UPDATE: Weekend lane reductions have been postponed due to cold weather and possible snow in the Seattle area. Work has been rescheduled for Jan. 19-22.
Northbound work starts, ramp closures continue
SEATTLE – Revive I-5 work, already underway weeknights in south Seattle, will soon expand to include about 13 weekends of lane reductions and ramp closures. The first of several continuous weekend-long lane reductions is scheduled for 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, through 4 a.m. Monday, Jan. 15.
Lane reductions on southbound Interstate 5 will begin near the Boeing Access Road and extend to State Route 900/Martin Luther King Jr. Way South. The off-ramp to SR 900/Martin Luther King Jr. Way will be closed. All work is weather-dependent and could be rescheduled because of heavy rain.
Northbound work starts
Immediately following the first weekend of lane reductions, work on northbound I-5 begins near the interchange with I-405 in Tukwila. Nightly lane reductions begin as early as 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, through 4 a.m. Friday, Jan. 19.
- Northbound lane reductions begin near Southcenter Parkway and extend to SR 900/Martin Luther King Jr. Way South.
- The Southcenter Parkway and Interurban Avenue ramps will be closed.
- Detours will be in place to help travelers navigate around the ramp closures.
The closures allow contractors working for the Washington State Department of Transportation to improve the driving surface of I-5 by replacing concrete panels.
"In the past, we would put work like this on hold during the winter months but more and more our construction season has expanded to a year-round timeline to meet our needs for critical preservation work," WSDOT Project Engineer James Harper said.
Future weekends, weeknights and locations for work will be announced when those dates are available.
Plan ahead
People who use these sections of I-5 should plan for extra travel time and consider options such as:
- Alternative routes such as I-405 or SR 99, keeping in mind that portions of SR 99 involve a toll.
- Try transit options such as bus or light rail, after confirming schedules and availability.
- Travel before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
Until summer 2024, people who use I-5 will experience weeknight and weekend lane and ramp closures.
Preserving I-5
This project is the part of first major work on much of this section of I-5 in about 60 years. The $29.3 million project includes improvements on northbound and southbound I-5. It involves replacing damaged concrete, grinding to eliminate ruts and restriping through a 5-mile section of the freeway. The project also will replace expansion joints on northbound and southbound I-5 over Military Road. This project is one of several Revive I-5 preservation projects underway, meant to protect the state’s busiest interstate.
For the latest construction closure information, visit the WSDOT real-time travel map, download the WSDOT traffic app or sign up for email updates.