I've driven up and down I-5 100 times since 2014. here's some fun facts about to know

Submitted by KanyeWaste69 t3_107e7nk in Washington

I'm familiar with the whole route from the north edge of the Seattle metro/sprawl in Arlington/Marysville at exit 206-208 down to exit 9 in Vancouver but in general anything exit 231 to 7. After first 2 paragraphs it's in order north to south.

If you're going south: fuck the bumps south of DT Seattle. Seriously totaled my whole front end one time l was doing 70. they sorta fixed it? Still terrible now. 55-60 max .

If you're going north, the change from 6 to 3 lanes in Everett-Marysville is the stupidest design decision possible. I'm pretty sure they were trying to get people killed as a funny prank. they're adding a lane and finishing exit 198 in Marysville after 20 years. Wish there was light rail but maybe in 2080?

Marysville to Everett anywhere from exit 206-192? There's some dipshit cop that will pull you over for any reason possible, lies too. Keep to 64 max. I have yet to identity him.

That hill in north Seattle or Shoreline is fun but a little bumpy.

Usually Everett -Norrh Seattle is a blur for me. I hate this part of the drive.

Exit 169-163 in Seattle. Center lanes, move to the left as you approach the Columbia center otherwise your ass is gonna be stuck going to Bellevue. Watch out at exit 154a? in the carpool lane. You don't want to go back to Bellevue again do you?

I fucking hate the little open holes/lines in the freeway from Seattle to Tacoma. Even with new tires my car will go out on its own like it's a little model train. if you know what that is called in the road please tell me

Tukwila-Seatac-Federal Way? Race track especially down and up that wide 6-8 lane hill overlooking Southcenter. Saturday night at 2am is a fun time otherwise stick to the right lanes. Fife too. Exits 158-143 down to 137.

Cops love(d?) to pull you over in the Tacoma construction zone even if there's no construction zones. if there are still any 50mph zones (didn't see yesterday) either do 55 or speed like hell through there. They're mostly finished so 70 is fine.

The drive between Lakewood and Lacey is relaxing after the past 80 miles. Seattle metro sprawl is very long. 90 miles but 109 miles If you include Olympia area. Take a piss at the McDonald's off exit 122 in Lakewood and tell them I sent you.

Fuck the sharp curves in Olympia. Only placed I ever hydroplaned on am interstate before. 65 max speed unless you enjoy that sorta thing.

Rest stop north of Great Wolf Lodge is a good place to piss. 53 is okay. All other rest stops suck ass

I-5 from exit 99 to 81. Another race track that not enough people take advantage of. Best going north but either way is good.

Ignore the 60mph between Csntralia-Chehalis (82-73) but don't go over 78 in that stretch

If you're driving at night. I-5 between 71 and 59 will burn a hole in your vision both ways I am still seeing spots in my vision today after my last drive 24 hours ago. There also needs to be a no trucks left lane between Csntralia and Castle Rock.

I-5 is 3 lanes for good again starting milepost 54 ish all the way to Oregon.

Kelso sucks, it's like a mini Broadway in Everett but Longview gets too much hate and is genuinely a nice place to drive though, visit, and live for short periods. Only place In Western Washington that hasn't experienced much growth yet isn't totally dead either.

Hidden race track between exit 36 and 22 and again from milepost 20-13. A little windy but fun.

Never take the exit to Battle Ground.

Exit 11-5 is a race track too but too risky imo. Don't do it.v

Lastly exit 9 takes you to the best park in Vancouver. If you know you know

I'm missing a few things but anything to add go ahead.

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Comments

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MikeJL21 t1_j3mejoi wrote

Man I dont know how the drive between Lakewood and Lacey can be relaxing when JBLM exists. That little stretch has taken me 2 hours on its own before.

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bakarac t1_j3oyy32 wrote

I'm looking to move to Lacey and just drove through the area this weekend for the first time.

I didn't notice any traffic around JBLM but understand it's a prominent spot in the area - any advice?

Is it just busy during busy hours, or all the time?

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MikeJL21 t1_j3pmqr7 wrote

I've been living up in Marysville for a couple years now so I dont remember the exact times but the general rule of thumb is when JBLM is letting out in the evening or when they're all getting there in the morning its straight gridlock. And if they're letting out for a long weekend, fuuuuuuck that. You aren't going anywhere. Sundays are bad too

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KanyeWaste69 OP t1_j3sm9pb wrote

I wanna say in the past 2 years they have done massive upgrades to the north/east end of that through Lakewood/Dupont connecting the Tacoma construction are. Either from exit 118/119 to 125-128.

The lacey to DuPont could use some work. Like Marysville it sucks there's no light rail plans to Olympia

Also I have been lucky, I have never been through there between 3-6pm as if I am getting stuck in traffic when I havs to travel during rush hour, I'm either there by 7pm, or I don't hit any snags until Tacoma going either way.

Also having a Friday through Sunday/Monday work schedule means I'm traveling either in the middle of the week or late in the evening.

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MikeJL21 t1_j3sroeh wrote

Thats good to know they actually made some progress. For a year I commuted to Federal Way for work and 3 of my shifts had me leaving FW towards Olympia at 4PM lol. I just started going to Emerald Queen for a beer until 6 since I wasn't gonna get home until 7 either way

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OkayestHuman t1_j3q0165 wrote

It’s a choke point, there’s no real access between Lacey and Lakewood without getting on I-5 or going around JBLM through Yelm/Roy (or cutting through a water tower lot in an HOA). Any backups or slowdowns get magnified. If everything is working right, there’s no issues, if there’s an issue, there’s no relief (even cutting through the base may not be much help, if you have access)

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bakarac t1_j3q2774 wrote

Well damn and good to know, thank you!

Olympia is beautiful, I am ok being stuck in town

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MikeJL21 t1_j3rfdb2 wrote

I wish Olympia is still as beautiful as when I was younger. I didn't even recognize it by the time I left. The last place I lived was over by capital city golf course in Lacey, that was a pretty nice area that was still low key.

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applemantotherescue t1_j48thu5 wrote

It's a very nice area but building Horizon Pointe caused so much traffic in the area it's a pain in the ass to get anywhere during the day.

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Ffzilla t1_j3lysnk wrote

Never take the Battleground exit. Nothing good happens in BG.

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gowronhonor t1_j3n0ymn wrote

When I lived in Vancouver that’s where all the horses were. I loved being only 20 minutes from basically any type of riding style you could think of. I haven’t seen horse density like that since I lived in Central Florida. And then getting to go to BG Lake after riding, heaven!

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mikeyfireman t1_j3mhckj wrote

Come out to my farm in Battle Ground. I’ll change your mind. Also, Battle Ground Lake is great for families.

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Wisconsin_Expat t1_j3mnewp wrote

Tukwila -> Federal Way: Where going 70 in a 60 means you’re still one of the slowest vehicles on the road.

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TVDinner360 t1_j3lv3nr wrote

I enjoyed this post more than I thought I would 🤣

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KanyeWaste69 OP t1_j3mah4t wrote

lmaooo im glad. my sleep deprived brain is super thankful. 5am brings the best thoughts

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TVDinner360 t1_j3map47 wrote

Go to sleep! It’s getting light out. 🤣

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KanyeWaste69 OP t1_j3pkhjp wrote

Update finally did when it got dark out lmaooo I am never doing this again

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holiday650 t1_j3lz2zv wrote

I live in Lynnwood and laughed way harder than I probably should had at the shit talk about the area. A light rail is coming!! In like 2080…

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Zero98205 t1_j3nqin3 wrote

  1. And at only 150x the budget, what a steal!
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AtlasShrugged- t1_j3n17vs wrote

Ok you forgot to mention in afternoon rain around Tacoma (exits 133 and lower) you can’t figure out where the lane is. They have painted and ground off so many lane markers that it’s like a bunch of parallel lines a foot apart . The rain makes the actual lines blend in with the scrapped off lines. As they have replaced now that they are “done” parts are better but still a mess

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Continuous_Ignition t1_j3mbfn5 wrote

As someone that's driven extensively in most major metros around the country... Worst drivers and most aggressive drivers in the nation. The self centered, self righteous dipshits who drive 60 in the left lane are probably the ones pissing off the aggressive ones into a homicidal rage. It's a shit combination of mental retardation that puts everyone else in danger.

The left lane is always the most congested since so many are allergic to keeping right in the pnw. Except around larger interchanges, the right lanes are always more open and easier to navigate.

That line in the left lane around federal way, I don't know if its got a name but it is just a terrible construction job from the lane expansion where the road was created at different heights exactly where you're tires go. So it constantly pulls into the lower section and the traffic beside you.

The HOV lane is the passing lane. This is the only way to get around that selfish left lane camping asshole that speeds up every time they're passable and slows down again every time they're not. Those are the fuck wits that cause all the cacading brake checks in the left lane.

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mooomba t1_j3n8tyq wrote

Thank you, I wish more people around here understood. As they are driving 59 in the left lane for all eternity, and someone flies around them I guarantee they feel "wow what an asshole". When really they themselves have created the unsafe situation in the first place...

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lucrativetoiletsale t1_j3o5vkb wrote

Lol most aggressive drivers in the nation? That's about as wrong as you can get. Passive aggressive is the pnw and it shows in our driving. Drive in the east coast, like Jersey and say we're more aggressive, or Phoenix, fucking Phoenix driving is steroid induced aggressive.

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Skadoosh_it t1_j3o11pu wrote

I'm a truck driver and I drive to Portland nightly.

I use the left lane in a lot of places between castle rock/centralia because overloaded log trucks have made such enormous grooves in the asphalt that it can violently shake the truck to the point it's unsafe. The worst places where this is is just after the cowlitz river bridge on I5 south and just before exit 60 until milepost 65 on i5 north.

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nwmountaintroll t1_j3pxf58 wrote

Do what you gotta do. Thanks for keeping our economy moving friend.

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KanyeWaste69 OP t1_j3smoee wrote

Thanks for the explanation this makes a lot of sense why it's always in that stretch you just mentioned too

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StartTheMontage t1_j3n31wj wrote

I will mention one thing! When you are heading south into Seattle, you actually don’t need to get all the way left. If you take the I90 exit, there are actually 2 lanes that meet back up with I5 south! I didn’t know this for years until someone told me, it is poorly marked.

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honvales1989 t1_j3n4owp wrote

And those can be great to escape congestion for a bit at times

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lucrativetoiletsale t1_j3o5e5c wrote

Yeah op sounds like he fucked up its a good shortcut if you can change lanes in traffic

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lucrativetoiletsale t1_j3o64uq wrote

Sucks to be you because everyone knows the best stretch of WA state i5 is through the bow hills by lake Samish. It's fucking beautiful.

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Sleepy-Blonde t1_j3s45rn wrote

It really is! Some spots on the 101 remind me of it, but it’s not as good

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billionair31 t1_j3m69mt wrote

Fyi, If I'm remembering the area your talking about correctly, those "lines" across the highway from Seattle to Tacoma are expansion joints. The road there is made of panels of concrete, not asphalt. If the road didn't have gaps then in the summer the road would expand and buckle.

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Yuppykiller t1_j3mygbg wrote

Understand expansion joints, but I assume OP was referring to those dashed groves in some lanes themselves, not between the lanes; they appear to be ground down a 1/4 - 1/2 inch from surface and are right where your tires go…I end up straddling the lane line when there is no other traffic just to stop the sound.

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billionair31 t1_j3n25pc wrote

Definitely possible, I'm not super familiar with that area, as such I'm not exactly sure what it is you're describing. I just know a concrete panel section of highway is through there.

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Yuppykiller t1_j3n5n9h wrote

You know, upon closer look these are ground down perpendicular to some expansion joints. Not all, and some locations have more than others. Some lanes don’t have them at all. Any ideas?

Thanks Google Street View!

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billionair31 t1_j3nxnj2 wrote

Interesting, I really have no experience with concrete slab roadway design, so my ideas aren't "good" but any means, but I'm willing to guess!

My guess is it's from a repair where they ground into the slap, fixed something (rebar?) And then filled it back up.

A secondary guess would be something to do with drainage. Perhaps those spots get a little sitting water in the center so they create a little more space for it to sit as it drains, where it is less dangerous for drivers.

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Grndmasterflash t1_j3pphxx wrote

My understanding is when a road has those little rectangular "divots", there are tensioning cables within the concrete, not to be confused with common rebar. I think it was supposed to be the cat's meow a decade ago, but turned out not to be a efficient as hoped.

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KanyeWaste69 OP t1_j3matqw wrote

ohh that make sense, I swear wsdot never stops talking about expansion joints, yet only now im finding out what they are

​

I remember in June 2021 parts of the asphalt sections did buckle during that awful heatwave

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Librekrieger t1_j3nkrpb wrote

But the traffic is so heavy there, and something was wrong with either the design of the joints or the way the concrete work was done. The ruts in the concrete over time created a massive transition that just hammers the suspension.

Los Angeles has used concrete for decades and generally does not have this problem. Whatever LA did, Seattle and WSDOT didn't. If it's fixed now, here's hoping the fix works long term.

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billionair31 t1_j3o3did wrote

I don't do concrete roadway design, but there are a lot of factors that could cause issues that LA doesn't have. I'm fading could because I really don't know what went into the design in either location.

The concrete mix design is one thing that is pretty much impossible to comment on without seeing the original design, but could be a big factor in how the concrete holds up.

But most likely either the weather or the soil supporting the roadway is likely the largest factor in the longevity of the road. (Obviously the real answer is a combination of many factors)

LA doesn't get the same wet and freezing cycles that Seattle does (though they get way more direct sun and heat) and that can be really cause issues for roads. You'd have to ask a geotech because I don't know what the soil is like down there, but the Puget Sound region has a lot clay and silt deposits from the glaciers.

But things like that are why you can't just copy and paste a road design project anywhere in the country, or even the same county really.

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Careless-Mud-9398 t1_j3mlu7f wrote

Exit 9 is whipple creek regional park, I don’t know why you would be so secretive about it. Was there yesterday, it was lovely.

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KanyeWaste69 OP t1_j3mvxr2 wrote

Yeah and not heing secretive it's the only park off that exit I believe. Everyone I encountered there was really nice too which was unexpected since people (like me) generally avoid socializing with randoms outside lol. Great park

The real secret is off exit 16 to the east down that big hill.

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aagusgus t1_j3nkl9y wrote

La Center bottoms is a cool area. It was actually one of the first European settlements in Washington State.

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SparklyRoniPony t1_j3onuvm wrote

I live off exit 9 and thought surely they’re not talking about whipple creek? I guess so. It sure is a beautiful slice of nature. Too many horse poops though.

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wrkerbee t1_j3nnogw wrote

Great write up!

Everett-Marysville stretch is the worst. Horrible design. WSDOT should be embarrassed. And now they are going to add a lane. KILL ME.

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KanyeWaste69 OP t1_j3lro1c wrote

I'm definitely missing a few things as yesterday's drive completely fucked my sleep schedule and I'm just staying up all night at this point to fix it. If you got anything extra I'd love to hear it

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Gatorm8 t1_j3moooi wrote

The bumps south of DT are completely fixed now I’m confused

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conartist101 t1_j3ndpl7 wrote

The best park in Vancouver - can we get one more subtle hint plz

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azdood85 t1_j3nijyr wrote

Thx for the deets on holes and racetracks. Need more info on where to piss. Over.

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campog t1_j3rq884 wrote

> I fucking hate the little open holes/lines in the freeway from Seattle to Tacoma. Even with new tires my car will go out on its own like it's a little model train. if you know what that is called in the road please tell me

Yes! The things that are like three parallel lines in each tire track. i-90 going east also has these things.

If anyone knows what they are for, I'd love to know. I've tried to google but no luck.

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ayo4yeho t1_j3nj0pg wrote

Great list. Also, in the HOV lane around exits 174 (by a graffiti that says “COVID victims”) and 181 there are a series of manholes that are very recessed and basically giant potholes. I have never understood why these sewer covers can’t be flush with the rest of the road. So irritating! I always drive a bit to the right side of the lane (whenever I remember).

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mikeroute t1_j3pe4a4 wrote

The short lines cut into the asphalt that you are referring to in your lane that run in the same direction of travel were a (silly) experiment by WSDOT to improve drainage. You can see them on I-90 as well, they’re particularly bad heading eastbound as you go up and over Snoqualmie pass and down the other side in the old sections that haven’t been re-paved in a while. I don’t think they’re especially effective at improving drainage or avoiding hydroplaning, and I think WSDOT has given up on using them in new paving jobs. I always avoid lanes with them - they’re loud when you’re driving on ‘em and it can jerk your car around unexpectedly.

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serenitygray t1_j3q0ahk wrote

Spot on - got my first speeding ticket around exit 200.

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Uwlwsrpm t1_j3uyji0 wrote

The portion of 2-lane heading north between Napavine & Grand Mound is enraging, especially on Sunday summer afternoons, have had to save time by getting off on Labree and rejoining I5 at the outlets more times than I can count.

My usual place to stop was at Cowlitz Crossing north of Ridgefield, the gas was too expensive, especially one supposedly on native land, but they contracted with a great chicken tender vendor at least. Recently, my goto has been that Space Age around Castle Rock, low gas prices, a Krispy Krunchy Chicken, AND an A&W for me to get my fried cheese curd fix? Amazing.

Also, I think I got pulled over by that Marysville/Everett area trooper you mentioned this past November for 71 in a 60, thankfully I think he got bored waiting for me to fumble for my proof of insurance and let me off with a warning.

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Silent0wl01 t1_j3om3xd wrote

Our tax dollars at work, bringing on the potholes so when we get our vehicles fixed, they can take out more taxes from that 🙄

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SparklyRoniPony t1_j3onihn wrote

I live off exit 9, and I have no idea what you’re talking about. Can I have a hint?

edit I now see it’s Whipple Creek, but I don’t really consider it a park, so I wasn’t sure. It really is a beautiful slice of nature. There’s also a playground park: Fairgrounds.

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inxquve t1_j3p1n03 wrote

As someone who lives in Centralia, works in Chehalis and has to deal with I5 being two lanes at supposedly 60mph twice a day, all I can say is people need to chill the frick out.

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sletzi t1_j3p835f wrote

What do you mean by hidden race track? Race track for what??

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leericol t1_j3qcyvz wrote

Those are rookie numbers

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espresso-yourself t1_j3nu5wn wrote

Oh my god I moved here from Oregon and I thought I was crazy when those little lines scared the shit outta me! It feels exactly like a toy train on a track!! I spend a lot of time driving from Seattle to Oregon to see my family now, and your write up is a 10/10 haha.

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