Lakewood I-5 Construction Drawing To A Close As HOV Lane Opens

LAKEWOOD, WA — After numerous construction projects and month after month of closures and detours, I-5 construction in the Lakewood area is nearly complete.

The Washington State Department of Transportation on Friday announced the surprise early opening of a new HOV lane along southbound I-5. The 4.5 mile lane runs all the way from Thorne Lane to 41st Division Drive.

WSDOT estimates more than 140,000 vehicles pass through that corridor every day.

The lane had been set to open Saturday, but was finished early and is now available for use by the public. The Gravelly Lake Drive and Thorne Lane on ramps to I-5 are still set to be closed for minor construction overnight Friday, but otherwise the roads will be clear this weekend.

WSDOT says the northbound HOV lane has helped reduce traffic congestion in the area, and the agency is hopeful this new lane will do the same.

"We've seen immediate relief in terms of reduced travel times since the northbound HOV lane opened two weeks ago," said WSDOT Regional Administrator John Wynands. "Improved drive times is an immediate benefit for anyone living, working or commuting in this corridor."

The northbound HOV lane opened July 11.

Now that both HOV lanes are open, WSDOT says construction along I-5 in the area is much closer to wrapping up. All told, the state has spent some $242 million renovating I-5 from Lakewood to JBLM, including the construction of the new Thorne Lane overpass, on-ramp and roundabout, which forced more than three months of closures.

WSDOT will wrap its final I-5 construction in the area by the end of September.

The peace won't last too long, however. The Department of Transportation already has plans to begin widening lanes and extending the HOV lane to DuPont starting in 2023.