SEATTLE — A six-mile stretch of northbound Interstate Five (I-5) is closed for traffic, marking the start of years of work on the Ship Canal Bridge.
As a result, traffic is spilling over into nearby neighborhoods, including Eastlake.
“Absolutely no parking,” Darold Andersen said. “As you can see, gridlock.”
Andersen, who owns Mort’s Cabin vintage store, has been working in Eastlake for more than 20 years. His store is now near two major projects: the I-5 improvements and roadway construction for the RapidRide J Line.
He’s already looking forward to them wrapping up.
“With all these construction projects, there is going to be a large volume of people,” he said. “When the RapidRide buses get going, I will have a bus stop right in front of Mort’s Cabin.”
All things considered, he has years of construction to look forward to.
“It’s a bit of a nightmare,” Andersen said.
The Revive I5 traffic isn’t just spilling over into Eastlake. State Route 99 in East Queen Anne also saw backups.
Construction along the six-mile stretch of I-5 will continue until 2027.
After the weekend, two northbound lanes will remain closed for months, with a brief reopening for the FIFA World Cup.
Once that’s done, crews will repeat the process for the southbound lanes.
“This will take a major adjustment from most travelers,” Julie Meredith, Washington State Secretary of Transportation, said. “We know it can be difficult at times, but we will get through it.”
Business owners like Andersen said these types of inconveniences are just the price people pay to live in a growing city.
“You know, it’s important to keep our infrastructure in repair,” he said. “So in a way, we just have to bite the bullet.”
I-5, from the Ship Canal Bridge to NE. 45th Street, is set to reopen Monday morning.
©2026 Cox Media Group
