Southbound Interstate 5 to undergo lane reductions in Seattle next weekend

Seattle drivers should prepare for delays on the southern lanes of Interstate 5 near downtown this weekend as the Revive I-5 project returns.

At 8 p.m. on September 10, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will close the mainline of the lanes south south of the Freeway Park. During the closure, traffic will use the collection / distribution lanes while crews work to replace four halves of the worn expansion joints. The lanes will reopen to normal traffic on September 13th at 5am.

The first phase of the $ 25.7 million redevelopment project began in late May with the removal of a thin layer of concrete from a 1.25 mile stretch of highway. Now, in the second phase, the crews will re-pave the section and replace about 40 expansion joints between Interstate 90 and Spokane Street.

All traffic on I-5 going south is routed via the collection / distribution lanes.

Courtesy of WSDOT

It is the first major repair of the section in more than 55 years. Similar work was completed in 2019 on the lanes of the aging motorway heading north.

Each expansion joint replacement takes 55 hours, and the project will take a total of 16 weekends according to WSDOT. The maintenance work is expected to last until autumn 2022, and all lanes south of I-5 will be closed for one weekend. The date for this closure has not yet been announced.

“Most people don’t think about it, but this section of I-5 is a pillar-supported bridge and has expansion joints that help the bridge adapt to changes in weather and vehicle weight,” said WSDOT project engineer James Harper. “In the last few months we had to carry out several emergency repairs on joints in this area in the middle of the working day. Replacing these joints during planned closings will reduce the need for emergency repairs. “

While through traffic is routed through southern collection / distribution lanes, WSDOT encourages drivers who need to travel on the section of I-5 to plan ahead and consider rescheduling journeys, using alternative routes, or using transit to avoid traffic jams to reduce.

The traffic news is good: after a 26-day lockdown, vehicle access to State Route 513 Montlake Bridge will be restored on September 3 at 5 a.m. Work on the 97-year-old bridge.

In the second phase of the project, the bridge’s mechanical systems will be refurbished, and WSDOT is planning five weekend closings from September 10th to October 31st to complete this work. While pedestrians and cyclists were still able to cross the bridge in the first construction phase, access for both pedestrian and vehicle traffic is restricted in this phase as the bridge is raised.

Vehicle diversion during the closure of the SR 513 Montlake Bridge in Seattle.

SDOT via Flcikr

Crews will close the bridge at 11pm on Friday evening and reopen it to vehicles and pedestrians the following Monday at 5am during the five selected weekend closings this fall.