Girder placement closing I-5 this weekend

This weekend, 1,050 tons of airborne concrete and steel will halt traffic for 88,000 daily drivers on Interstate 5 in Salmon Creek.

I-5 will be closed at the Interstate 205 junction from 11 p.m. Friday, June 7, to 5 a.m. Monday, June 10, while contractor crews on the Salmon Creek Interchange Project place a dozen 165-foot-long girders over the interstate.

The closure is nearly a month away, but Department of Transportation officials suggest that drivers should start planning now to avoid a mess of snarled traffic, miles of backups and long delays.

“It’s not ‘carmageddon,’ but closing I-5 could certainly gridlock most of Clark County if drivers don’t plan ahead,” said WSDOT Area Engineer Leon Winger. “Avoid driving if at all possible, and if you have to drive, plan for extra traveling time.”

Southbound I-5 will be closed between I-205 and Northeast 134th Street from 11 p.m. Friday, June 7, to 5 a.m. Monday, June 10.

Northbound I-5 will be closed between State Route 500 and I-205 11 p.m. Friday, June 7, to 5 a.m. Monday, June 10.

Detour routes have been suggested:

--Through traffic: Use I-205 as a detour route via State Route 14 or Oregon’s Interstate 84

--Local traffic: Use I-205 as a detour route via State Route 500.

During the closure, crane operators will coordinate a complicated installation sequence, using three cranes to lift the 165-foot girders into place above I-5. Each girder weighs nearly 175,000 pounds and will take approximately three hours to install.

“This will be one of the most complicated and difficult girder settings we’ve ever done,” Winger said. “Crews will have to communicate and work seamlessly – the only way to complete an operation of this size is with a full closure.”

The girders form the backbone of the new Northeast 139th Street interchange, which will help alleviate congestion and improve driver safety in the busy Salmon Creek area.

WSDOT has a variety of resources to help drivers plan ahead and stay informed during the closure, including detour maps, email updates, a live project camera and Vancouver-based Twitter account.

“We cannot overemphasize the importance of being prepared,” Winger said. “Drivers need to plan ahead now to avoid traffic headaches in June.”