Driving to Portland? Pothole repairs could turn I-5 into a parking lot

Your trip to Portland just got a lot longer. Only one lane of southbound I-5 will be open south of Tumwater Tuesday.

The lane closures should start around 6 a.m. Tuesday morning on southbound I-5 through the Maytown area, which is south of Tumwater and north of Centralia.

“You could see up to seven-mile delays,” WSDOT’s Doug Adamson said. “If you’re heading down to Centralia or if you’re heading down to Vancouver, plan on a lot of extra time.”

Two lanes of southbound I-5 will be closed until about noon for surface repairs and pothole filling.

I-5 lane closures could cause major delays

“Where the potholes are lined up in just a place where we need double lane closures, meaning I-5 will be down to a single lane for over a two-mile section,” Adamson said.

The closure will last until 12 p.m. Tuesday.

“It’s one of those things where we have to get a lot of work done in a short period of time,” Adamson said. “The Pacific Northwest gives us a super short window to do a lot of work. If we could do work like this in December, we would, but the weather just isn’t conducive for that.”

This work could get pushed by a day or two if the weather is bad. It is weather-dependent. Similar lane closures are expected a little closer to the Lewis County line Monday and Tuesday of next week.

The contractors are trying to get this done before school lets out and summer driving begins.

“Nobody wants congestion. Nobody wants delays, but remember, we are working to keep the highway in good working order,” Adamson said.

The northbound lanes of I-5 need similar pothole and surface repairs, but that work will be done at night.

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