Drivers across the Puget Sound region are facing another weekend of significant traffic disruptions as major construction projects bring closures to some of western Washington’s busiest freeways, including I-405, I-5, and I-90, from Friday 15 May through Monday 18 May.
Here is a full breakdown of what to expect:
Southbound I-405 in Kirkland — All southbound lanes will close from NE 124th Street to NE 70th Place starting at 11 p.m. Friday. At 6 a.m. Saturday the closure shifts south, beginning at NE 85th Street. Lanes are expected to reopen by 4 a.m. Monday.
Northbound SR 99 First Avenue South Bridge — All northbound lanes of the First Avenue Bridge will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday. Crews are carrying out Phase 2 of emergency deck repairs on the structure.
Spokane Street Swing Bridge (Low Bridge) — The bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic from 7 a.m. Saturday through late Sunday night for motor and hydraulic pump replacement. The bridge will remain open to people walking and cycling. Drivers should use the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge as an alternative.
Westbound I-90 at SR 18 — The eastbound I-90 on-ramp from SR 18 and Snoqualmie Parkway will close for construction from noon Saturday through 5 a.m. Tuesday. Heavy traffic is expected near the Preston and North Bend exits throughout the closure period.
Northbound I-5 Ship Canal Bridge — Two left lanes remain closed around the clock as part of the ongoing Revive I-5 project. Those lanes are scheduled to reopen on 8 June.
I-5 at Mercer Street — The eastbound Mercer Street to southbound I-5 on-ramp and the northbound I-5 to Mercer Street off-ramp will both close from 11 p.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday for tunnel maintenance.
I-405 and SR 522 in Woodinville — NE Woodinville Drive will be closed in both directions under I-405 from 10 p.m. Friday through 4 a.m. Monday for ramp demolition work.
Looking ahead, WSDOT has announced that most highway construction activity will be suspended during the Memorial Day holiday weekend from 22 to 25 May to ease travel across the region. Chinook Pass on SR 410 and Cayuse Pass on SR 123 are both scheduled to reopen on Friday, 22 May. However, SR 20 North Cascades Highway remains partially closed due to a rockslide and storm damage from December, with WSDOT hoping to have the highway fully reopened by the Fourth of July.
Drivers are encouraged to use public transit, carpool, or travel during off-peak hours to minimise delays. Real-time traffic and travel conditions across Washington state are available through WSDOT’s online travel map.
