The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is working to repave the South Spokane Street Viaduct between I-5 and the West Seattle Bridge. Work started the week of July 29 and requires multiple weeknight and weekend closures of all eastbound travel lanes and at least one weekend closure of the westbound travel lanes. There will also be overnight closures of one or two lanes at a time on weeknights this summer and fall.
The South Spokane Street Viaduct is the elevated roadway that goes through SoDo to connect the West Seattle Bridge and I-5. This is a different structure from either the West Seattle Bridge or the Spokane St Swing Bridge.
These closures are necessary to repair damaged pavement which is prone to potholes and “alligator skin” cracking. Crews will repave the bridge deck and apply a synthetic polymer sealant to the road surface to help ensure it remains in good condition over time. Crews will also make drainage improvements and bridge deck repairs on the westbound lanes.
This work is funded by a $5 million federal grant from the Federal Highway Administration Bridge Improvement Program which is funded in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and then passed to the WSDOT’s Local Bridge Program.
Weekend and Weeknight Overnight Work:
We’re conducting a series of weeknight and weekend closures of travel lanes and/or full directions of traffic. This work will sometimes close the ramps connecting the Spokane St Viaduct to surface streets or I-5. These closures began the week of July 29 and are expected to continue this summer and fall.
The weekend closures typically take place from 7 PM Friday evening through 6 AM Monday morning. Overnight closures typically start at 8 PM and end at 7 AM the next morning.
The construction timeline is dynamic and subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control. For the latest information and timing details of upcoming work, please continue to visit our website.
Detour Route Information and Maps:
Eastbound Closures:
Most weekend closures will close all of the eastbound lanes. The detour options will depend on which off-ramps are closed:
- The eastbound off-ramp from the West Seattle Bridge to northbound SR 99 will remain open. To get from the West Seattle Bridge to I-5, head north on SR 99 towards downtown, then use 1st Ave S to get to the Edgar Martinez Dr S freeway on-ramp.
- The off-ramps to SODO surface streets will sometimes be open. When these ramps are open, eastbound drivers can take S Spokane St (the ground-level street beneath the raised viaduct) to I-5.
- The West Seattle Low Bridge (a.k.a. Spokane St Swing Bridge) will be open and is another option to get to SODO or to I-5 via surface streets.
Westbound Closures:
All westbound lanes may need to be closed for at least one weekend. The timing of this possible weekend closure is to be determined. Please visit our website for the latest information. During the closure there would be several options to get from I-5 to West Seattle:
- Use surface streets to take the West Seattle Low Bridge (a.k.a. Spokane St Swing Bridge) into West Seattle.
- Use Edgar Martinez Dr S exit from I-5. Head north on 1st Ave S and turn left on S Dearborn St enter southbound SR 99. Take the West Seattle Bridge exit from southbound SR 99.
- Take exit 156 onto northbound SR 99 towards Highland Park Way SW.
How to Stay Informed:
- Visit our project webpage: https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/bridges-stairs-and-other-structures/bridges/spokane-viaduct-rehabilitation
- Sign up for email updates (located under the ‘Traffic and Construction’ topic).
Editor’s note: We updated this blog post on July 29 to clarify the details of the weeknight overnight work. We updated the post on July 30 to clarify detour route descriptions. We updated the post on August 5 to refer readers to the project website for the latest closure details. We updated the post on September 11 to reflect the latest westbound closure information.