Viaduct ramp closures, I-5 northbound reduced to two lanes in Tukwila this weekend

TUKWILA, Wash. — Three right lanes of I-5 in Tukwila will be closed this weekend Jan. 5-6, for an emergency expansion joint replacement project.

Along with the I-5 lane closures, crews will close the State Route 99 on-and-off ramps near Seattle's stadiums on Friday night. These closures begin at 10 p.m. on the northbound on-ramp from Royal Brougham and southbound off-ramp to South Atlantic Street.

The lane closures will be across the Duwamish River Bridge and officials say travelers should expect delays of up to an hour.

"This is what it takes to keep our aging transportation system reliable for commuters and freight haulers," Washington State Department of Transportation Assistant Regional Administrator Amir Rasaie said in a news release.

"We need to complete this repair work as soon as possible in order to prevent unplanned closures for emergency repairs, especially with the upcoming closure of State Route 99 in Seattle."

Officials said a second weekend is needed to finish repairs and will be scheduled soon, but crews want to finish the work ahead of the three-week closure of the Alaskan Way viaduct coming on Jan. 11.

“As part of a Revive I-5 project in May 2017, contractor crews working for WSDOT replaced the deteriorating concrete connections of the expansion joint, known as the header, by reusing metal pieces that appeared to be in good condition. However, part of the metal broke last October and had to be removed during an emergency lane closure. Now, the permanent fix will keep the bridge connections in place for years to come,” Rasaie said.

Northbound I-5 closure details: The lane closures will run from 10 p.m. on Friday to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.

The following on-ramps to northbound I-5 ramps also will be closed:

-Southcenter Boulevard
-I-405 HOV only
-Interurban Avenue.

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