WSDOT is keeping the I-5 express lanes running northbound around the clock through June to support construction.
SEATTLE — A King County official is urging the Washington State Department of Transportation to partially reopen the Interstate 5 express lanes to southbound traffic as commuters face severe delays.
King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn sent a letter Friday to WSDOT Secretary Julie Meredith, asking the agency to explore opening the express lanes southbound for part of the morning commute.
“These impacts to southbound I-5 traffic have created debilitating conditions,” Dunn said. “This is simply an untenable and unacceptable new norm for commuters.”
Dunn said travel times from Lynnwood to Seattle have ballooned to more than 90 minutes.
WSDOT is keeping the I-5 express lanes running northbound around the clock through June to support construction tied to the Revive I-5 project near the Ship Canal Bridge. Southbound drivers should plan for added congestion.
Traffic could worsen this weekend with the Seahawks hosting a home playoff game Saturday, Jan. 17. WSDOT urged fans to plan ahead, check conditions and consider public transit.
“Even if we said we’re not going to work this weekend because there’s a big playoff game in town, that’s not going to help traffic, because we have a concrete barrier down the middle of the northbound lanes of the Ship Canal Bridge,” said Tom Pearce, a WSDOT spokesperson. “Those lanes are not opening again until we finish the work out there.”
Additional construction is also planned on northbound I-405 in Bellevue.
Up to two lanes will be closed from Southeast Eighth Street to Northeast Fourth/Eighth Street from 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, to 4:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 19, with additional nightly lane closures north of I-90. The Southeast Eighth Street on-ramp to northbound I-405 and the northbound I-405 off-ramp to Northeast Fourth/Eighth Street (Exit 13 A/B) will also be closed, with signed detours in place.
Most drivers can use the express lanes, but vehicles over 14 feet 7 inches are prohibited. Some ramps are HOV-only, including Northeast Ravenna Boulevard (entrance), Pike Street (exit), and Fifth Avenue/Columbia-Cherry Street (exit).
NB express lane entrances
- Columbia Street (HOV-only)
- Cherry Street (HOV-only)
- Pike Street (HOV-only)
- Pine Street (HOV-only)
- Stewart Street
- Howell Street
- Denny Way
- Mercer Street
NB express lane exits
- NE 42nd Street
- NE Ravenna Boulevard (HOV-only)
- Lake City Way NE
- 1st Avenue NE / NE 103rd Street
To ensure diverse coverage and expert insight across a wide range of topics, our publication features contributions from multiple staff writers with varied areas of expertise.
