Emergency I-5 Closure Near Seattle This Weekend

TUKWILA, WA - Brace yourself for slowdowns along a busy stretch of I-5 this weekend. WSDOT crews will be making emergency repairs in the northbound lanes near the Duwamish River all weekend.

Thankfully, the repairs will only require that three northbound lanes over the Duwamish remain closed. Two lanes will remain open along the busy stretch of I-5 near the I-405, SR 518, SR 599 interchanges.

"[I]n May 2017, contractor crews working for WSDOT replaced the deteriorating concrete connections of the expansion joint, known as the header, by reusing metal pieces that appeared to be in good condition," WSDOT explained in a blog post. "However, part of the metal broke last October and had to be removed during an emergency lane closure. Now, the permanent fix will keep the bridge connections in place for years to come."

In addition to the lane closures, the I-5 on-ramps at Southcenter Boulevard, I-405 HOV lanes, and Interurban Avenue will be closed.

WSDOT is hurrying to finish the repairs before the Jan. 11 closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Crews won't complete all the work this weekend, which means another closure at some point in the coming weeks.

The closure starts at 10 p.m. Friday and lasts until 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

Image via Google Maps