The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) rolled out reduced speed recommendation signs due to rough conditions on the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 between Ridgefield and the Interstate 205 interchange.

During the week of Feb. 20, WSDOT crews installed a series of rough road and speed limit recommendations from milepost 14.32 to milepost 8.6.

“These ‘rough road’ and corresponding speed limit advisory signs will be strategically placed just after on-ramps and just before travelers approach rough patches of roadway, giving them an advanced warning of road conditions ahead,” WSDOT stated in a news release. “This proactive approach helps to keep travelers informed of existing roadway conditions while keeping them moving until permanent repairs can be made.”

The signs are only a temporary solution to a growing problem for this stretch of interstate

“Maintaining roads and ensuring travelers safety is our top priority,” Sarah Hannon-Nein,

communications staff for the WSDOT Southwest Region, said in an email. “But the reality is, there’s a lot of work to do. Sometimes that means our crews have to make temporary repairs until we have funding for the needed long-term preservation projects like rebuilding roadways or replacing concrete panels.

“This section of southbound I-5 is made up of 8,400 concrete panels, hundreds of which have cracked, settled and are plainly beyond repair and ultimately must be replaced,” she stated. “These panels were originally installed 50 to 70 years ago and are far beyond their serviceable life.”

The suggested speed limits decrease from 70 mph to 60 mph between mileposts 14.32 and 9.63, while the 60 mph zone from mileposts 9.63 to 8.6 decreases to 50 mph.