Oh. My. God! Northbound I-5 closed all weekend in Seattle, July 14-15

Posted on by Carl Setzer

This release came into my inbox this afternoon. Holy Smokes! This will be messy!

Short and simple summary: avoid I-5 south of Seattle this weekend. With that, whatever the detour route will be, everything around that route will be torturous.

May the Force be with you if you need to head into this.

 

 

Washington State Department of Transportation – NEWS
Northwest Region – 15700 Dayton Avenue – Shoreline, WA 98133 – 206-440-4000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2018  

Contact:      Tom Pearce, communications, 206-440-4696

Revive I-5 returns: Northbound I-5 closed all weekend in Seattle, July 14-15
Lane reductions begin near Southcenter, all traffic must exit at the West Seattle Bridge

SEATTLE – The second of two full weekend closures of northbound Interstate 5 at the West Seattle Bridge is quickly approaching, which means people to need to plan ahead and avoid the highway again this weekend, July 14-15.

Washington State Department of Transportation contractor crews will begin closing lanes on northbound I-5 at 8 p.m. Friday, July 13. This weather-dependent closure will give them room to safely replace expansion joints and repave the roadway as part of the Revive I-5 project. The work will wrap up by 5 a.m. Monday, July 16

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During the first full weekend closure, June 2-3, backups on northbound I-5 were minimal because drivers avoided the highway and used alternatives to get into Seattle.

“What traffic looks like this coming weekend is up to travelers,” said WSDOT Assistant Regional Administrator Amir Rasaie. “We need people to adjust their travel plans again this weekend so we can minimize backups and keep traffic moving around the Seattle area.”

Lane closure details
Crews will begin reducing northbound I-5 traffic to two lanes at the I-405/SR 518 interchange near Southcenter in order to replace half of an expansion joint on the Duwamish River Bridge. Expect lane reductions to continue all the way up to the West Seattle Bridge/Columbian Way/Spokane Street ramp, where all traffic must exit.

West Seattle and Beacon Hill
Those coming from West Seattle or Beacon Hill will be able to enter northbound I-5 from the West Seattle Bridge/Columbian Way/Spokane Street on-ramp to head into downtown Seattle. This traffic will shift onto the northbound I-5 collector distributor, where drivers can exit to I-90, James or Madison streets, or continue through to rejoin the northbound I-5 mainline. All lanes will reopen near Olive Way.

Ramp closure details
7 p.m. Friday, July 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 16:

  • The southbound I-405 HOV on-ramp to northbound I-5.
  • The Interurban Avenue on-ramp to northbound I-5.

9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday:

  • The MLK Junior Way/SR 900 on-ramp to northbound I-5.
  • The Boeing Access Road on-ramp to northbound I-5.
  • The northbound I-5 mainline off-ramp to the express lanes.
  • The northbound I-5 off-ramp to Edgar Martinez Drive.
  • The northbound I-5 off-ramp to Seneca Street.
  • The University Street on-ramp to northbound I-5.

10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday:

  • The Swift Avenue/Albro Place on-ramp to northbound I-5.

10:30 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday:

  • The Southcenter Boulevard on-ramp to northbound I-5.
  • The Michigan Street/Corson Avenue on-ramp to northbound I-5.

11:59 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday:

  • The southbound I-405 general-purpose off-ramp to northbound I-5.

All northbound I-5 off-ramps between the I-405/SR 518 interchange and the West Seattle Bridge will remain open all weekend.

Southbound I-5 work Sunday morning
In addition to the northbound Revive I-5 work, WSDOT maintenance crews will reduce southbound I-5 traffic to two lanes across the Ship Canal Bridge between the University District and SR 520 from 2 a.m. to noon on Sunday, July 15, to repair parts of the aging bridge deck. The Northeast 45th Street on-ramp to southbound I-5 will also close during this time.

Closures will affect the entire region
The full closure of northbound I-5 means there will be heavy traffic on all highways and roads around the region. Travelers should expect long backups on northbound I-405, State Routes 99, 509 and 599, as well as on city streets. To limit congestion, people should:

  • Use transit, particularly light rail. 
  • Postpone discretionary trips. Fewer trips means fewer cars and less backup.
  • Travel before 8 a.m., when traffic volume picks up, or after 8 p.m., when it decreases.

Know before you go
Before heading out the door, travelers can get real-time traffic information about Revive I-5 on their phone with the WSDOT traffic app and by tracking #ReviveI5 on the WSDOT Traffic Twitter feed.

Hyperlinks within the release:

Published by Carl Setzer