Now that crews working for WSDOT are finished widening I-5 through Everett, they have shifted their attention to improving safety on the old portion of the freeway. Starting Wednesday, July 23 crews will repair a dozen expansion joints on I-5 between Marine View Drive and 41st Street.

The 40-year-old expansion joints become a danger to passing vehicles when plates loosen and bolts pop up. The failing joints also leak, risking corrosion to bridge foundations.

"We added this necessary work into our schedule to avoid costly emergency repairs in the future," said Project Director Mike Cotten. "Now is the time to do it. We have extra space from the new lanes to provide room for a safe construction zone. We already have crews in the area and we have consistently warm, dry weather."

A familiar routine: Night work
To keep traffic moving during the daytime rush hours, crews will maintain their routine of multiple lane closures at night for the next ten weeks as they complete this weather-dependent work.

The mainline closures will follow the same pattern used by crews throughout the project:

• Weekdays: Crews will start closing southbound lanes at 8 p.m. and reopen them by 4:30 a.m. Theyll close the northbound lanes starting at 9 p.m. and reopen them by 6 a.m. 
• Fridays and Saturdays: Crews will begin closing the southbound lanes at 9 p.m. and the northbound lanes at 10 p.m. All lanes will be open on the weekends by 8 a.m.

"We ask for continued patience from drivers, especially those who travel through the area at night," said Cotten. "Our crews are working as quickly as possible but we want to be thorough so we dont have to come back later. Even though weve opened all lanes and ramps in this project, this portion of I-5 is still an active construction zone, so stay alert and slow down."

Crews will spend at least two nights repairing each joint and will start their work by sawcutting the concrete and grinding down the area surrounding each expansion joint. Then theyll patch the area temporarily with asphalt to open the lanes for traffic the next morning. The following nights, crews will finish their repairs and fill in the joint with concrete for a permanent fix.

In addition to the expansion joint repair, drivers can expect minor work to continue through summer as crews install curbing, place guardrail and add reflective markers.