Drivers in south Kitsap County should prepare for extended lane and road closures at the merge of state routes 16 and 166 near Gorst beginning Tuesday, June 14. Closures and detours are expected to remain for up to six weeks.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will replace two old culverts with three larger box culverts that pass beneath state routes 16 and 166 and Anderson Hill Road.

The work will require road closures and detours on SR 166 and Anderson Hill Road. Crews will also reduce the speed limit from 60 mph to 40 mph and temporarily realign SR 16 into the highway median.

– Washington State DOT

Maintenance work limits access to Tillicum from northbound I-5

Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews will close the left lane of the northbound I-5 exit to Berkeley Street in Lakewood, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 14. The closure allows crews to safely access a storm water pump.

Drivers will be able to turn right onto Jackson Avenue, or to continue forward onto northbound I-5.

– Washington State DOT

Puget Sound ports net first-quarter cargo volume gains

Strong export volumes through The ports of Tacoma and Seattle hint at a better 2016 outlook than predicted, with full containerized exports up 15 percent year to date in April.

Both full containerized exports and imports posted 7 percent gains last month compared to April 2015. Year to date, the Puget Sound gateway’s container volumes are flat at 1,080,957 TEUs.

Auto imports continue to be a bright spot for non-container cargo, up nearly 9 percent year to date. Breakbulk cargo is down 36 percent, reflecting slowing economic growth in China and the impact of lower oil prices.

The ports of Seattle and Tacoma auto imports and container volumes posted gains through the first quarter of 2016.

Building off last year’s record-breaking volumes, March marked the highest volume of auto imports in more than a decade. The 21,085 units beat the previous record from December 2002.

Meanwhile, international containers improved 4 percent through the first three months of the year.

When compared to March 2015, March 2016’s international container volumes were down nearly 22 percent.

– Northwest Seaport Alliance