Sno-Co Squeeze finally coming to an end
Jun 9, 2016, 11:57 AM | Updated: 12:36 pm
Drivers seen some frustratingly slow commute times thanks to the Sno-Co Squeeze through I-5 for the last four months, but the project is finally coming to an end.
We have one last weekend of lane reductions before life on the road returns to normal between Everett and Marysville.
This weekend is the eighth and final weekend of reducing I-5 to just two slim lanes for an expansion joint replacement project on the Ebey, Union and Steamboat slough bridges. A truck driver in Marysville let out a big “thank God” when he was told it was coming to an end.
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“I get caught up in that time after time after time,” he said. He mentioned it took 40 minutes to go four miles once.
Lisa Van Cise with the Washington Department of Transportation said the backups turned out like they expected. They did warn drivers, she said. However, she admits this was a huge inconvenience for all Snohomish County drivers.
“We have a huge ‘thank you’ to drivers,” she said. “You’ve been putting up with a lot.”
Contractors have four expansion joints left to replace. To get them into place, I-5 northbound will be reduced to two lanes into Marysville from Friday night into Monday morning. The Highway 529 on-ramp to I-5 north will also be closed this weekend.
Most drivers will probably remember the trouble contractors had striping the lanes for this project in the beginning. It was just too wet. We have showers in the forecast for this weekend. Will we get our full, 12-foot-lanes, and a 60 mph speed limit back for Monday? Van Cise said we’ll have to wait and see.
“We’ll make that call as soon as we get a little bit closer to the night they are going to re-stripe,” she said. “If they have dry weather, they can re-stripe. If it’s wet, we’ll have to wait until the pavement dries.”
There is still some electrical work that needs to be completed, but the contract reads the project must end next week, just in time for the Marysville Strawberry Festival, which kicks-off next Friday.
