Nicole Daniels, communications, 206-440-4479

TUKWILA – Travelers who use northbound Interstate 5 in Tukwila will want to plan ahead for delays and added congestion the weekends of March 16-17 and 23-24.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will reduce northbound I-5 to two lanes across the Duwamish River Bridge. These two weekend-long closures will give them room to safely replace hardware in an expansion joint that broke in fall 2018. This permanent fix will keep the joint in good working order for years to come.

During the first weekend-long closure, contractor crews will replace metal on the right half of the expansion joint, then transfer to the left half during the second weekend. This allows us to keep two lanes of northbound I-5 open while the critical repair work is being completed. Here are the details:

From 10 p.m. Friday, March 15, to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 17, weather-dependent:

The three right lanes of northbound I-5 between the I-405/State Route 518 interchange and MLK Jr. Way will be closed.

The following northbound I-5 on-ramps will also close: Southbound I-405 HOV only. Southcenter Boulevard. Interurban Avenue South.



From 10 p.m. Friday, March 22, to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 24, weather-dependent:

The three left lanes of northbound I-5 between the I-405/SR 518 interchange and MLK Jr. Way will be closed.

The following northbound I-5 on-ramps will also close: Southbound I-405 HOV only. Southcenter Boulevard. Interurban Avenue South.



The eastbound SR 518 on-ramp to northbound I-5 will remain open during both weekends of work, as will the northbound I-5 off-ramp to SR 599. However, people who drive in this area should expect heavy traffic and delays of up to an hour.

What drivers should do

Leave extra time for travel, particularly to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Consider taking carpool, vanpool or public transportation.

Use alternate routes to avoid delays on northbound I-5.

Plan ahead for increased congestion throughout the region due to several special events happening in the Seattle area.

For the latest traffic information, visit our webpage, download our mobile app and follow us on Twitter @WSDOT_Traffic.