Fremont residents, prepare for traffic chaos. The Washington State Department of Transportation’s Revive I-5 Ship Canal Bridge preservation project begins this weekend with the first of two full northbound closures, and the neighborhood will be hit hard as drivers flood Highway 99 and local streets.
The timeline:
- 11:59 p.m. Friday, July 18, to 5 a.m. Monday, July 21: Complete northbound I-5 closure from Interstate 90 to Northeast 45th Street
- July 21 to Aug. 15: Northbound I-5 reduced to just two lanes across Ship Canal Bridge (four weeks of daily bottlenecks)
- 11:59 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 18: Second full northbound closure for work zone removal
With I-5 essentially crippled, expect Highway 99 through the neighborhood to become a parking lot. Aurora Avenue, Fremont Avenue and surrounding streets will see heavy overflow traffic as 240,000 daily I-5 users seek alternatives. This 40-year-overdue bridge repair has already required more than 200 emergency fixes since 2019, but the cure will hurt before it helps.
Bridge cooling delays: Adding to the traffic woes, the Seattle Department of Transportation is spraying the Fremont Bridge with cool water this week to prevent heat-related malfunctions. Expect 5- to 10-minute delays as spray trucks keep the steel structure from expanding and getting stuck open during high temperatures.
Survival strategy:
- Take transit: Buses will be the most reliable option. Youth 18 and under ride free.
- Time shifts: Avoid peak hours if possible; expect delays in both directions.
- Plan ahead: Check conditions before leaving and build in extra time.
This is just phase one of a three-year, $203 million project. More major closures are planned for 2026-27, though I-5 will be fully open for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Visit WSDOT’s Revive I-5 project page at https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-projects/revive-i-5-ship-canal-bridge-preservation.