Extensive road work on I-5, U.S. 101 in Thurston County this week. Here’s what to expect
Travelers passing over Interstate 5’s Nisqually River Bridge can expect lane closures this week.
Work crews closed two lanes of northbound I-5 approaching the bridge from 10 p.m. Monday to 4 a.m. Tuesday and will do it again 10 p.m. Tuesday to 4 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
That means overnight travelers will only see one lane open as they approach the bridge during the work hours. WSDOT says workers are repairing concrete near the joints of the bridge.
That’s not the only road work travelers in the Olympia area can expect this week.
WSDOT warns of lane and ramp closures on southbound I-5 between Olympia and Tumwater from 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. through Friday.
The speed limit will be reduced to 55 miles per hour between milepost 106 and 102 to allow for paving road work.
Similar closures will affect I-5 between Tumwater and Maytown from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily through Friday. The speed limit will be reduced to 50 miles per hour from milepost 96 to 99.
Nighttime lane closures also started on U.S. 101 in Thurston and Mason counties Monday.
Contractor work crews are expected to start replacing asphalt on sections of the highway from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weeknights through Aug. 28, according to WSDOT.
For this work, crews will close single lanes along northbound U.S. 101 between State Route 8 and 108. The speed limit will be reduced from 60 miles per hour to 45 miles per hour from milepost 354 to 361.
WSDOT says work crews should finish their paving by the end of August, but lane closures will return at the end of September.
During the later work period, crews will apply permanent pavement marking and complete the project.
The road work south of Olympia and on U.S. 101 are part of a $25.8 million regionwide paving project.
The public can see up-to-date travel information on the WSDOT online travel map.
This story was originally published August 4, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
