Both directions of I-405 in Bothell to close March 13-16

BOTHELL – Travelers across the Puget Sound region should prepare for difficult travel the weekend of Friday, March 13 through Monday morning, March 16.

Crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation on the I-405/Brickyard to SR 527 Improvement Project will complete the fourth and final weekend closure for ramp removal work in Bothell. During the weekend closure, crews will remove the remaining portion of the previous northbound I-405 flyover ramp at the State Route 522 Interchange.

“We’ve been building toward this weekend through the first three closures, and this is the biggest stage of the work.” said Lisa Hodgson, I-405/SR 167 program administrator. “We know this will be disruptive, and we appreciate travelers planning ahead. Closing the highway for the full weekend gives crews the time they need to safely remove the remaining section of the ramp and reach an important project milestone.”

Closure details

Beginning at 9 p.m. Friday, March 13, crews will close all lanes of northbound I-405 at the SR 522 Interchange and all lanes of southbound I-405 from SR 527 to SR 522 until 4 a.m. Monday, March 16.

Signed detours will be in place to help direct travelers around the closure. Crews will also close additional ramps around the interchange overnight to set up and take down the northbound detour route.

Regional travel impacts

The full closure of I-405 will overlap with ongoing Revive I-5 preservation work on the Ship Canal Bridge, where two lanes of northbound I-5 remain closed and the express lanes are operating northbound only around the clock.

Travelers should plan for significant congestion throughout the weekend. WSDOT anticipates back-ups of several miles on I-405 and delays of more than an hour during the closure. 

Drivers may also experience backups on local streets and parallel routes that do not typically carry freeway level traffic. When major corridors are restricted at the same time, congestion spreads well beyond the immediate work area. There is no alternate route that can carry the same volume of traffic as an interstate.

Travelers attending weekend events such as Seattle’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade or the Seattle Kraken game should plan ahead, expect longer travel times, use alternate routes or consider transit. Real-time travel information is available on the WSDOT mobile app, the WSDOT Travel Center Map or by signing up for WSDOT's email updates.

About the I-405/Brickyard to SR 527 Improvement Project

With ramp removal over SR 522 and I-405 complete, crews can continue to build the new northbound I-405 bridge deck through the interchange. This will allow for expansion of I-405 through Bothell. The project will add an express toll lane in each direction of I-405, direct access ramps to the ETLs and will help enable Stride Bus Rapid Transit service, with buses arriving every 10 minutes for most of the day.

These improvements will benefit drivers, transit riders and freight mobility across the region. Additionally, the project is addressing aging infrastructure, restoring stream connections, adding noise walls and new stormwater facilities.