WSDOT announces months-long lane reductions across I-5 Ship Canal Bridge

SEATTLE – Work will return to the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 across the Ship Canal Bridge as early as Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, marking the start of months-long lane reductions. Crews will be working 24/7 to complete this work as quickly as possible. This next phase of the Revive I-5 Ship Canal Bridge Preservation project, builds on work that began in 2025 and continues through 2027. Crews are repairing and resurfacing the upper bridge deck, replacing concrete and aging bridge expansion joints, improving drainage and addressing other maintenance issues. 

“Preservation is how we take care of what keeps Washington moving. For too long, we’ve deferred the maintenance our system depends on, and we cannot defer any longer,” said Gov. Bob Ferguson. “Our work on Revive I-5 is about protecting a key transportation backbone, keeping people and goods moving and honoring the investments generations of Washingtonians have made. When we preserve what we have built, we strengthen the people, communities and economy that depend on it.”

Contractor crews working for WSDOT will close northbound I-5 from I-90 to Northeast 45th Street for a full weekend to set up the work zone in the two left northbound I-5 lanes across the bridge, currently projected as Jan. 9-12 if weather permits. Once the work zone is in place, the Ship Canal Bridge will re-open to two lanes for bridge deck repair and resurface work until another weekend-long full northbound I-5 closure in early June.

All lanes of I-5 will be open during the 2026 FIFA World Cup games in Seattle. A weekend-long full northbound I-5 closure will occur between June 5-8, 2026, to remove the work zone. After the final World Cup game in Seattle, Revive I-5 will return the weekend of July 10-13, 2026, with another weekend-long full northbound I-5 closure to set up a new work zone in the two right northbound I-5 lanes across the Ship Canal Bridge that will last through the end of 2026. Many factors can impact the timeline on a major construction project, including weather. The goal is to complete work on northbound I-5 by the end of 2026. The final year of the project in 2027 will focus on southbound I-5. 

2026 Revive I-5 schedule

• As early as Jan. 9-12: weekend-long full closure of northbound I-5 (work zone set up).
• As early as Jan. 12-June 5: months-long two left northbound I-5 lane reduction across the Ship Canal Bridge.
• June 5-8: weekend-long full closure of northbound I-5 (work zone removal).
• June 8-July 10: all lanes of I-5 reopened for FIFA World Cup games.
• July 10-13: weekend-long full closure of northbound I-5 (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 closure of northbound I-5 (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 work for the following weekend.

Express lanes 

Express lanes will run northbound-only, 24 hours a day during directional closures and lane reductions for Revive I-5. Those traveling on I-5 to or through Seattle may experience traffic delays as the express lanes will not be switching to southbound like they typically do in the morning hours. Keeping express lanes northbound-only allows WSDOT to balance the system during this work. 

Traffic impacts

“We have worked closely with our partners and together and we are ready,” said Washington State Secretary of Transportation Julie Meredith. “These months-long lane reductions across the Ship Canal Bridge and the weekend-long full closures will impact regional traffic. As we saw people do during the summer 2025 work on the Ship Canal Bridge, adjusting travel times, modes and routes will help keep people moving to and through Seattle.” 

About the Revive I-5 Ship Canal Bridge Preservation project|

Contractor crews will be working 24/7 within the permit limits on the Ship Canal Bridge, which is currently Washington state’s largest preservation effort. This critical bridge, one of the busiest stretches of I-5 with almost 240,000 vehicles traveling across the bridge each day, hasn’t seen a major preservation effort in over 40 years. Repairing and resurfacing the Ship Canal Bridge deck over the next two years is vital to extending the life of the bridge and ensuring this economic backbone of the state is in good working condition for decades to come.   

Stay informed

People are encouraged to stay informed by visiting the project webpage and plan ahead using real-time travel information from the WSDOT mobile app, the WSDOT Travel Center Map or by signing up for WSDOT's email updates.