Two weeks ago we told you about a project coming to Lynnwood that will help ease congestion on southbound I-5 between I-405 and 196th Street. Today WSDOT awarded the contract for that project to Northwest Construction, Inc. for $18.7 million. Work will begin this summer.
“The new ramps will separate traffic entering the freeway from traffic headed to 196th Street SW and downtown Lynnwood,” said Janice Fahning, Project Engineer. “If you’re a regular driver through this area, you can look forward to much-improved traffic flow when we finish work next year.”
Nearly 100,000 drivers use this stretch of southbound I-5 each day, where the on-ramps from I-405 and SR 525 converge. That mix of fast I-5 traffic and slower traffic exiting to 196th leads to congestion and collisions. WSDOT says the new “braided” ramps will eliminate lane-weaving and smooth the flow of traffic.
You should expect for some changes during construction starting in late July or August. Visit WSDOT’s website for tips on how to avoid delays during construction.
(Disclosure: Lynnwood Today editor Mike Murphy is an employee of WSDOT.)
Thank god. That bit of the freeway is awful. And chock full of explitive drivers who cheat and use the carpool lane to skip the line. The state could pay off their debt by writing these folks tickets.
Worst place in the northend to get rear ended. SCARY!!