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4 weeks of summer lane closures for Seattle's I-5 Ship Canal Bridge

By
Published  April 29, 2025 1:36pm PDT
Traffic
FOX 13 Seattle

The Brief

    • Prepare for traffic impacts on I-5 this summer around the Ship Canal Bridge.
    • Northbound lanes will be reduced for a month, with two full weekend closures of the roadway.
    • The work is to prevent even larger-scale projects on the bridge in the future.

SEATTLE - Seattle drivers will need to plan for alternate routes or be ready to wait in traffic along a stretch of I-5 this summer.

Starting in late July, the northbound lanes of I-5 along the Ship Canal Bridge will experience either full or partial lane closures from I-90 to N.E. 45th Street. 

Seattle's Ship Canal bridge (WSDOT)

Timeline of northbound summer I-5 closures at Ship Canal Bridge

Friday evening, July 25–Monday morning, July 28

  • Full closure of all northbound lanes.
  • Work crews will set up long-term barriers and restripe lanes.

July 28–Aug. 27

  • The stretch of highway will be reduced down to two lanes while crews complete bridge restoration work.

Friday night, Aug. 27–Monday morning, Aug. 25

  • Another full closure of all northbound lanes.
  • Work crews will be undoing the temporary changes made for traffic flow during construction.

Aug. 25

  • Full reopening of all lanes as the construction project phase ends.

Big picture view:

This project is all part of a larger endeavor to make sweeping upgrades along all of I-5 from Yesler to Northgate. 

By doing this portion now, WSDOT says they will be better prepared to complete the rest of the project phases without worsening conditions during the busy travel expected for the 2026 World Cup in Seattle. 

What they're saying:

"Work of this scope requires a huge effort on the part of everyone," Nielsen said. "There is no great time to close lanes on I-5. Taking advantage of four weeks of warm, dry weather this year sets us and you up for success in future construction seasons. In the end we will have a safe, reliable bridge for years to come."

Why is the Ship Canal Bridge being repaired?

The decades-old bridge is in need of surfacing repairs. This summer, WSDOT workers will resurface and repair about 20% of the bridge. 

During the work, they will also take the opportunity to fully assess the conditions of the rest of the bridge and plan for future repairs in the long term. 

The Source: Information in this story came from the Washington State Department of Transportation.

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