Drivers can expect two weeks of daytime delays on State Highway 20 at Deception Pass at the end of March.

Starting Monday, March 30, crews will close one lane alternately to clean and inspect the bridge spans along the highway, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The cleaning is part of the state’s routine maintenance that occurs every two years, according to Tom Pearce with WSDOT communications.

“It’s important that we get this maintenance done… it will help to keep it lasting longer and safer,” Pearce said.

Drivers will encounter alternating, single-lane traffic at both the Deception Pass and Canoe Pass bridges, and may experience delays of up to 20 minutes, according to a Monday news release.

Maintenance crews will use under-bridge inspection trucks to clean and inspect the structure. WSDOT said they will be working with City of Oak Harbor to inspect waterlines attached to the bridges during the closures.

“We know there’s never a good time to close lanes of traffic,” said Bridge Preservation Engineer Harvey Coffman in the news release.

“But we hope that by combining our work with other groups, we will create less impact on drivers in the long run.”

Crews plan to work on weekdays only, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday, March 30, through Friday, April 10. Work is expected to wrap up by noon each Friday.

During working hours, drivers will not be allowed to park on Pass Island, between the two bridges, according to WSDOT.

“Cleaning the bridges improves the efficiency of WSDOT’s rigorous bridge inspection program and ensures the maintenance and repairs extend the bridge’s useful life for years to come,” the news release stated.

The late-March maintenance project is not related to the larger summer paving project to start this July where drivers will experience full, overnight closures through September.

Contractors working for WSDOT for that project will take advantage of the March lane closures to inspect the asphalt on the bridge decks, WSDOT said.