Drivers beware: Two weekends of I-5 lane closures will cause delays in this already busy spot

People driving through Pierce and Thurston counties this weekend should expect delays on I-5 around the Nisqually River Bridge.

According to a news release from the Washington state Department of Transportation, crews will close one lane of northbound I-5 approaching the river on Saturday and Sunday, March 8-9, so they can clean the bridge using a specialized under bridge inspection truck.

The work schedule will be 5 a.m. to noon both days. Drivers should expect delays if traveling during those hours.

Crews are scheduled to clean the southbound bridge during the same work hours the following weekend, March 15-16.

The release says cleaning bridges improves the efficiency of WSDOT’s bridge inspection program and helps keep each bridge in good working order.

Drivers are encouraged to follow posted speeds for worker and traveler safety, and to leave early or take alternate routes where possible.

Ty Vinson

The Olympian

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Ty Vinson covers the City of Olympia and keeps tabs on Tumwater and other communities in Thurston County. He joined The Olympian in 2021. Before that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. In college, he worked as an intern at the Northwest Indiana Times, the Oregonian and the Arizona Republic as a Pulliam Fellow. Support my work with a digital subscription