Work on the I-5 ship canal bridge preservation project in Seattle is set to pick back up this weekend, and that means a significant closure for drivers heading north. Crews will shut down the northbound lanes of I-5 across the bridge while the preservation work moves forward, forcing traffic to adjust for the duration of the weekend.
The closure is scheduled to begin at eleven fifty-nine on Friday night, effectively taking the northbound lanes across the bridge out of service just before midnight. From there, the shutdown is set to stretch through the weekend rather than clearing in a matter of hours.
According to the schedule, the closure will last until five in the morning on Monday the thirteenth. That leaves the northbound stretch of the bridge closed across the busiest part of the weekend, a window crews will use to keep the preservation work on the aging span moving along.
To keep at least some capacity flowing in that direction during the shutdown, the express lanes will be running northbound only while the closure is in effect. That arrangement is meant to give northbound drivers an alternative path through the corridor while the main lanes across the bridge are shut down.
The disruption will not fully lift the moment the weekend ends. When the freeway reopens on Monday morning, the bridge will be down to two lanes, meaning drivers should still expect reduced capacity and slower going even after the full closure is over.
The work is part of the ongoing effort to preserve the I-5 ship canal bridge, a key link for traffic moving through Seattle. With the northbound closure landing over a full weekend and lingering into the start of the week, drivers relying on that stretch of I-5 will want to plan ahead and leave extra time on the road.