Plan for travel delays from double whammy of highway closures
SEATTLE – Travelers should plan ahead and find alternate routes for trips across Lake Washington and southbound Interstate 5 in Seattle, beginning Friday night, Aug. 26. State Route 520 will close across the lake and southbound I-5 will be reduced to one lane south of the stadiums all weekend.
SR 520 closure
Both directions of SR 520 between I-5 in Seattle and 92nd Avenue Northeast in Clyde Hill will be closed from 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26, through 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 29. Ahead of the full closure, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will close all ramps to and from SR 520 along that stretch of highway an hour earlier at 10 p.m. Friday.
During the closure, crews will place bridge girders in Seattle’s Montlake neighborhood as they continue to build a new lid as part of the $455 million SR 520 Montlake Project. Twenty-four girders will be lifted into place over the weekend. The girders will act as a foundation for the future three-acre lid (PDF 476KB) over SR 520.
Crews will also use the weekend the widen a work zone under the future lid near Montalke Boulevard and work on lighting and drainage. Other crews will utilize the closed lanes to perform maintenance work on the floating bridge and install a temporary test pile into the ground on the western shore of Portage Bay. The test pile installation will measure and inform vibration limits for the Portage Bay Bridge and Roanoke Lid Project.
The SR 520 Trail across Lake Washington will remain open during the weekend closure.
Revive I-5 work
All southbound I-5 traffic will go through the collector/distributor and reduce to one lane on the ramp that rejoins the interstate. During the closure WSDOT contractor crews will replace expansion joints on the freeway south of I-90. The ramps from eastbound and westbound I-90 to southbound I-5 will remain open all weekend. Lanes will begin closing at about 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26. Work will finish by 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 29.
Keeping travelers informed
Drivers crossing Lake Washington during the weekend should take I-90 as an alternate route or consider delaying their trips if possible. People in Snohomish County going to the Eastside should consider using I-405.
With additional traffic using I-90, people who usually travel on I-5 should use alternate routes like I-405 and SR 99 or consider using light rail or bus service. People also should consider rescheduling discretionary trips.
Get the most up-to-date information on closures by visiting the SR 520 Construction Corner or the Revive I-5 project page. Other resources to stay informed:
- 24-hour SR 520 construction hotline: 206-775-8885.
- Email: sr520bridge@wsdot.wa.gov.
- Email updates: subscribe online.
- Twitter: @wsdot_520 or WSDOT_Traffic.