New ramp meters expected to ease congestion on tough stretch of I-5
May 13, 2015, 11:13 PM | Updated: May 14, 2015, 6:03 am
Starting Monday, the Washington State Department of Transportation will be activating new meters at 11 on-ramps to help better manage the flow of traffic on the 15-mile stretch of I-5 between Highway 512 in Lakewood and Highway 510 in Lacey. (Creative Commons/SounderBruce)
(Creative Commons/SounderBruce)
One of the worst drives in the Puget Sound area is about to get a little bit of help.
Starting Monday, the Washington State Department of Transportation will be activating new meters at 11 on-ramps to help better manage the flow of traffic on the 15-mile stretch of I-5 between Highway 512 in Lakewood and Highway 510 in Lacey.
“What that does is allow cars to smoothly merge into flowing traffic on the highway without forcing cars to brake,” said WSDOT’s Claudia Bingham Baker.
It’s a low-cost, but effective option to help try and ease congestion.
“We have finally reached a point where capacity is not meeting traffic demand,” Baker said. “When you reach that point, that’s when things like ramp meters start helping traffic move more efficiently through the corridor.”
Three of the ramps to I-5 will include an HOV bypass to avoid the meters.
The state knows it will take a bigger fix, like adding lanes through the corridor, to make a significant difference in this chokepoint. That’s at least five years off under the current timeline, but starting Monday, drivers should see a little bit of improvement.
