Operations to remove the remaining rail cars on and adjacent to the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 will continue through the night. There will be no additional media updates until 5:30 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 20. At that time, there will be WSDOT public information officers available at the Mounts Road overpass to discuss morning traffic-related issues.
Crews made substantial progress today in clearing the site. Most of the derailed train cars have been loaded onto semis to be hauled away and securely stored. Bridge engineers also inspected the rail bridge and deemed it structurally sound, with only minor repairs needed for safely reopening the interstate.
Remaining work includes relocating the cranes to position them to remove the train’s locomotive, which remains on the southbound I-5 lanes. Crews also need to remove a hazard tree. It is highly likely southbound I-5 will remain closed through Wednesday morning’s commute and travelers should plan accordingly.
Reopening I-5
WSDOT maintenance crews have pre-staged supplies, equipment and staff, and plan to begin repairs on guardrail and damaged portions of the highway as soon as they are cleared to do so.
Southbound I-5 detour
The primary detour is SR 16 to SR 3 – which is what commercial vehicles should use. We are seeing significant congestion on SR 507 and SR 7, and do not recommend travelers take SR 302.
A local-traffic-only detour is set up on Center Drive through JBLM to Nisqually and connecting to I-5. Drivers can expect heavy traffic on any alternate route and we are encouraging folks to only travel through the area if needed.
Before heading out the door, drivers should check the latest traffic conditions by using WSDOT’s trip planning tools:
· Calling 5-1-1
· Following @wsdot_tacoma and @wspd1pio on Twitter
· Checking WSDOT flow maps and traveler alerts on wsdot.wa.gov
