Keeping you moving throughout construction
Construction crews will shift traffic in stages to build the project. Each traffic shift will last for several months. Crews will remove existing infrastructure and build new features.
Traffic will be maintained at the Steilacoom-DuPont Interchange. Three travel lanes on both directions of I-5 will be open. Bike and pedestrian detours will be clearly marked.
Crews will complete Stage 1 of the project in August 2024. In Stage 1, crews shifted traffic on northbound I-5 to create a work zone. They began construction on the new I-5 bridge over Pendleton Avenue. Work also started on the northbound HOV lane. Noise walls were constructed along JBLM southeast of the highway. To the northwest, work began at the site of the future roundabout on Steilacoom-DuPont Road. Crews will begin Stage 2 in late summer 2024.
New Steilacoom DuPont Road ramp to northbound I-5
Travelers likely noticed the new on-ramp has a raised concrete island. It created a curve on the ramp to northbound I-5.
The new Steilacoom-DuPont Road ramp to northbound I-5 is a piece of a larger puzzle. The puzzle piece you don’t see yet is the new bridge across all lanes of I-5.
The raised island will serve a future purpose. It will help separate traffic coming from JBLM and DuPont when the new bridge opens.
The new span will open as a diverging diamond interchange in 2026.
So why was this change made now? The raised concrete island was built before the ramp opened to travelers. If crews built it later, the ramp would need a series of closures.
shows how chicane will fit into the overall plan.
Stage 2: summer 2024 – spring 2025
- Open the new Steilacoom-DuPont Road on-ramp to northbound I-5.
- Widen northbound I-5 between Clark Road and the future Steilacoom-DuPont Road overpass.
- Shift southbound I-5 traffic. Create a new work zone between northbound and southbound I-5.
- Shift northbound I-5 traffic to newly constructed pavement.
- Construct new I-5 pavement between northbound and southbound traffic.
- Partially remove the existing I-5 bridge over Pendleton Avenue.
- Begin building the Steilacoom-DuPont Road roundabout. Begin building the roadway to the new bridge over I-5.
As early as October 2024, both directions of traffic will shift to the outside. Construction will occur between the northbound and southbound lanes. Temporary lane configurations give crews room to widen I-5, extend HOV lanes and build a new interchange. It also allows crews to reconstruct the I-5 bridge over Pendleton Avenue while maintaining traffic on I-5.
will be shifted to the right.
The first picture below is a rendering of the future improvements. The second is a photo showing progress as of July 2024. Crews have cleared the work area adjacent to Barksdale Station of vegetation. The abutment for the future Steilacoom-DuPont Road overpass has been constructed.
What’s next
As construction progresses, this online open house will be updated to provide more information about upcoming changes in the area including:
- Project milestones such as setting girders on new bridges.
- New roundabout opening in fall 2025, subject to change.
- Removal of the old overpass in early 2026, subject to change.
- Opening of extended HOV lanes.
Please help keep road workers safe. When approaching a work zone, remember to:
- Slow down – drive the posted speeds, they are there for your safety.
- Be kind – our workers are out there helping to keep you safe and improve the roadways.
- Pay attention – both to workers directing you and surrounding traffic; put your phone down when behind the wheel.
- Stay calm – expect delays, leave early; no meeting or appointment is worth risking someone’s life.