SEATTLE - Brace yourself for a summer of orange cones on I-5. Department of Transportation engineers were out in force Wednesday morning warning people just how bad it's going to be this summer during a major facelift for one of the busiest sections of the highway.

WDOT will pave more than one mile of northbound I-5 and replace failing bridge expansion joints between Spokane Street and I-90 in downtown Seattle. Crews will close several lanes of northbound I-5 at all times, leaving only two or three lanes open to traffic.

This project is expected to be so disruptive, it's just going to send tons of traffic elsewhere, including SR 405.

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Rick Rodda says new big bolts will replace thinner rods that hold the plates down.

Backups are expected extend from South Center as far as the North End.

"Best we're looking at 3,500 cars per hour, so you're looking at cutting capacity in half,” said traffic engineer Martin Dedinsky, a traffic engineer with WSDOT.

So if you're a commuter in the areas affected, Aug. 10 through the end of the month might be a good time to plan a vacation. Carpooling, taking public transport, changing work hours and telecommuting are also suggested.

"There's going to be backups, we're encouraging people to take alternative routes, we're encouraging folks to change their times of commute,” said  Bill Vlcek, deputy administrator, Northwest Region

So why fix it? DOT says the 40-year-old structure of elevated bridges is wearing out. It needs to be resurfaced. But the big problem is some banging plates that bridge the joint between the bridges.

Rick Rodda, who works in WSDOT maintenance, says new big bolts will replace thinner rods that hold the plates down. He says the plates are known to come loose and pose a safety threat.

“They flatten tires, damage the underside of vehicles and could possibly cause an accident,” Rodda said.