A major construction project on Interstate 5 in Seattle has been delayed. Officials from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) confirmed on Monday that construction is expected to begin in 2026.
Work was originally scheduled to begin in March. WSDOT was actively working with its contractor to align construction spending with available funding while balancing the bridge’s preservation needs and public impacts.
Due to changes in the financial environment, WSDOT said there was a “significant” gap in funding, and the original plan would have exceeded budget projections.
WSDOT still plans to perform some work this year, which could include weekend closures and possible lane reductions, impacting travelers.
The closures are part of WSDOT’s Revive I-5 work to replace concrete panels and expansion joints, resurface bridge decks, improve Ship Canal Bridge drainage and repair structural components on the bridge. Since 2019, the bridge has required more than 200 emergency repairs, and it was last resurfaced in 1985, according to WSDOT.
WSDOT previously planned to close two northbound lanes between state Route 520 and Northeast 45th Street for nine months starting in March 2025. It then planned to reduce portions of southbound I-5 to two lanes for the same amount of time in similar areas.
A new construction plan and timeline have not yet been released. However, when construction begins in 2026, WSDOT still plans to work around the 2026 World Cup, which will hold matches in Seattle during the summer. All lanes will be open on I-5 from early June through mid-July.
Until construction begins, WSDOT plans to monitor conditions on the bridge and respond if needs arise.
Source: King 5, KIRO
