Here's a scenario you might have experienced: A weekend away, spent in Portland or at ocean beaches, followed by a leisurely Sunday morning breakfast and a noon departure to get back home to Olympia, Lacey or somewhere further north.
The route home requires you take Interstate 5 through Thurston County, and as you arrive in the Olympia area about 3 p.m., you find yourself inching your way with thousands of other drivers through Lacey, across the Nisqually Bridge and up the hill to DuPont. Ugh.
An abbreviated version is simply making the mistake of trying to take U.S. 101 in west Olympia to Cabela's or the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge on a Sunday afternoon. Double ugh.
Why is this happening? It's the regular summer Sunday slowdown through the county, and it typically doesn't even have to feature a car wreck, but is simply a matter of congestion state officials know has to be addressed. They are working on it, although some of those fixes are just barely on the horizon.
Some state efforts:
• The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is currently soliciting public comment on its draft Planning and Environmental Linkages report that lays out what needs fixing on the portion of I-5 between Marvin Road in Thurston County and Mounts Road near DuPont. Some of the improvements could include elevating portions of the highway and adding new HOV lanes in both directions of the interstate. WSDOT also wants to construct a shared use path for pedestrians and cyclists along southbound I-5, The Olympian has reported.
• Closer to becoming a reality is a plan to rebuild the interchange at Steilacoom-DuPont Road (Exit 119) and add HOV lanes to I-5. Construction is expected to start on the $200 million project in late this summer and last until 2026.
Back in July 2021, WSDOT opened a new HOV lane for both directions of I-5 between Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Lakewood, spokesman Doug Adamson said.
"The lanes created immediate relief in terms of reduced travel times," he said.
Ramp meters — traffic signals that stagger traffic on freeway ramps — were added to southbound I-5 ramps in Thurston County a few years ago, but there is no plan for that on northbound ramps.
"Unfortunately, there is no funding identified for short-term improvements in the Olympia area, including northbound I-5 ramp meters," Adamson said.
Instead, when it comes to near-term solutions, WSDOT and Washington State Patrol officials say that driving behaviors must change to help alleviate congestion. That means leaving earlier in the day or taking advantage of HOV lanes by carpooling.
"Obviously nobody wants to cut their weekend short, but travelers who go later in the day can expect congestion on this (Thurston County) stretch of I-5 on Sundays during the busy summer travel season," Adamson said.
Trooper John Dattilo says it's the little things that can go a long way in helping to prevent congestion.
Do not drive aggressively or make quick or risky lane changes because these are the kind of acts that cause other drivers to hit the brakes, which then creates a ripple effect of brake lights and congestion, he said.
Avoid distracted driving. Stay off that cell phone, and if you have to deal with children, pull over to the shoulder and address the problem rather than continuing to drive at 60 miles per hour. It's even better if the driver can exit the freeway to address the distraction, Dattilo said.
Drive prepared, especially in hot weather, by checking vehicle fluids and tires.
"Minimize your chances of breaking down before you leave," he said.
But Lacey Mayor Ryder says if adjusting driving behaviors is the solution, it's just another sign that the system is at capacity.
He recalled during the pandemic that traffic volumes fell and it seemed like the area's congestion concerns had been magically lifted. But traffic volumes have returned and the state's population continues to grow, he said.
Ryder favors what he calls a "hard shoulder," which means using a freeway shoulder as a temporary lane to address congestion. And he feels it could be implemented relatively inexpensively, compared to the cost of widening I-5, redesigning and rebuilding the Nisqually Bridge, or redesigning the interchange at U.S. Highway 101 at I-5, he said.
But he also agrees with state officials that too many people in the county use I-5 as a shortcut when they could use city, county or state roads to get where they need to go.
That's why he also supports improvements to the Martin Way corridor, which touches Olympia, Lacey and the county.
"We need public investment along the corridor and I'm a strong proponent of it," he said.
