Prepare: Busy travel weekend in greater Seattle area

SEATTLE – Starting late Friday evening, Nov. 21, travelers should expect lane reductions and ramp or full roadway closures at several Seattle-area construction projects.

The work includes:

• Lane reductions on southbound Interstate 5 over the Ship Canal Bridge in Seattle scheduled to start around 10 p.m. Friday.
• Ramp closures at the I-405/State Route 522 interchange in Bothell starting at 10 p.m. Friday.
• Closure of eastbound SR 520 from I-5 to Montlake Boulevard, along with the southbound I-5 off-ramp to eastbound SR 520 beginning at 11 p.m. Friday.

Work on all three projects will wrap up early Monday, Nov. 24, before the main morning commute

Revive I-5

This is the fourth of six scheduled weekends of I-5 drainage improvements for the Revive I-5: Ship Canal Bridge Preservation project. Drainage improvements have progressed so well over the first three weekends that crews will move from working in the two left to the two right lanes this weekend, one week ahead of schedule. This means crews no longer need the sixth scheduled weekend closure (Jan. 9-12, 2026) for southbound drainage improvements. This exceptional progress allows WSDOT to return to the northbound lanes to begin long-term lane reductions Jan. 9, 2026, if relatively dry weather is forecast.

Throughout the weekend, crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will cut concrete and install new drainage structures on the bridge’s southbound lanes. Additionally, crews will close the Northeast 45th Street on-ramp to southbound I-5 during this weekend lane reduction.

People traveling on southbound I-5 should expect delays near the lane reductions, which will be in place 24 hours a day from the Northeast 45th Street/Northeast 50th Street off-ramp to the SR 520 interchange. All lanes will reopen to traffic by 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 24.

Express lanes operate southbound all weekend

People using northbound I-5 may also experience delays, as the express lanes will be open southbound only throughout the weekend for the Revive I-5 work. While all southbound drivers may use the express lanes, travelers still need to observe signs for HOV-only entrances and exits and be aware of vehicle height restrictions. 

SR 520 closures

Crews will close eastbound SR 520 between I-5 and Montlake Boulevard in Seattle beginning at 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, until 5 a.m., Monday, Nov. 24, to remove portions of the existing bridge barrier and more construction activities as part of the SR 520 Portage Bay Bridge and Roanoke Lid Project.

Drivers wanting to access eastbound SR 520 from I-5 will need to use alternate routes. Eastbound SR 520 remains open across Lake Washington; only the section of SR 520 between I-5 and Montlake Boulevard will close.

I-405 ramp closures

Starting at 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21 until 4 a.m., Monday, Nov. 24 crews will close ramps at the I-405/SR 522 Interchange. This will allow crews to switch traffic to the new northbound I-405 on-ramp and turn on new traffic signals at two new intersections on SR 522 between Bothell and Woodinville.

Drivers should plan for a series of ramp closures, changing detours and traffic lanes, new signs and traffic signals. This work is part of the I-405/Brickyard to SR 527 Improvement Project.

Stay informed 

People are encouraged to stay informed and plan ahead using real-time travel information from the WSDOT mobile app, the WSDOT Travel Center Map or by signing up for WSDOT's email updates. A little planning can go a long way toward keeping this weekend from becoming a traffic fright.