ARLINGTON – If the weather holds, contractor crews will reopen the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 near the Stillaguamish River early Saturday, Nov. 8.

Crews completed the deck work 18 days ahead of schedule.

Beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, crews will narrow southbound I-5 to one lane to restripe the interstate where crossover lanes are located north and south of the Stillaguamish River Bridge. Once they finish restriping the roadway, crews will shift traffic to the new southbound Stillaguamish River Bridge by 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

Both directions of I-5 have shared the northbound bridge since July 29, when contractor crews working for the state Department of Transportation closed the southbound bridge. During the closure, crews removed the 81-year-old concrete-and-steel-rebar deck; replaced pieces of the steel frame that supports the deck; poured a new 7½-inch-thick concrete deck reinforced with coated steel rebar; and repaved the bridge approaches. The southbound bridge was closed for 102 days.

The northbound bridge will remain open to two lanes of traffic until crews restripe it to its regular three-lane configuration. That work is scheduled to begin overnight Monday, Nov. 10, if conditions allow. In the event of inclement weather, crews will complete the work at their first available opportunity.

WSDOT Regional Administrator Lorena Eng said she is glad to see work on the $8.7 million project complete.

“A major project on I-5 like this one is a huge undertaking, but it needed to be done. This will extend the life of the bridge for at least fifty years,” Eng said. “To everyone who had to deal with the lane reductions for the past three-plus months, we appreciate your patience.”

Ramp closures are necessary to reopen the southbound bridge.

• The southbound onramp from 236th Street Northeast will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, to 7 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 8; and from 10 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 9. The southbound offramp to State Route 530 will be closed the same days and times.
• The northbound I-5 onramp from Highway 530 will be closed nightly from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10, until Thursday, Nov. 13.