Drivers around the Puget Sound region should brace for widespread delays and shifting traffic patterns during this weekend.
Drivers around the Puget Sound region should brace for widespread delays and shifting traffic patterns during this weekend as multiple major highway construction projects bring closures and lane reductions across several corridors.
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The Washington State Department of Transportation said travelers should expect longer and less predictable trips, with delays possible “in new places and at new times,” and conditions that can change week to week as construction moves around the region during the good weather window needed for much of the work.
Officials are urging people to allow extra time, check conditions for their entire trip before leaving, and use real-time traffic information.
WSDOT said the work is spread across the region, but the effects can overlap as drivers adjust routes and traffic shifts between highways and local streets.
To help ease congestion, the agency recommends using transit and park-and-ride options and being flexible about travel times. Drivers are also asked to slow down, stay alert, and follow posted signs in work zones.
Northbound I-405 closure: Renton to Bellevue
All lanes of northbound Interstate 405 will close from North Southport Drive in Renton to Coal Creek Parkway Southeast in Bellevue from 11:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, to 4 a.m. Monday, Sept. 21.
Crews will work on drainage, paving, and a traffic switch as part of the I-405/Renton to Bellevue Widening and Express Toll Lanes Project. A signed northbound detour will be in place.
WSDOT also warned travelers to watch for northbound lane reductions along the detour route on Coal Creek Parkway Southeast due to King County’s Coal Creek Sewer Upgrade Project.
Eastbound I-90 lane and ramp closures in Bellevue
Three left lanes on eastbound Interstate 90 between Mercer Island and Richards Road in Bellevue will close from 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, to 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20.
The eastbound I-90 HOV off-ramp to Bellevue Way Southeast will also close.
Crews will repair the eastbound I-90 bridge over Richards Road. The work is part of a project repaving nearly 2 miles of eastbound I-90. Construction is expected to finish in October, pending favorable weather and site conditions.
Northbound I-5 lane reductions across the Ship Canal Bridge continue
Northbound Interstate 5 in Seattle remains reduced to two lanes across the Ship Canal Bridge until the end of 2026 as part of the Revive I-5 Ship Canal Bridge Preservation project.
WSDOT said the express lanes will remain open northbound-only 24 hours a day. The Harvard Avenue on-ramp to northbound I-5 is closed until mid-October.
Eastbound SR 520 lane closures in Redmond
Bridge maintenance crews will close the two right lanes of eastbound State Route 520 over Lake Sammamish Parkway in Redmond from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20, for repair work.
