With the impending La Niña phenomenon, many in the Pacific Northwest are preparing for a wetter than usual fall and winter, including the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), which means the agency is rushing to complete many projects before the heavy rains arrive.
This weekend there will be a full closure of two sections of Interstate 405 (I-405), a full closure of the Mercer Street exits from southbound Interstate 5 (I-5), a full closure of Lake Washington Boulevard near Montlake, and an overnight lane closure on Interstate 90 (I-90) between Mercer Island and Seattle.
Interstate-405/Bothell:
The I-405/Brickyard to SR 527 improvement project will close all northbound lanes between SR 522 and SR 527. This closure includes the east-west on- and off-ramps on SR 522, both the on- and off-ramps on NE 195th Street, and the off-ramps to SR 527. The full closure will provide ample room for crews to work safely and efficiently while they replace pavement panels and install drainage systems. This project is in the initial phases and is scheduled to be completed in spring 2028.
This closure will be in effect from 11pm Friday to 5am Monday. A detour will be in place, but drivers are asked to plan ahead and travel during off-peak hours or reroute their weekend travel.
Chris Sullivan: Hit-and-run suspects are caught with one warning sign after another
Interstate 405/Renton:
The I-405/Renton to Bellevue widening and express toll lane project will close all southbound lanes between SR 900 and SR 167. This closure includes the Sunset Boulevard NE on-ramps, Southport Drive, the SR 900 and SR 169 on-ramps, and the SR 167 off-ramps. This project, scheduled for completion in 2025, will expand the express toll lane (ETL) system, build infrastructure to support Sound Transit’s rapid transit bus service, and develop fish habitat.
This closure will be in effect from Friday midnight to Monday 4 a.m. with diversions.
Mercer Street exits:
The I-5 southbound exits to Mercer Street will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday night to 5 a.m. Monday morning.
If all goes according to plan, this will be the last weekend that the Mercer Street ramps will be closed as crews are in the final stages of converting these ramps for the future SR 520/I-5 Express Lanes Connection Project.
Bottlenecks: 16 million kilograms of garbage piled up on the streets of Western Australia
Lake Washington Boulevard:
Husky fans will have one less option to get to the game on Saturday. Lake Washington Boulevard will be closed between Montlake Boulevard and Foster Island, cutting off access through the Arboretum. From 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, workers will pave and stripe that section of road. Local access will be permitted.
I-90 west over Lake Washington:
Wash-DOT will be conducting regular maintenance on the Mercer Island Lid and Mount Baker Tunnel on Friday evenings. Work will include sweeping, cleaning drains and ventilation systems, and testing fire extinguishers. This overnight work will result in lane closures between Mercer Island and Seattle beginning at 10 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Saturday.
Nate Connors is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of Nate’s stories here.
Follow Nate on X and email him here. Head
Here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.
