Major work on Benson Road South in Renton begins this week, forcing the closure of Benson Road South every weeknight for eight weeks between Renton City Hall and Eagle Ridge Drive.

Work begins Friday, March 19, and will continue Monday through Friday until late May.

The closure is part of the I-405, Renton Stage 2 Project that adds a lane in each direction of I-405 between SR 167 and SR 169 and an on- and off-ramp at Talbot Road. The $83.6 million construction project is funded by 2003 and 2005 state gas tax packages.

Each weeknight crews will close the road at 8 p.m. Drivers will use a short detour taking them on Talbot Road, Puget Drive and South Grady Way, which should add about four minutes to the trip.

During the nightly closures, crews will grade and pave the road, work on retaining walls, relocate utilities, and build a bridge over the road that will support a new southbound off-ramp to Talbot Road. While they’re at it, they’ll work to get traffic ready to use the new Benson Road South Bridge being constructed over I-405 just a few feet east of the existing structure.

Crews will spend an entire weekend working on this section of roadway the last weekend in March. At 8 p.m. Friday, March 26, crews will close the roadway to re-grade the road. By the time the road is re-opened the following Monday morning, crew will have lowered the surface by nearly two feet to accommodate the new off-ramp bridge over Benson Road South. The road will re-open the following Monday morning at 5 a.m.

For more information on this, and other, road projects, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I405/SR515Interchange www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I405/SR515Interchange/Now.htm