DUPONT – If April showers bring May flowers, then April girder setting will bring a new overpass, eventually, to a heavily used Interstate 5 intersection in DuPont. Nighttime travelers who use I-5, or the Steilacoom-DuPont Road overpass in DuPont, will see some delays and detours in April. Over two weekends, construction crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will place 13 girders over I-5, just north of the existing Steilacoom-DuPont Road overpass.
What to expect
Overnight Friday, April 4 and Saturday, April 5, and again Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12, crews will reduce travel lanes in both directions of I-5 to a single lane. That one lane will detour up and over the Steilacoom-DuPont Road off- and on-ramps. Law enforcement will be in place to assist with traffic control at both the northbound and southbound I-5 ramps.
- I-5 lane closures start at 8 p.m.
- At 10 p.m. one lane will begin using the off- and on-ramps at Steilacoom-DuPont Road.
- Lanes begin reopening at 6 a.m. Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6.
- The same closure hours will be in place overnight Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12.
Overnight closure of Steilacoom-DuPont Road overpass
To keep travelers moving on I-5, the Steilacoom-DuPont Road overpass will close during overnight while girders are installed. Here’s what to expect:
- Northbound I-5 travelers needing to use exit 119 at Steilacoom-DuPont Road will detour to 41st Division Drive and return to southbound I-5 to exit 119.
- Travelers on Steilacoom-DuPont Road heading to northbound I-5 will detour to southbound I-5 to exit 118 at Center Drive and return to northbound I-5.
- Emergency vehicles will have access to the Steilacoom-DuPont Road overpass.
Project information
The weekend overnight closures allow crews from Atkinson Construction to set 170-foot-long girders, each weighing approximately 206,000 pounds. The girders will support a replacement overpass and diverging diamond interchange. The new overpass will be completed in 2026 as part of the I-5 Mounts Road to Steilacoom-DuPont Road Corridor Improvements project.
Backups are expected and travelers on both directions of I-5 should plan for additional overnight travel time. Please help keep road workers safe. When approaching a work zone, please remember to:
- Slow down – drive the posted speeds for worker and traveler safety.
- Be kind –workers are out there helping to keep people safe and improve the roadways.
- Pay attention – both to workers directing travelers and surrounding traffic.
- Stay calm – expect delays, leave early or take alternate routes if possible; no meeting or appointment is worth risking someone’s life.
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