Prepare for possible delays if you're heading northbound on Interstate 5 through DuPont on the nights of Friday, July 25, and Saturday, July 26. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), lane closures are set to hit the highway as crews work on removing temporary structures from the new Steilacoom-DuPont overpass bridge.
From 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly on these dates, the traffic will be squeezed down to a single lane with the open lane being directed over the Steilacoom-DuPont Road off- and on-ramps. This is part of a necessary step for the I-5 Mounts Road to Steilacoom-DuPont Road Corridor Improvements project. To manage the closures, northbound I-5 travelers looking to hop off at exit 119 will need to detour to 41st Division Drive; they will then have to circle back to the freeway via the southbound lanes. Similarly, those on the Steilacoom-DuPont Road, trying to get onto northbound I-5, are going to have to go south first to Center Drive, then maneuver back north.
As WSDOT explains, the Steilacoom-DuPont Road overpass is also going offline to facilitate the I-5 traffic flow. While the overpass is off-limits, it's crucial to note that emergency vehicles will be given access throughout the construction activity. The advice for drivers is clear: either prepare for an extra hour of travel time or rethink your plans altogether. If postponement is on the table, consider taking the trip before or after the closures are in effect.
The need for this disruption stems from progress made in past months; in April, crews finished installing the support structures for the overpass, and in June, the concrete was laid down to start forming the bridge deck, now it's a matter of disassembling what was used to shape the bridge to move forward. These maneuvers are a component of a larger endeavor, with the new overpass expected to greet traffic somewhere in 2026, much to the anticipated relief of frequent travelers along this stretch.
