Traffic relief? DOT to widen I-5 near JBLM

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Department of Transportation is planning to add lanes to Interstate 5 near Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The Olympian reports that the six year project will affect drivers between Olympia and Tacoma. The extra lanes are being funded with $494 million from a gas-tax increase approved by the Legislature in July.

The expansion will bring at least eight lanes of traffic to nearly the entire highway along the base, though it has not been decided if the new lanes will be restricted to carpools.

Preliminary work such as permitting and design is to be done so crews can begin working in 2017. The plan is to open the northern part of the highway in 2020 and finish the southern part in 2023.