One weekend remains for #SouthKingSlowdown

Southbound I-5 will have lane reductions at Duwamish River Bridge; southbound SR 167 will be closed in Pacific

August 15, 2016 4:00 pm

Drivers from Seattle to the Algona/Pacific area will feel the effects of the final weekend of the #SouthKingSlowdown Aug. 19-22, as contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation tackle two big projects.

  • Southbound Interstate 5 will be reduced to two lanes at the Duwamish River Bridge in Tukwila so crews can replace four expansion joints on the bridge.
  • Southbound State Route 167 will be closed between Ellingson Road and Eighth Street East in Pacific so crews can place a culvert under the highway. Crews also will repave that section during the closure.

“These two major projects are located about 18 miles apart, so we don’t expect one project to affect the other,” WSDOT Traffic Engineer Mike Swires said. “There are several alternative routes for these projects, but drivers still need to be aware of both work zones and plan accordingly.”

Tukwila area work

Crews will begin reducing lanes on southbound I-5 at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19. By 10 p.m., the interstate will be reduced to the two right lanes at the Duwamish River Bridge. The southbound Martin Luther King Jr. Way on-ramp to southbound I-5 also will be closed. Work will be complete by 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 22.

The off-ramp from southbound I-5 to State Route 518 will remain open throughout the weekend for drivers traveling to Sea-Tac International Airport and other destinations. However, drivers going to the airport should allow extra time and consider alternate routes like state routes 99 or 509.

The work is part of a 13-mile concrete rehabilitation project on southbound I-5, which will continue into 2017.

Algona/Pacific area work

Crews will close southbound SR 167 at 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, at Ellingson Road to complete construction of a 386-foot-long culvert that will improve fish passage. They’ll also take advantage of the closure to repave that roughly 1-mile section of the highway.

During the closure, drivers should detour via State Route 18 and I-5.

This work is a part of the SR 167 Southbound HOT Lane Extension project.

Drivers should plan ahead

Drivers need to be prepared for traffic backups in South Seattle and the Algona/Pacific area. By planning ahead, they can take steps to limit delays:

  • Allow extra time to travel through the work zones or on alternate routes.
  • Ride transit, carpool or use other forms of transportation.
  • Travel early, before 9 a.m., or later, after 9 p.m., or reschedule discretionary trips.
  • Check the Seattle and Tacoma traffic pages for updated traffic conditions.
  • Download WSDOT’s mobile app.
  • Follow the hashtag #SouthKingSlowdown on Twitter for updates from WSDOT, local media outlets and other agencies.