Why it’s easy to get caught in I-5 Olympia snarl Sunday afternoons
Oct 27, 2014, 9:08 AM | Updated: 11:03 am
While sitting in the Nisqually Basin between Lacey and JBLM might sound alluring, there is nothing appealing about it when you’re stuck in your car.
Every Sunday, I-5 comes to a stop from about Marvin Road and stays bumper to bumper until JBLM, just so you can speed up for two minutes before getting stuck in the Tacoma mess.
Lee Murray wrote in to say, “It amazes me and mystifies me why this corridor could be so susceptible to slowdowns.”
The backup through this area doesn’t make a lot of sense, until you consider everything that’s in play.
It backs up primarily because there are just too many cars for the freeway to handle. Everyone coming home to the Seattle area from the beach or the mountains encounters this spot.
“A lot of people tend to sleep in on Sunday morning, and leaving on Sunday afternoon gives you a little bit of a break to segue back into the work week. But really, you’re not the only one with that same game plan,” said Doug Adamson with the Washington State Department of Transportation. “That’s why we see that crush in the afternoon.”
The state has made some tweaks to try and make it better, and it has some long range plans too.
“We’re putting up new variable message signs,” said Adamson. “We have ramp meters and additional cameras.”
Adamson said the state is taking a long look at what can be done long-term to clear up this congestion.
But in the meantime, you need to head home from your weekend away either very early or very late.
“Really set a game plan,” he said. “Can I wait a few more hours? Can I go a little bit earlier in the day?”
My wife is going to hate me for this, but here’s my alternate way to get around this:
I hit Martin Way, early, before the mall, and parallel I-5 until I get into the Nisqually Basin. I hit the cutoff road and then cut-over to the Old Pacific Highway. I pop out on I-5 at Mounts Road.
I might not be saving much time, but at least I’m moving, and that gives me the impression that I’m beating the congestion.
