Revive I-5: Ship Canal Bridge Preservation

I-5/Yesler Way to Northgate Vic – Pavement, Deck, Joints and Drainage

Northbound I-5 in Seattle is reduced to two lanes across the Ship Canal Bridge until June. The express lanes will run northbound only 24 hours a day. 

Project overviewThe Revive I-5 lane reduction across the two left lanes of the Ship Canal Bridge will be in place until FIFA World Cup matches begin in Seattle. Work will return July 10 to the two right northbound lanes until end of 2026.

WSDOT built Interstate 5, Washington’s main freeway, in the 1960s. The busiest section runs through Seattle with almost 240,000 vehicles traveling across the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge daily. The Ship Canal Bridge’s last major preservation effort was more than 40 years ago and now requires repair and resurfacing to extend the life of the bridge and help avoid unplanned lane and highway closures.

Through the Revive I-5: Ship Canal Bridge Preservation project, WSDOT and our contractor Atkinson Construction, will repair and resurface the upper bridge deck, replace aging bridge expansion joints, improve drainage and address other maintenance issues. Major construction began in summer 2025 and will continue through 2027.

Timeline: 2020-2027
Project Status: Construction
Funding: $203 million

What to expect

We’re committed to helping you get to, through or around Seattle so you can experience everything the region has to offer – just remember to plan ahead.

Northbound I-5 Ship Canal Bridge reduced to two lanes until June

Northbound I-5 is reduced to two lanes across the Ship Canal Bridge from Jan. 9 to June 5, 2026, for preservation work. During lane reductions, crews will replace aging expansion joints, repair and resurface the upper bridge deck, and improve drainage. Due to express lanes running northbound only 24 hours a day during construction, expect traffic impacts in both the northbound and southbound direction through and to Seattle. 

Construction will pause during FIFA World Cup then resume through end of 2026

On June 5, 2026, crews will pause work and remove the work zone for the FIFA World Cup matches in Seattle using a weekend-long full closure from I-90 to Northeast 45th Street. After the last World Cup match in Seattle, crews will return with another weekend-long full closure on July 10 to set up a new work zone in the two right lanes of northbound I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge until end of 2026

Schedule of northbound I-5 closures and reductions:

Jan. 9 - 12: weekend-long full northbound I-5 closure (work zone set up) - COMPLETE
Jan. 12 - June 5: months-long two left northbound I-5 lane reduction across the Ship Canal Bridge.
June 5 - 8: weekend-long full northbound I-5 closure (work zone removal).
June 8 - July 10: Revive I-5 will pause work and remove the Ship Canal Bridgework zone for FIFA World Cup matches in Seattle.
July 10 -13: weekend-long full northbound I-5 closure (work zone set up).
July 13 - end of 2026: months-long two right northbound I-5 lane reduction across the Ship Canal Bridge.
End of 2026: weekend-long full northbound I-5 closure (work zone removal).

Weekend-long full closures for work zone set up or removal are weather dependent. Crews need dry weather to re-stripe lanes. That means if the weather is too rainy, crews will reschedule.

Express lanes

Express lanes will operate northbound only 24 hours a day for all Revive I-5 lane reductions and closures in 2026. Express lanes will not run southbound as they typically do in the mornings. When northbound I-5 is reduced from four lanes to two, as it is during this phase of construction, even a single collision or disabled vehicle can significantly disrupt traffic. Keeping express lanes operating northbound helps reduce the risk of a full northbound shutdown and gives traffic operators greater flexibility to respond to incidents. Expect delays, especially during the morning hours. Before using the express lanes, please note:

All drivers may use the express lanes. However, some ramps are HOV-only. Express lanes have a height restriction of 14 feet 7 inches.
Express lanes return to mainline I-5 at Northgate.
Express lanes do not provide access to SR 520.

Northbound express lane entrances from downtown Seattle:

Fifth Avenue/Columbia-Cherry Streets (HOV-only)
Ninth Avenue/Pike-Pine Street (HOV-only)
Howell Street/Eastlake Avenue
Mercer Street

The first exit on northbound running express lanes is Northeast 42nd Street in the University District. Northbound express lane exits include:

Northeast 42nd Street
Lake City Way Northeast
Northgate Way/ Northeast 103rd Street

See the maps and diagrams section for details.

2027

Revive I-5 will continue in the southbound I-5 lanes across the Ship Canal Bridge in 2027 with a combination of full closures and lane reductions. Details will be shared as they become available.

Know before you go

You can expect delays during construction on the Ship Canal Bridge. Plan ahead for long-term impact to travel. That can be finding an alternate route, changing the time you travel or taking a different mode, like transit. Consider combining travel options, such as taking a bus to light rail, when and wherever possible.

We encourage you to ride transit – it’s the best, most reliable way to get around – and youth 18 and under ride free. If you’re planning on traveling to or around Seattle, start with Flip Your Trip or refer to the available resources in our Related links tab.

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Revive I-5 is just one of multiple construction projects that will have work this year so be prepared for sustained, overlapping work across the region’s most critical corridors, including I-5, I-405, SR 167, SR 520 and I-90. Given the long-term lane reductions on I-5, it is no longer possible to avoid multiple overlapping closures like we did in the past. Also please remember that WSDOT is not the only agency with work in the region. We strive to be the best partner we can and will continue to coordinate and give where possible but each of these projects have milestones they must reach to help keep our transportation system reliable and resilient.

Maps and Diagrams

2026 northbound I-5 lane closures and reductions

Northbound I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge will be reduced to two lanes for most of 2026. Construction is currently occurring in the left two lanes. In June, Revive I-5 will pause work and remove the Ship Canal Bridge work zone for FIFA World Cup matches in Seattle. After the last World Cup match in Seattle, the work zone will move to the two right lanes of northbound I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge. WSDOT will need to use weekend-long full northbound I-5 closures from I-90 to Northeast 45th Street to set up and remove work zones across the bridge.

Express lanes will operate northbound only 24 hours a day for the duration of the months-long northbound I-5 lane reductions and closures. Those traveling northbound can enter the express lanes from mainline northbound I-5 around Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (enter on the left) with additional entrances from downtown Seattle. Express lanes are available for everyone to use; however, some entrances and exits are HOV-only and there is a height restriction of 14 feet 7 inches

The first exit from the express lanes is Northeast 42nd Street in the University District. There is no access to SR 520 from the express lanes. Express lanes return to mainline I-5 at Northgate.

Express lanes will not run southbound so expect delays, especially during the morning commute.