After nearly 10 months of reduced capacity on northbound I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge, Washington state is preparing to restore the highway’s normal lane configuration on Monday, November 2. But first, crews will need to completely close northbound I-5 from I-90 to Northeast 45th Street for the entire Halloween weekend—from 11:59 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday. The schedule depends on dry weather, which is needed to apply the new lane markings.
For drivers, it will be a familiar but especially unpleasant Seattle trade-off: put up with two lanes instead of four for months, then endure a weekend when the road is completely impassable. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) contractors are removing concrete barriers and the work zone, reconfiguring traffic, and painting lane and shoulder markings. After that, all four northbound lanes on the bridge’s upper deck are expected to reopen.
The closure covers one of the most sensitive stretches of the city’s road network: from the I-90 interchange through downtown and Capitol Hill to the University District. Access ramps to northbound I-5 began closing Friday evening; several exits will also be unavailable, including those to Olive Way, Mercer Street, SR 520 and Northeast 45th Street. Drivers who reach the highway before the closed section are advised to exit onto I-90 or city streets, or use the express lanes if their route allows.
The express lanes have served as something of a pressure valve for the city during these months. Since July, they have operated northbound around the clock, and even single-occupant vehicles could use them when entering from the main northbound I-5 lanes or certain city ramps. Starting Monday, if removal of the work zone is completed on schedule, they will return to their usual reversible operation, with direction changing based on the time of day and traffic demand.
The current phase began on July 13, when the two right-hand northbound lanes were closed after a brief pause for the FIFA World Cup matches. Before that, from January to early June, crews occupied the two left-hand lanes. As a result, I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge has been reduced to half its usual width for nearly the entire year, on a bridge that carries about 240,000 vehicles a day.
The reason for the disruption goes beyond cosmetic repairs. The bridge, built in the 1960s, had not undergone such extensive rehabilitation in about 40 years. Between 2019 and 2024, WSDOT had to carry out more than 200 unplanned emergency repairs there. As part of the Revive I-5 program, crews are restoring and resurfacing the upper deck, replacing damaged concrete and old expansion joints, and improving drainage—all work intended to reduce the risk of sudden closures in the future.
The $178 million contract runs through the end of 2027, so Monday will be a respite, not the finish line. Night work and occasional restrictions may continue on the bridge in the coming weeks to maintain the structure’s lower level and drainage system. In early 2027, long-term restrictions are expected to shift to southbound I-5. But for drivers who have spent months since January measuring their trips across the city by the queues at Portage Bay, the return of all four northbound lanes will bring a rare sense that the road belongs to them again.
Based on: Seattle Ship Canal Bridge work set to end, but weekend will be rough