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Northbound I-5 lanes on Seattle’s Ship Canal Bridge may reopen Nov. 2
WSDOT says it is ahead of schedule on bridge repairs and could restore all four northbound lanes as soon as Nov. 2. The change depends on dry weather and will require a weekend closure of I-5 between I-90 and Northeast 45th Street.
SEATTLE — Washington transportation officials say all four northbound lanes of I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge could reopen as soon as Nov. 2, ending months of lane restrictions earlier than planned.
The Washington State Department of Transportation said its Revive I-5 work is ahead of schedule after a dry fall. Crews are expected to begin preparing for the change Oct. 30. The reopening is weather-dependent; if rain prevents the work, the two-lane restriction will remain until crews find a suitable weekend.
To remove the work zone, crews will need to close I-5 for a weekend between I-90 and Northeast 45th Street. They will reconfigure lanes, remove pinned barriers and repaint lane and shoulder markings. WSDOT has not specified exact closure hours in the information available.
The northbound side has been reduced from four lanes to two during the 2026 work season. The project involves repairs to the bridge deck and improvements to its drainage system, work intended to address infrastructure problems that have required repeated emergency repairs. WSDOT has put the project’s cost at $178 million.
Even if all northbound lanes reopen in November, construction activity will continue. Drivers should expect occasional overnight closures on I-5, lane reductions and early closures of the express lanes as crews work on the bridge and drainage beneath it. WSDOT says it will provide advance notice of those closures.
The more than 60-year-old bridge carries nearly a quarter-million people each day, according to WSDOT. Work on the southbound lanes is planned for 2027, though the department has not announced a start date.