Six consecutive weekends of lane reductions begin in early July along southbound Highway 167 in Kent, just north of State Route 516/Willis Street.

The first full weekend of work starts Friday, July 7 with expansion joint repair. Friday nights at 9 p.m. crews will close a single lane, leaving two lanes open to traffic. By 11 p.m. two lanes will close with a single lane open to traffic through the weekend. All lanes will reopen at 5 a.m. the following Monday.

The bridge deck of southbound State Route 167, just north of SR 516/Willis Street, is worn and has areas of exposed rebar and concrete damage in need of repair, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

This project will repair concrete and provide a new driving surface for the bridge deck. Construction crews will also replace expansion joints to preserve the bridge and extend its service life.

Work begins in June and is scheduled to be completed in September, on the estimated $3 million project, according to WSDOT.

Travelers who use southbound SR 167 can expect nightly single and two-lane closures, and up to six consecutive weekends of around-the-clock lane closures, leaving a single lane open to southbound traffic. For the first three weekends, crews will work on one side of the bridge and will swap sides for the remaining three weekends.

During the six full weekend closures, crews will reduce the highway to a single lane starting at 10 p.m. Fridays and reopen at 5 a.m. the following Monday.

The bridge has a concrete surface that has worn over time with exposed rebar and concrete damage with rutting and cracks, according to WSDOT. In addition, water can collect in these areas and become icy during freezing temperatures causing further damage to the road surface.

Crews will repair the bridge deck by removing select areas of damaged concrete and creating a new driving surface that will extend the service life of the bridge and provide a smoother ride for highway users.

This work is weather dependent and may be rescheduled if rain is in the forecast.

• To kick off the project, survey crews will reduce lanes overnight from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, June 26 and Tuesday, June 27. The lane reduction begins at 9 p.m. with two lanes open to traffic and by 11 p.m. only one lane will be open until 5 a.m. the following morning.