Emergency repair work to slow down traffic tonight on I-5 in Federal Way



FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- Late night travelers who use Interstate 5 in Federal Way should prepare for delays tonight, Sunday, May 7. Puget Sound Energy crews need to make emergency repairs to power lines damaged on Sunday morning.

PSE crews will perform intermittent rolling slowdowns on both directions of I-5 between 9:30 and 11 p.m. The rolling slowdowns will allow crews to safely pull power lines above the interstate. As many as four rolling slowdowns could happen during the work hours.

Northbound I-5 traffic will gradually slow starting at the South 320th Street in Federal way. Southbound I-5 traffic will slow down at the South 272nd Street in Kent. Pilot cars will lead the slowed traffic through the work area until the roadway is clear, then allow traffic to accelerate back to highway speeds.

Ramp closures

On-ramps to both directions of I-5 between South 320th Street and South 272nd Street will be temporarily blocked during the rolling slowdowns to allow the slow-moving traffic on the mainline to get by, and will reopen once traffic is clear.

Tools to navigate

In the Seattle area, drivers can get real-time traffic information on their phone with the WSDOT traffic app, tracking the WSDOT traffic Twitter feed, and get advanced information from the Seattle Area Construction Page.