Weekend I-5 Closure In Seattle Will Severely Impact Northbound Travel

If you’re heading northbound on Interstate 5 starting today, Friday, Aug. 15, prepare for major delays and consider alternate routes. All northbound lanes of I-5 will be closed from the I-90 interchange to Northeast 45th Street through early Monday as part of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) “Revive I-5” project, which focuses on preserving the aging Ship Canal Bridge.

“We noticed most of the impacts will be on the Ship Canal Bridge, also on University and Mountlake bridges. We have seen extensive travel delays during the morning and evening peak covers,” said Ganth Lingam, Interim Director for Interagency Programs at Seattle Department of Transportation. “Overall, the travel volume is down—I think that’s kind of telling a success story, that people switch their mode of travel, but due to other factors, we’ll see an impact to the travel time.”

The full closure begins at 11:59 p.m. Friday and continues through 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 18. Crews will complete the final construction phase of the Ship Canal Bridge preservation project, removing the work zone and restoring the freeway to its original four lanes.

Leading up to the full closure, northbound I-5 has already been reduced to two lanes across the Ship Canal Bridge, from Roanoke Street to Northeast 45th Street. That lane reduction will remain in place until the full closure begins Friday night.

To help offset congestion, the I-5 express lanes will operate northbound only, 24 hours a day, throughout the weekend closure. WSDOT and SDOT reminds travelers that there are no exits to downtown Seattle from the express lanes. The Cherry/Columbia on-ramp to the express lanes, which is typically reserved for HOV vehicles, will be open to all drivers during the closure.

Additional ramp closures may also affect travel. Several on-ramps to northbound I-5—including those at Dearborn Street, Cherry Street, and University Street—will close at different times Friday evening and remain closed until early Monday. The westbound I-90 off-ramp to northbound I-5 will also be closed during this time.

SDOT advises drivers to expect significant delays, especially for those traveling north of downtown Seattle. The agency recommends using alternative transportation such as public transit (light rail or buses), carpooling, or adjusting travel times. Real-time traffic updates and detour information are available on the WSDOT website and the Seattle Department of Transportation’s (SDOT) Twitter feed.

Lingam emphasized SDOT’s encouragement to use HOV lanes and regional transit options to avoid delays and stay safe.

“I think during the weekend closure the express lanes is a better option if you are traveling northbound lanes. Express lanes will be open to all travelers and the downtown ramps would be open to all travelers—it’s not limited to HOV,” said Lingam. “So, you could choose that. Also, we always promote transit as the best option. Use the transit. That is the way to go. SDOT is also promoting that—you can look into a flip.org website and SDOT website to provide the many options out there, so you could look into your travel options, but we always highly encourage people to use the transit.”

According to Lingam, safety remains the top priority. In addition to planned construction, recent traffic incidents—including collisions on both northbound and southbound I-5 just north of I-90—have also impacted travel.

“Safety is one thing that I would like to highlight. So, plan your trip early. So if you are going to the airport, if you are going somewhere—I come from north personally, so I have to plan,” said Lingam. “Normally my trip takes 40 minutes, but I plan an additional 30 minutes so I can get to my destination on time. What I see is people trying to rush to their destination. Be safe, drive safe. So, I would promote that—be safe, plan your travel, you’ll be fine.”