I-5 repairs, lane closures in Seattle postponed again due to wet weather

Another rainy weekend forecast has the Washington State Department of Transportation again postponing Interstate 5 work and related lane closures.

“Welp,” WSDOT tweeted Friday morning, “our forecast has come in. Due to the wet weather forecasted for this weekend, we have to once again postpone Revive I-5 work. No lane reductions.”

Construction crews had been slated to begin replacing expansion joints on southbound I-5 through Sodo this weekend after being rained out a week ago.

It was to be the first of 16 closures, causing traffic snarls most weekends until autumn.

Once the work starts, five lanes of traffic will be funneled into a single lane between Sodo and the Columbian Way exit, approaching the work zone. Reductions are slated to run from 8 p.m. Fridays until 5 a.m. Mondays.

However, a cold and wet May has thrown a few wrenches into the plans.

WSDOT said dry weather is needed in order for poured concrete to cure correctly. “We’ll try again next weekend!” the department tweeted.

While the Sodo closures have been potsponed, Sound Transit is still scheduled to shut southbound I-5 through Mountlake Terrace from 11 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, 11 p.m. Saturday to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, and 11 p.m. Sunday to 4 a.m. Monday. Crews will remove tons of temporary wood and steel framing, known as falsework, that they used to shape a new concrete train overpass next to Mountlake Terrace Station.

Staff reporter Mike Lindblom contributed to this report.