Maintenance work begins this week on highways across Southwest Washington

Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews will began work across Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Lewis, Pacific, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties on April 28, according to a news release from the WSDOT.

Due to collisions, storm damage and normal wear and tear on roads and bridges, crews will use the warmer, drier weather to fix roads and improve safety.

Over the next several months, crews will patch potholes, repair guardrails and lights, repaint lane stripes, replace signs and clean up litter in work zones, according to the release.

“There’s never a good time to close a lane or slow down traffic,” said WSDOT Maintenance Manager Brad Clark. “But safety is our top priority. This work helps keep travelers safe by improving the roads. We appreciate everyone’s patience while we complete this work.”

People should plan for daytime lane closures and slower travel speeds. While these short-term delays may be frustrating, they lead to long-term improvements, better visibility and increased safety, WSDOT stated in the release.

WSDOT will try to reduce delays and share updates about planned work before it starts, especially while maintaining the busiest highways: Interstate 5, Interstate 205, state Route 14 and state Route 500.

Travelers can plan ahead to avoid delays by signing up to receive email updates and alerts at https://shorturl.at/JxUQ8, visiting the real-time travel map at https://shorturl.at/oY2Da or by downloading the WSDOT mobile app at https://shorturl.at/8ECBM.