Expect miles-long backups on I-5 South in WA this weekend

The Washington State DOT is warning truckers and other motorists to expect double and triple-lane closures on Southbound I-5 this weekend-- which may cause backups as long as 15 miles.

The closures will be from 48th Street in Tacoma, WA to Gravelly Lake Drive in Lakewood, WA from 7 p.m. Friday, May 14 to 8 a.m. Sunday, May 16. The on ramp from Bridgeport Way to Southbound I-5 will also be closed during these work hours.

Engineers expect backups to be at their height Saturday and encourage drivers to avoid the area from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Backups as long as the five-mile delays seen during last weekend’s closure are expected to double, or even triple.

All travelers from Tacoma to Olympia and Southbound drivers from Seattle, who might seek SR 167 to SR 512 as an alternate route, will also experience extensive delays as construction is also expected to cause significant backups on SR 512. Updates will be available online.