Update: Nighttime speed reduction and lane closures for fuel cleanup on southbound I

UPDATE: Crews have finished removing contaminated soil in the median. Work has shifted to the right shoulder. Southbound I-5 travelers can expect evening and early morning right lane closures starting 7 p.m. Sunday, June 11, until work is complete.

LACEY – On-going cleanup from a recent tanker truck spill may bring a couple of weeks of delays to overnight and early morning travelers on southbound Interstate 5 in Thurston County starting the week of April 23.

Starting Sunday, April 23, crews will close lanes and reduce speeds to remove soil contaminated with diesel fuel along the roadway on southbound I-5 between mileposts 109.75 and 110.10 near Northeast Carpenter Road in Lacey.

Work is scheduled overnight, from 7 p.m. in the evening until 10 a.m. the following morning each day. Overnight work will take place Sundays-Thursdays, with no work in the evenings on Fridays or Saturdays . During the work, southbound I-5 will be reduced to two lanes. The speed limit also will be reduced from 60 mph to 45 mph through the work zone. The speed limit reduction is only during lane closures and working hours.

The nighttime lane closures and reduced speed limit will be in place until the contaminated soil is removed and replaced with fresh fill.

"The exact amount of time the work will take depends on how much soil needs to be removed and replaced," said Washington State Department of Transportation Technical Engineer Andy Larson. "Crews will be testing throughout the cleanup."

This work is needed because on March 13, a tanker truck overturned on southbound Interstate 5 in Lacey, spilling 2,850 gallons of diesel fuel. Cleanup crews initially treated the area after the crash and removed 2.5 tons of contaminated material, but this additional work is needed to fully remove all contamination.

Please remember to keep an eye out for crews during this work to help ensure their safety as well as all travelers. Whenever near work zones please:

Real-time traffic information is available on the WSDOT app and WSDOT Travel Center.