Seattle’s busiest stretch of freeway is about to get a long-overdue facelift—and it’s going to cause some serious traffic headaches.
Starting Monday, July 21, northbound I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge will be reduced to two lanes, 24/7, lasting until Friday, August 15. That weekend, from 11:59 p.m. Friday, August 15 to 5 a.m. Monday, August 18, all northbound lanes between I-90 and NE 45th Street will be completely closed so crews can remove the work zone.
The work is part of WSDOT’s $203 million Revive I-5 project, a multiyear preservation effort to repair, resurface, and reinforce the 60-year-old Ship Canal Bridge, which carries nearly 240,000 vehicles per day. The bridge deck hasn’t had a major overhaul since the 1980s and has racked up over 200 emergency fixes since 2019.
While the mainline shrinks to two lanes, the I-5 express lanes will run northbound 24/7 to help ease the squeeze. Some HOV restrictions will be lifted downtown to allow all vehicles to access those express lanes. But southbound drivers should expect extra congestion in the mornings, since their express lanes will temporarily shift to accommodate the northbound closure.
WSDOT recommends using transit (youth ride free), carpooling, or adjusting travel times whenever possible. The agency warns that delays are likely in both directions during the closure period.
Crews from Atkinson Construction will:
- Resurface up to 20% of the northbound bridge deck
- Repair five aging expansion joints
- Improve drainage
And that’s just the beginning. In fall and winter, southbound I-5 will get its turn, with weekend-long lane reductions and closures planned. Then in 2026, longer-term lane closures are coming—though they’ll pause for Seattle’s 2026 FIFA World Cup games. Work wraps up in 2027.
Bottom line? It’s going to be a rough ride for the next couple of years, but officials say the pain now will prevent even worse disruptions down the road. So buckle up, Seattle—the bridge is getting its revival.
