PACIFIC NORTHWEST EDITION
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October 24 2021 Vol. V • No. 22
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Pacific Northwest Connection – Patrick Kiel – 1-877-7CEGLTD – pkiel@cegltd.com
Atkinson Completes Phase of $242M I-5 Project
This construction milestone comes two months after new high occupancy vehicle lanes opened as part of the $242 million project that rebuilt the Thorne Lane and Berkeley Street interchanges to allow for a wider Interstate 5.
Crews from Atkinson Construction (formerly Guy F. Atkinson) reached an important milestone in reshaping Interstate 5 and the surrounding communities near Lakewood, Wash. Atkinson, in conjunction with the Washington State Department of Transportation, recently announced that the second phase of construction to widen I-5 and rebuild intersections is now substantially complete. This construction benchmark — part of the $242 million project that rebuilt the Thorne Lane and Berkeley Street interchanges to allow for a wider I-5 — comes two months after new high occupancy vehicle lanes opened. “We thank residents, businesses, commuters and service members for their patience during this complex project,” said Washington State Department of Transportation
Regional Administrator John Wynands. “This project was a success because of the great cooperation with those who live and work in this area.” The end of this portion of construction means the end to continuous overnight detours and ramp and lane closures on I-5 from Gravelly Lake Drive in Lakewood to 41st Division Drive at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). While most of the project is complete, a few minor items still need to be addressed by crews, but those should wrap up by the end of October. “Atkinson Construction widened 5.25 miles of Interstate 5 to add a fourth general-purpose lane in each direction,” the Atkinson Construction team commented. “Atkinson’s team replaced the existing Thorne Lane and Berkeley Street interchanges and built grade-separated crossings over the adja-
cent Sound Transit railroad. “The team also constructed new auxiliary lanes along the interstate, reconstructed the Madigan Gate Access Control Point, raised the I-5 mainline grade to fill a sag at the Berkeley Interchange and constructed three intersection roundabouts,” Atkinson added. The scope of work also included a high-performance median barrier, retaining walls, sound walls, security walls, drainage, signing, illumination and intelligent transportation systems. “This was an extremely technical operation,” said Brandon Dully, vice president of Atkinson Construction. “Our ultimate goal was to ensure that we executed the work according to our plan and did so safely. It took everyone — see ATKINSON page 8