Interstate 5 Cowlitz River Bridge Repairs to Resume This Week

Posted

Beginning at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Granite Construction contractor crews will resume bridge deck patch work in the northbound direction on the Interstate 5 Cowlitz River bridge. This week’s work will end on Thursday, Oct. 13. 

The patch work requires around-the-clock lane closures. The Washington state Department of Transportation (WSDOT) advises commuters to expect and plan for major congestion and delays. 

WSDOT expects delays to be as long as half an hour in the morning and up to an hour or longer during peak afternoon travel times. Motorists taking discretionary trips are advised to reschedule if possible or use an alternate route. 

During the construction, the speed limit will be reduced to 55 mph. 

Following this week’s work, more repairs will be done on the southbound section of the bridge starting at 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17, to 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 21. Around-the-clock lane closures will once again be in effect. 



Finally, crews will conduct more repairs on the northbound section of the bridge starting at 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 24, to 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 28. Around-the-clock lane closures will still be in effect. 

The patch work being done on the I-5 Cowlitz River bridge is part of a $3.8 million WSDOT project aimed at preserving smooth driving surfaces and extending the useful lives of bridges throughout Southwest Washington. The project is scheduled for completion this fall. 

For more information about construction delays, motorists can sign up for email and text alerts at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOT/subscriber/new

A real-time traffic delay map is available at ​​https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/ and travelers can also download WSDOT’s for traffic updates available on both the Apple App and Google Play stores.