Weekend road work roundup: Major closures to hit Ballard Bridge, I-5
This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will close both directions of the Ballard Bridge from 10 p.m. Friday, April 25, to 5 a.m. Monday, April 28. This closure allows contractors to resume the Ballard Bridge Paving and Safety Project, which began last fall. The goal is to upgrade parts of the 108-year-old bridge that spans Salmon Bay. Several weekend closures will be necessary to complete the work, and this weekend marks the first of four confirmed dates, with two additional weekends scheduled as backups if needed.
With the bridge closed, traffic will shift to surface streets between Ballard, Queen Anne Hill, and Fremont. Drivers can expect congestion in these areas as approximately 48,000 daily commuters seek alternate routes. The University and Fremont bridges will carry much of the overflow traffic, while State Route 99 (Aurora Avenue) and Interstate 5 (I-5) are also expected to see increased volumes. These changes could affect weekend travel, including trips to Seattle Mariners games.
WSDOT crews will continue work on a new temporary off-ramp from eastbound State Route 520 (SR 520) to Montlake Boulevard. The ramp is being constructed next to the existing one, which will be closed for safety from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. This work is part of the SR 520 Portage Bay Project, which began in November 2024.
During the closure, eastbound drivers on SR 520 will be directed across Lake Washington, where they'll need to pay a toll. To avoid the toll, WSDOT recommends using Interstate 90 as an alternate route.
Drivers traveling on State Route 18 (SR 18) will not be able to access westbound Interstate 90 (I-90) over the weekend. WSDOT crews will be relocating a barrier, repaving, and repainting the on-ramp as part of the diverging diamond interchange project. The closure will be in effect from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, with a detour in place for drivers during this time. The project is expected to be completed this summer.
In Kirkland, WSDOT will continue work at the I-405 and Northeast 85th Street interchange in preparation for a major traffic switch onto a new bridge. Drivers should expect significant lane and ramp closures throughout the weekend.
On northbound I-405, up to three lanes will be closed between SR 520 and NE 85th Street from 10 p.m. Friday to 4:30 a.m. Monday. Southbound I-405 will also see up to three lane closures overnight between NE 124th Street and NE 85th Street, starting 9:30 p.m. Sunday and ending 4:30 a.m. Monday.
Ramp closures include the northbound I-405 on- and off-ramps at NE 85th Street from 10 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Sunday. The southbound I-405 off-ramp to NE 85th Street will close twice: from 10 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, and again from 10 p.m. Sunday to 7 a.m. Monday.
During these closures, the Express Toll Lanes (ETL) will be open to all drivers regardless of registration or payment status.
WSDOT crews will conduct a scheduled inspection of the Nisqually River Bridge on southbound I-5 this weekend. To complete the work, crews will use a specialized inspection truck that extends over the bridge's edges and beneath the deck. This will require lane closures between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Drivers should expect slowdowns and potential backups during those hours.
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