SEATTLE — The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is preparing to restore northbound Interstate 5 across the Seattle Ship Canal Bridge to its normal lane configuration following nearly 10 months of construction.
WSDOT says crews working on the Revive I-5: Ship Canal Bridge Preservation Project could remove long-term lane reductions as early as the weekend of Oct. 30 through Nov. 2, marking the end of major scheduled closures on the corridor for 2026.
WSDOT says they finished the northbound work two months ahead of schedule, crediting the early wrap-up to dedicated crews and good weather.
Removing the work zone will require a weekend-long full closure of northbound I-5 from I-90 to Northeast 45th Street. During the closure, workers will reconfigure lanes, remove pinned barriers, and restripe lanes and shoulders.
WSDOT said their plan is to fully close NB I-5 between I-90 and the University District from 11:59 p.m. Friday, October 30 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 2.
They say once crews complete the barrier removal and restriping, the I-5 express lanes will return to standard daily operations.
According to WSDOT, the project schedule remains dependent on weather conditions. Remaining construction activities and work zone removal require dry weather to complete. If rainfall prevents work during the target weekend, the long-term lane reductions will remain in place until crews encounter a suitable weekend.
Some maintenance activities will continue after the work zone is removed. Drivers can expect periodic overnight closures of mainline I-5, temporary lane reductions, and early closures of express lanes while crews perform bridge maintenance and drainage improvements on the underside of the Ship Canal Bridge.
Crews are scheduled to return to the Ship Canal Bridge in 2027 to begin preservation work on the southbound lanes.