Get Ready For Three Weekends Of Lane Reductions On I-5 In Everett This Month

A heads-up for drivers using Interstate 5 through Everett, Washington this month as work begins to repair three miles of pavement on the freeway. Here’s the word from WSDOT.

– Weekend-long lane reductions are coming to Interstate 5 in Everett, starting Friday, Oct. 14. The freeway will be reduced to two lanes for the entire weekend, which will affect people traveling through the city whether they use I-5 or other routes.

The first of three weekends will begin at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, and finish at 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 17. Lane reductions will start at Lowell Road, about two miles north of the State Route 526 interchange. All lanes will reopen near Everett Avenue.

During early morning hours, from 12:01 to 4:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, this portion of northbound I-5 may be reduced to one lane.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will replace dozens of broken concrete panels during the lane reduction. They also plan to continue replacing panels the weekends of Oct. 22-23 and 29-30. The work is weather-dependent.

“We need weekends to complete a lot of this work because we have several sections of concrete panels that need replacing, and the concrete needs time to cure,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Shawn Wendt.

During these weekend-long lane reductions, people should consider alternative routes like SR 9 through Snohomish and Lake Stevens. Travelers also should:

• Allow extra time.
• Consider using public transportation.
• Delay non-essential trips.

Work in 2023
When this fall’s work is complete, crews will shut down the project for the winter. In spring 2023, they’ll return to replace four expansion joints located:

• North of 41st Street.
• At Pacific Avenue.
• At Hewitt Avenue.
• At US 2.

This work also will require weekend-long lane reductions, with northbound I-5 limited to two lanes. Replacing expansion joints typically requires 40 to 50 hours because crews have to chip out the old joint, install the new one, complete steel work and replace the concrete. Dates will be announced in the spring.

People who are traveling can get real-time traffic information on mobile phones with the WSDOT traffic app and by following the WSDOT traffic Twitter feed.