Nighttime and early-morning closures are scheduled on Interstate 5 near Vader this week to allow crews to repaint the Cowlitz River Bridges, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced.
The work was scheduled to begin Monday. Delays can be expected from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, July 31; 9 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1; 8 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 2; and 8 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 3.
The bridges were built in 1953 and the paint is now cracked and peeling, according to a news release from WSDOT.
“More than 45,000 people rely on these bridges every day as a vital transportation link along the I-5 corridor,” said WSDOT project engineer Joanna Lowrey. “This new paint will help seal and protect the steel from the elements, preserving structural integrity of the bridge for decades to come.”
During the work, lanes will be narrowed to 11 feet to allow workers room, the State Route 506 on-ramp will be intermittently closed on the southbound side and delays of up to 20 minutes should be expected. The project is not expected in affect river traffic.
“During this bridge preservation work, crews will build a containment system around the bridge to help protect the environment,” according to the WSDOT press release. “Workers will then clean, strip old paint and remove rust and ultimately repaint the bridges. The work is scheduled for completion in summer 2022.”
