What I-5 roadwork in South Seattle means for weekend traffic

Paving crews will return to Interstate 5 this weekend, closing three of the five northbound lanes next to Boeing Field.

It’s the eighth of 13 expected weekend jobs during 2024 in this phase of the state’s Revive I-5 project, which replaces cracked joints and concrete panels along the nearly 60-year-old freeway.

Lane reductions begin at 10 p.m. Friday, April 19, until the freeway should fully reopen at 4 a.m. Monday, April 22, from approximately the Swift Avenue exit to the Columbian Way junction. Drivers from South Michigan Street in Georgetown won’t be able to enter northbound I-5 there.

Three-mile backups are common when approaching the work zone on busy afternoons. Roughly 100,000 drivers a day travel northbound I-5 in that area.

To prevent crashes, motorists should slow down and avoid watching phone or dashboard screens. Alternatives are available by exiting to northbound Highway 599 at Tukwila, winding around via Renton on I-405 or using the northbound Highway 509 corridor from Burien. Sound Transit operates three light rail stations in Tukwila and SeaTac where people can board Seattle-bound trains, which bypass road congestion.

The Sounders FC host Vancouver at Lumen Field, drawing transit crowds and traffic for their 7:30 p.m. match Saturday, while the Reign FC play at home against Chicago at 3 p.m. Sunday. The Seattle Mariners will be away in Colorado.