Road work halts for Fourth of July weekend

State highway resurfacing resumes July 5

Paving crews on Whidbey Island’s main highway are taking a break from resurfacing work until July 5, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced Friday.

That means residents and tourists can enjoy the long holiday weekend without pilot cars, flaggers, steamrollers and massive trucks dumping asphalt anywhere along the 30-mile stretch.

During the past month, the main corridor of Whidbey, from Clinton to Coupeville, has been torn up in sections and new asphalt placed.

As crews work to remove old road, grate and resurface the two-lane highway, motorists are sometimes delayed up to 30 minutes in each direction as traffic is funneled to one lane.

State Transportation contractor crews are also upgrading intersections and sidewalks as part of the $15 million improvement project.

Work on State Highway 20 and 525 is slated to resume Wednesday, July 5 on the south end of the Island, said Lisa Van Cise, state DOT spokeswoman.