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Key Feature: I-5/SR 516 Interchange

This online open house ran from January 25 to March 5, 2021. While the public comment window is now closed, WSDOT is keeping the information available for viewing. For construction questions, please contact Chris Hoffman, hoffmac@consultant.wsdot.wa.gov

I-5/SR 516 Interchange

The following section describes some of the key features of the project. The designs presented are conceptual. The design-builder will finalize the schedules and designs, which may vary from the conceptual designs.

Due to the high traffic volumes at the I-5/SR 516 interchange, people who use the interchange experience congestion on the ramps and at the traffic signals. WSDOT will make improvements to the I-5/SR 516 interchange to improve traffic flow, freight mobility, pedestrian and bicycle access, and transit connections. The improvements include:

  • Reconstructing the ramps and adding lanes to improve traffic flow
  • Constructing a new Veterans Drive undercrossing of I-5, connecting Veterans Drive to the southbound I-5 off-ramp and northbound on-ramp, creating a parallel roadway to SR 516 to improve traffic flow through the interchange
  • Building wider sidewalks and a shared use path.

Combined, these improvements will reduce delays at the interchange, connect trucks to the manufacturing and warehousing area in the Kent Valley, and make it easier for people getting to transit without a car.

An aerial rendering of the future SR 516/I-5 interchange
A reconfigured SR 516 interchange, new ramps that provide connections between SR 509 and I-5, and non-motorized improvements will make it easier for people who drive, walk, bike and use transit to travel through the area.

Construction impacts:

The interchange will remain open during most of the work, but we anticipate periodic ramp closures. In addition, to construct the Veterans Drive undercrossing, the contractor will need to shift and reduce the width of lanes on I-5 for an extended period.