Information from Seattle Department of Transportation
 

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will begin construction to repave the South Spokane Street Viaduct between I-5 and the West Seattle Bridge starting as soon as July 29. This work will require multiple weekend closures of all eastbound travel lanes and 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 Seatle Bridge and I-5. This is a different structure from either the West Seattle Bridge or the Spokane St Swing Bridge. Maps of the work area are available on the SDOT Blog.

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 Directional Closures (schedule subject to change): 

• 10 PM Friday, August 2 to 5 AM Monday, August 5: All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane closed.
• 10 PM Friday, August 9 to 5 AM Monday, August 12: All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane closed.
• 10 PM Friday, August 16 to 5 AM Monday, August 19: All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane closed.
• 10 PM Friday, August 23 to 5 AM Monday, August 26: All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane closed.
• 10 PM Friday, August 30 to 5 AM Tuesday, September 2: All westbound lanes closed.

Weeknight Overnight Lane Reductions:  

• Crews will close one or two lanes at a time on weeknights between 10 PM and 5 AM starting as soon as July 29, 2024. These weeknight lane closures will continue through the summer and fall of 2024. 

Eastbound Closures Detours:

Most weekend closures will close all of the eastbound lanes. During these closures there will be two detour route options to get from the West Seattle Bridge to I-5: 

• Take the S Spokane St towards I-5 (the ground-level street beneath the raised viaduct).
• Take SR 99 north towards downtown, then use 1st Ave S to get to the Edgar Martinez Dr S freeway on-ramp.

Westbound Closures Detours:

All westbound lanes will be closed during the weekend of August 30 - September 2. During this closure there will be two 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. 

How to Stay Informed:

• Visit the project website
• Sign up for email updates (located under the ‘Traffic and Construction’ topic)