. The shifted lanes will stay in place until spring.

Traffic shifted onto the US 101 widening to make space for the work zone at Contractor’s Creek.
This work along Discovery Bay continues through fall 2025.

Entering the home stretch

Later this summer and fall construction will begin on the final two fish barriers: Johnson Creek near Sequim. There's also a stream in the Blyn.

Johnson Creek will require a closure to left turns at the intersection of Whitefeather Way and US 101. During September, there will be no left turns to or from US 101 and Whitefeather Way until June 2025.

Vehicles accessing the John Wayne Marina or the Olympic Discovery Trail parking lot on Whitefeather Way will detour along West Sequim Bay Road.

We'll use a two-lane bypass road to keep people moving through the work zone. The proximity of the work zone and Whitefeather Way means we'll need to make these temporary restrictions.

To get the job done, we'll also need to temporarily close Whitefeather Way at US 101. This will happen during spring 2025. The closure will be about two weeks. We understand it is an inconvenience. We work to keep intersections open when possible. However, this task will require the temporary closure. We'll let you know when the closure is scheduled.

Detour route for the intersection of Whitefeather Way and US 101

Why do this work in the Summer?

We're restricted to a short time when we can do this type of work. These kinds of projects have what we call &"in-water work windows" (or sometimes we call them &"fish windows" for short). This is the time of year that we're allowed to do this type of work due to environmental considerations. This window is usually July through September. We do a lot of other work outside this fish window. That's when we're not working in the water. This is why you're seeing work other times of the year.

For the fish and us

This project will remove barriers to fish passage under US 101. A fish passage barrier is anything that hinders fish from moving upstream or downstream. Old culverts allow water to flow but may not allow fish to swim through. They may block fish because the water flow is too swift, too shallow, or has a waterfall.

Correcting these barriers is an important part of the state's efforts to restore salmon runs, ultimately benefiting both the Pacific Northwest landscape and economy.

Getting the job done
In about a year, most construction will be complete. That means we'll be done with the remaining two-lane bypass roads.

Construction schedules are subject to change for a lot of reasons. We will share the latest information once it becomes available via our email updates for state highways in Jefferson and Clallam Counties. We also have updates on our project web page.

Stay safe

Please watch your speed in work zones. Always give construction crews the room they need to get this work done. Keeping your eyes on the road and slowing down helps keep you, our crews and other drivers safe.

Don't get surprised!

We have many tools to help you stay informed both before you go and while traveling:

• Mobile app
• Travel Center Map
• X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

Do you walk or ride through this area?  Portions of US 101 are detoured onto the Olympic Discovery Trail.

I-5 corridor improvements project near Joint Base Lewis-McChord hits one-year milestone and shifts into new stage

By Doug Adamson

We're that much closer to a new and improved Interstate 5 near JBLM!

Since August 2023, construction crews have been working hard near DuPont. They have been constructing the foundations for major upgrades to I-5. There has been a lot of other work to improve how people get to the interstate and how they get onto the highway.

These improvements down the road will include a new overpass, extended HOV lanes in both directions of I-5, and a roundabout on Steilacoom-DuPont Road.

All the work is expected to wrap up during 2026.

But, we still have a lot of work to finish before that time.

First, let's take a look at what we've done.

A year of progress

Over the last year, crews created a big work zone where a lot is happening. You may have noticed shifted lanes on I-5. That's where we temporarily relocate lanes to work on the highway.

The I-5 bridge over Pendleton Avenue has seen significant changes. Northbound drivers may notice that the right side of the road has been elevated and widened. This will not only accommodate an HOV lane, but also reduce bridge strikes on JBLM.

The bridge previously had incidents where overweight vehicles would hit the bridge.

Noise walls were constructed along JBLM southeast of I-5. Walls were constructed between north of Pendleton Avenue and south of the northbound I-5 off-ramp to 41^st Division Drive.

Bird’s-eye view of work on I-5 which included extending noise walls on Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Crews have done a lot of work to build a new roundabout north of Barksdale Station.

The new connection between DuPont and I-5 is taking shape. The new route to the highway
will go up and over the existing train tracks. 

You'll also see the beginnings of the new Steilacoom-DuPont Road overpass. It's the raised areas north and south of I-5.

Once completed, a new overpass and partial diverging diamond interchange will link Steilacoom-DuPont Road, JBLM and I-5. The new bridge over I-5 will span the railroad tracks, eliminating the need for DuPont travelers to stop for passing trains.

This safety improvement will reduce travel times for all users of the overpass. Once the bridge is complete and open to traffic, work to remove the original overpass will begin, sometime in late 2025 to 2026.

What drivers can expect

This next stage of construction will include similar temporary traffic shifts. This means we'll adjust where lanes are located on the highway. This method helps keep people moving while we improve I-5.

This will allow crews to continue the important work of increasing capacity on this stretch of I-5. Stage 2 will last from summer 2024 to spring 2025.

We'll keep three lanes of traffic open on both directions of I-5. Lane closures generally occur overnight when traffic volumes are lower.

WSDOT does a lot to keep people moving during construction. All lanes of I-5 will be
kept during the work for the exception of night lane closures. 

Please be aware of temporary ramp closures. Give yourself extra time to follow detours if exiting or entering the highway in the area. You can learn more about the project phases and traffic shifts at our online open house. We also encourage you to visit our project webpage and sign up for email alerts to track progress.

Work zone safety

Please stay alert in all work zones to help keep crews safe. Don't drive distracted. Keep your speed in check. We've seen work zone collisions in the past delay the progress of construction projects. We can all work together to help keep this project on track by consistently practicing safe driving through work zones. Most importantly, all our crews want to make it home to their families at the end of their shifts. We appreciate your help on this important issue.