Seattle's I-5 lane crunch is here — and it won't end soon
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The bridge at the center of our collective I-5 woes. Photo: Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images
Seattleites should get used to northbound Interstate 5 being down to two lanes this year — and brace for similar pain next year heading southbound.
Why it matters: Two years of near-constant I-5 lane closures began this month through Seattle, squeezing traffic while crews repair the Ship Canal Bridge, which carries about 240,000 cars daily.
Zoom in: This week through June 5, the two left lanes of northbound I-5 will be closed from State Route 520 to Northeast 45th Street, shrinking the freeway to about half its normal width in that direction.
- After a brief pause for this summer's FIFA World Cup games in Seattle, construction will shift to the other two northbound lanes, closing them from mid-July through the end of the year.
The closure plan is similar next year — only in the opposite direction.
- Drivers should "expect monthslong reductions" of southbound lanes through Seattle in 2027, Washington State Department of Transportation officials say.
On several weekends during the two-year project, I-5 will fully close in one direction as crews set up and remove work zones.
The big picture: The Ship Canal Bridge, which carries cars over the Lake Washington Ship Canal, hasn't undergone major preservation work in 40 years, according to WSDOT.
- Crews need to repair and resurface the upper bridge deck, replace concrete and aging bridge expansion joints, and improve drainage, among other repairs.
What they're saying: "We're asking everyone to consider choosing alternate routes, carpooling, adjusting travel times or using transit to help keep everyone moving," WSDOT secretary Julie Meredith said in a news release this month.
Between the lines: To help blunt the traffic impact, the I-5 express lanes will stay open in the northbound direction 24 hours a day throughout this year's lane closures.
- That could delay people traveling southbound, since the express lanes will no longer be available heading south in the mornings.
- Next year, during the southbound I-5 lane closures, the express lanes will switch to operating southbound 24 hours a day.
The bottom line: Gear up, Seattle, because this isn't going away anytime soon.