Northbound traffic on 5^th Avenue between Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue has been restricted to a single lane because of road damage that was discovered this afternoon.

Yakima Street Division crews will start working early tomorrow (Wednesday, July 22^nd) to determine why portions of the northbound lanes of 5^th Avenue have begin to buckle near the 5^th Avenue Safeway store. Repair work will begin at 6:00 am and hopefully will be completed by the afternoon. Northbound traffic on 5^th Avenue will be continued to be restricted to a single lane while the project is underway.

While the street has an asphalt surface, large slabs of concrete make up the foundation of the roadway. Some of those slabs have shifted enough to cause vehicles to bottom out when they travel over the damaged road surface.

During the project, traffic delays in and around the project area are likely to occur. Drivers should use alternate routes if possible until the project is completed.

Access to homes in the project area will be impacted, but will be maintained when possible. Emergency vehicles will be allowed through the project area if necessary.

As always, the schedule for this type of a project is subject to change daily dependent on weather, equipment failure, and emergencies.

For additional information about this project, contact Streets and Traffic Operations Manager Joe Rosenlund at 576-6430.

5th Avenue Road Repairs – News Release