Attention users of the southbound Interstate 5 exit to Berkeley Street and the Madigan Army Medical Center: A permanent change to the exit is coming, and it may happen before Memorial Day. While these are some big improvements, it’s time to stay plugged in for upcoming changes, so you won’t miss your exit.
New shared exit to Berkeley Street and Thorne Lane
If the weather allows, in late May a new shared exit on southbound I-5 will open to travelers going to Thorne Lane and Berkeley Street. Anyone traveling to Madigan Army Medical Center, Camp Murray, JBLM’s Logistic Gate or Lakewood’s Tillicum and Woodbrook neighborhoods will be using this new shared exit. The new shared exit on southbound I-5 is barrier-separated from I-5 travel lanes. This highway design feature can prevent excessive weaving and merging vehicles, which both often cause collisions.
The map below shows the location of the existing exit to Berkeley Street, and the new location once the new shared exit opens.
New Exit numbers
The exit numbers are also changing. The new shared exit will be marked as Exit 122A and Exit 122B.
Exit 122A takes travelers to:
- Berkeley Street
- Jackson Avenue
- JBLM’s Madigan Gate.
- Tillicum neighborhood
- Camp Murray
Exit 122B takes travelers to:
- Thorne Lane
- Murray Road
- Woodbrook neighborhood
- Tillicum neighborhood
- JBLM’s Logistic Gate
- Camp Murray
This change is only happening for those exiting to Berkeley Street or Thorne Lane from southbound I-5. Drivers using northbound I-5 exits to Berkeley Street or Thorne Lane will see a change in the exit numbers, but not a change in the physical location of the exits.
New Thorne Lane on-ramp to southbound I-5
We have even more news to share. Around the same time the new shared exit opens, a new Thorne Lane on-ramp to southbound I-5 will open to travelers from the east side of the interstate. The new on-ramp is only accessible from the Murray Road roundabout using the Thorne Lane “low bridge.” Drivers will no longer be crossing the railroad to access southbound I-5 at Thorne Lane.
We created a video that shows how the two newly rebuilt interchanges work together, including the new shared exit and the new Thorne Lane on-ramp to southbound I-5.
Finishing the project
Before everyone can jump for joy with excitement that the project is almost finished, travelers will need to be on the lookout for lane and ramp closures that are necessary to finish. Much of the work involves paving and striping, which is weather sensitive work. Any rain or cold temperatures can easily delay the timing. Here is the latest schedule from the contractor:
- Weekend ramp closure of the northbound I-5 exit to Thorne Lane – happening as early as April 30 to May 3.
- Overnight lane and ramp closures for final paving and striping throughout entire project starting late April
- Overnight closure to fully open the Thorne Lane roundabout connection on the west side of the overpass in early July.
We will continue to share the weekly overnight lane and ramp closures that accompany this work on our Travel Planner web page.
As a reminder, the reduced speed limit is still in place on I-5 while crews finish the work. Thank you for your continued patience and support.
