3-day closure of Seattle’s 1st Avenue South bridge begins Monday

SEATTLE — The Washington State Department of Transportation is closing Seattle’s 1st Avenue South bridge for three days for repairs.

The bridge’s northbound lanes will close at 5 a.m. on Monday, March 9, and won’t reopen until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11.

Two lanes of the bridge were closed on February 18 after crews found cracks in the steel deck grates during an inspection.

The discovery was concerning enough that WSDOT immediately closed two lanes that were affected and said crews would give an update sometime in March.

The temporary repair will allow all northbound lanes to reopen with a temporary speed limit reduction to 25 mph. The speed reduction will remain in place until the second phase of the repair is complete.

The next phase will take place in mid-to-late April. That’s when crews will replace the nine steel grate panels that are in the worst condition. Manufacturing these panels is underway, and WSDOT says it should take about six weeks. Installation is scheduled to begin as soon as they are delivered.

The goal is to complete the replacement before the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins in June.

Once this phase is complete, all northbound lanes will reopen at normal speeds.

Phase three will be a full northbound deck replacement, which likely won’t begin until next year. WSDOT says design is underway, but this project will require more substantial coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and regional partners.

©2026 Cox Media Group