I-5 Ship Canal Bridge lanes to fully reopen for 5 weeks during World Cup

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]The I-5 Ship Canal Bridge is reaching a major milestone.

[00:00:04]>> For the first half of the year, WSDOT has been tackling the left northbound lanes of I-5 at the Ship Canal Bridge.

[00:00:11]Crews have been removing deteriorating concrete, completing major deck repairs and resurfacing, and pouring new modified concrete.

[00:00:19]>> In the stretch of 5 years, maintenance had to go out and perform over 300 emergency repair.

[00:00:26]>> This is why project leaders say the preservation work is necessary and saves drivers from facing constant traffic disruptions.

[00:00:34]>> There is no better time to do this kind of preservation work.

[00:00:39]>> The entire work zone will clear and all lanes of I-5 will reopen from June 8th through July 10th as Seattle prepares to welcome the world for the FIFA World Cup.

[00:00:49]>> We expect a surge of visitors into the Seattle area. We want to make sure the transportation system is ready to handle that expected surge.

[00:00:56]>> The 5-week pause will offer some relief to drivers who've been battling backups for months.

[00:01:01]>> In those first couple weeks, the travel times were and delays were pretty significant.

[00:01:05]>> Still, WSDOT says delays have dropped to roughly 30 minutes on I-5 after sitting at more than an hour when construction first started in January, as many drivers now look to transit in other routes to avoid the congestion.