Weekend lane reductions on I-5 near Southcenter start Friday night

TUKWILA, Wash. - This weekend, lanes will be reduced on I-5 near Southcenter, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). 

Officials said crews will be doing emergency work to replace broken concrete panels that were damaged during the heavy rain in December. 

There will be two nights of single-lane traffic on I-5 in Tukwila starting Friday night and the work will be staggered. 

Friday night work

Crews will start closing lanes on southbound I-5 at 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23. 

By 10 p.m., the southbound freeway will be reduced from five lanes to one lane. All southbound lanes are expected to reopen by 6 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 24.

The HOV lane from Interurban to Northbound I-405 will be closed and southbound State Route 599 to southbound I-5 HOV on-ramp will close. 

Saturday night work

After the southbound work is complete, northbound I-5 will begin reducing to one lane starting at 9 p.m. Saturday. 

Eastbound SR 518 to northbound I-5 on-ramp will close and southbound I-405 HOV on-ramp to northbound I-5 will close.

All northbound lanes will reopen by 7 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 25.

WSDOT said this weekend's lane reductions are the first of three weekend closures. Crews are planning similar closures for march 1-2 and 8-9. 

"We understand this is short notice for this concrete repair and it will be an inconvenience for people who travel through this area," said WSDOT Northwest Region Engineering Manager Steve Strand. "This is a 55-year-old section of freeway and we will continue to maintain segments of I-5 as best we can until we are funded for more substantial preservation projects."

Additional closures

In addition to the I-5 closures, from 11:30 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m., Bellevue's northbound I-405 off-ramps to NE 4th/8th St (Exit 13A/13B) and the SE 8th St on-ramp to northbound I-405 will be closed.