Thorne Lane's I-5 On-Ramp To Close For 3 Months

LAKEWOOD, WA — The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is warning drivers to prepare for an extended closure of Thorne Lane's on-ramp to I-5.

Starting the night of Friday, March 12, WSDOT crews will close the on-ramp from Thorne Lane to southbound I-5 for about three months.

The closure is part WSDOT's Thorne Lane Corridor Improvements, and by the time the closure has lifted, crews will have:

• Completed the roundabout connecting Union Avenue to the new Thorne Lane bridge.
• Built a whole new Thorne Lane on-ramp from the overpass onto I-5.
• Finished a new shared exit from I-5 onto Thorne Lane and Berkeley Streets.

But until the work is done, drivers will need to take detours around the area. WSDOT says that travelers coming from Murray Road or JBLM's Logistics Gate will likely want to take a detour north on I-5, exit on Gravelly Lake Drive and then get back on I-5 heading south. Drivers headed from Tillicum, meanwhile, are advised to use the Berkeley Street interchange to get onto I-5 southbound.

WSDOT says, once the project is fully complete, they believe it will help cut down on chronic traffic congestion in the area, particularly for I-5 alongside Joint Base Lewis-McChord.