SEATTLE — Take a new route, take the bus, or even plan to spend the night in Seattle over the weekends the Washington State Department of Transportation will close down I-5.
The I-5 stretch through Seattle opened in the 1960s. WSDOT notes that “full-blown rehabilitation has never happened” since then. That’s changing, as work happens between northbound I-5 between MLK Way and Northeast Ravenna Avenue.
Seattle will get 13 miles of new concrete and asphalt, as well as 37 new expansion joints. The job comes with a $51.2 million price tag.
The job also comes with a series of closures over weekends — from late Friday night to early Monday morning.
WSDOT plans to take I-5 down to two lanes during much of this time, including a complete shut down of the northbound lanes over two weekends.
The work can only be done during dry weather. In the case of rain, WSDOT may change the plan.
The remaining Revive I-5 schedule is:
- May 18-21: Two lanes open
- June 1-4: Full northbound I-5 closure
- July 13-16: Full northbound I-5 closure
While the closures through Seattle may be most noticeable, the work to “Revive I-5” began in 2017 on a stretch of southbound I-5 between the Duwamish River Bridge in Tukwila and South 320th Street in Federal Way.
WSDOT recommends that commuters use public transportation, light rail, carpool, bike, or walk to get around the freeway closures. It notes that I-405 will remain open, as well as other highways such as 99, 509, and 518. WSDOT also recommends that people could plan to spend the night in Seattle to avoid traveling during the work hours.
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