Northbound Interstate 5 will be closed this weekend in Seattle.
All northbound lanes of I-5 from the I-90 interchange to NE 45th Street will be closed from 11:59 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15 to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 18.
The closure is due to the Ship Canal Bridge preservation, which had previously reduced the road to two lanes across the bridge. According to the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT), almost 240,000 vehicles travel across the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge daily, and it now requires major repairs.
The express lanes will operate northbound only around the clock during the weekend.
Throughout the weekend, people traveling on northbound I-5 who are going to downtown Seattle should use the exits to Edgar Martinez Drive or to Dearborn, James or Madison streets.
The express lanes have no northbound exits to downtown Seattle; the first exit is at Northeast 42nd Street in the University District. Express lane on-ramps at Columbia, Cherry and Pine streets will be open to all vehicles throughout the weekend. Those ramps usually are reserved for high-occupancy vehicles.
The last preservation efforts on the bridge were approximately 40 years ago, and crews have completed more than 200 emergency repairs on the bridge since 2019, causing unplanned traffic disruptions, according to WSDOT.
The project will repair and resurface the upper bridge deck, replace concrete and bridge expansion joints, improve drainage and address other maintenance issues. Construction on the bridge is predicted to be completed in 2027 and will prevent more unplanned traffic disruptions, according to WSDOT.
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