Lane closures part of Salmon Creek project’s next phase

Construction on a major transformation of the northern convergence of Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 is set to begin its third phase Monday. That means shoulder and lane closures for an already congested stretch of freeway that Washington State Department of Transportation planners hope to alleviate.

Phase three of the $133 million Salmon Creek Interchange Project will add new lanes to both directions of I-5 between Northeast 139th and 179th streets. Construction crews will also add an extra lane to northbound I-205 at Northeast 134th Street.

Here’s what motorists can expect in the meantime:

• Shoulder closures during the day and single-lane closures at night for the first two weeks after Monday.

• Two-lane closures in both directions of I-5 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday, starting in late July.

• Construction on phase three is expected to last until spring 2012.

The Clark County Public Works department is managing the first two stages of the project, which will add a park-and-ride lot and make improvements to Northeast 139th Street and Tenney Road. Those improvements are expected to be finished in 2012.

WSDOT takes the lead on stages three and four. Stage four will build a new I-5 interchange at Northeast 139th Street, aimed at improving safety on the I-5 and I-205 ramps. That portion of the project begins this winter, and is scheduled for completion in 2014.

All four stages of the sprawling project are funded by gas tax funds.

Construction updates are available online at www.wsdot.wa.gov/regions/southwest/construction.