Drivers planning to travel northbound on Interstate 5 through DuPont should prepare for delays and potential congestion during the nights of July 25 and July 26, according to a recent update from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Construction crews will be working overnight to dismantle temporary structures from the new Steilacoom-DuPont overpass project, necessitating the closures.
Starting at 8 p.m. on both nights, the lane closures will begin near Center Drive with northbound I-5 set to be reduced to a single lane through the construction zone, as detailed on the WSDOT website. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., the lone open lane will be redirected over the Steilacoom-DuPont Road off- and on-ramp, and during this time, travelers are advised—to prepare for delays and add at least one hour of extra travel time to their trips.
The Steilacoom-DuPont Road overpass itself will also be closed to facilitate the construction work. Northbound I-5 travelers wanting to use exit 119 at Steilacoom-DuPont Road will be directed to a detour via 41st Division Drive, and then back onto southbound I-5 to exit 119. Alternatively, those heading northbound I-5 from Steilacoom-DuPont Road will be rerouted to southbound I-5 at exit 118 at Center Drive before returning to the northbound interstate. Access for emergency vehicles to the Steilacoom-DuPont Road overpass will be maintained throughout the closures.
While the inconvenience may be notable, these overnight lane reductions are a necessary step in the progression of the I-5 Mounts Road to Steilacoom-DuPont Road Corridor Improvements project, which aims for completion in 2026. The project, which included the installation of girders in April and the pouring of concrete for the new bridge in June, is now in the phase of removing the temporary structures used to form the bridge's concrete deck. All travelers are encouraged, if feasible, to postpone or reschedule discretionary trips to avoid the work or to travel outside the hours of the overnight closures.
