Some drivers have asked whether next month's Interstate 5 northbound lane closures will include nights and weekends, or will work be restricted to weekdays?

The 19-day closure schedule includes nights and weekends. So yes, Stan Smith, that means around the clock.

Starting the night of Aug. 10, several of I-5's lanes and ramps northbound between South Spokane Street and Interstate 90 will be closed while contractors for the state Department of Transportation rehabilitate the freeway by fixing expansion joints and adding a fresh layer of pavement.

Closures will continue every day of the week —-- weekdays and weekends —-- through Aug. 29. For most of that time, there will only be two or three lanes open northbound, and even one of those also will be closed nightly between midnight and 4:30 a.m.

State transportation planners say this is one of the biggest construction closures the state has ever attempted, and it's quite likely to dramatically affect traffic. As drivers switch to other routes north, Highway 99 and other highways and streets are likely to be crowded, too. The DOT is urging motorists to make plans ahead of time to avoid getting stuck in traffic backups.

"We want to reduce the number of vehicles on northbound I-5 by at least half during the construction closures to prevent gridlock," said DOT spokeswoman Meghan Soptich. That's about 65,000 vehicles daily the state is hoping will steer clear of the downtown freeway, or drivers will decide to work from home or take some time off.

During the 19-day closure, crews will be replacing 34 failing expansion joints that link the concrete bridge slabs that make up the 40-year-old freeway section. If those expansion joints are allowed to completely fail, large pieces of metal and yard-long bolts would pop up from the freeway deck, and that would pose a threat to drivers traveling at freeway speeds, said Soptich. Southbound lanes are not in as bad shape, she said.

What the DOT is suggesting is that drivers try out alternative plans now. On the DOT's Web page —-- www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/SpokaneStreetBridgeRepair —-- are posted tips on alternate routes and transit options.

To cut back on traffic, Metro Transit is proposing commuters used to driving alone consider sharing the commute with others in a vanpool. For all of next month (August), Metro will be cutting initial requirements and costs for new vanpool groups with as few as five participants.

Commuters who travel the I-5 corridor into or through the Seattle area will be able to form a new Metro vanpool for just $45 per participant, a savings of nearly half the regular monthly cost. But participants must sign up by July 27. Metro will provide the van, and also maintenance, insurance and fuel costs and emergency roadside assistance if needed. For details about the offer, call 206-625-4500, or e-mail: vanpool.information@metrokc.gov.