Repairs to a broken expansion joint will mean two weekends of lane reductions on northbound Interstate 5 near the Duwamish River, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced.

Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, contractor crews working for WSDOT will replace the left half of the joint. Crews will complete work by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, and return to repair the right side of the joint starting at 10 p.m.  Friday, Sept. 27, finishing by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29.

Be ready for heavy traffic
Reducing the interstate to two lanes will create backups, particularly before the Seattle Seahawks game on Sunday, Sept. 22. People should plan ahead and consider alternatives such as:

  • Sound Transit Link light rail from Angle Lake or Tukwila.
  • King County Metro or Sound Transit bus service – more people on buses means fewer cars on the road.
  • Carpool
  • I-405 and I-90 or State Route 509.

Travelers can also get information on WSDOT’s Twitter and mobile app.

Expansion joint repairs
This joint was replaced in 2017 as part of an I-5 improvement project. As part of the design, contractor crews reused the steel plates from the old joint. The steel subsequently broke. During the closures, crews will install new steel and concrete in the joint. The work is weather-dependent.