Massive I-5 Repair Project Will Slow Seattle Traffic for 3 Years

If you're going to be traveling to or around Seattle beginning in 2025, get ready for some massive road repairs, beginning soon. It's part of the "Revive I-5" project. The orange highlighted stretch of freeway is the repair zone, in this image from WSDOT.

   3-year project will address critical repair needs

WSDOT (the Washington State Department of Transportation) announced this week massive repairs are coming to Interstate 5.

An 8-mile stretch between Yessler Way and Northgate will see a lot of lane reductions as WSDOT seeks to address what they say is badly needed work. According to MyNorthwest.com:

 "Starting in spring 2025, two northbound lanes of the Ship Canal Bridge will be blocked off 24/7 for nine months. This will create a major bottleneck for drivers. Plus, the express lanes will only support northbound traffic at all times during this period, making southbound commutes even more challenging."

The southbound Lakeview Viaduct between the Ship Canal and Denny Way will also be repaired as will southbound worn-out concrete panels between Yessler and the Ship Canal.

The project will also involve repairing and repaving at least 30 on and off-ramps, which will also cause detours and delays.  The total time of the project is expected to affect traffic on this 8-mile stretch for at least 3 years.

Many of the areas, says WSDOT, are in dire need of repair, according to MyNorthwest.com:

"The decision to undertake such a big project stems from the freeway’s age and the frequency of emergency repairs. The Ship Canal Bridge alone required 49 emergency repairs between August 2022 and 2023, with nearly 200 emergency repairs on the stretch since 2019."

Locals and visitors are urged to monitor the construction, especially when it is slated to begin likely by March of 2025.  More of the project details can be found by clicking here.

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It's the largest single I-5 repair job done at one time in Puget Sound history.