 Feb. 19, 2026
We’ll return northbound Interstate 5 to its usual three-lane configuration Friday, Feb. 20, just south of State Route 532 (milepost 212) after installation of a new fish passable structure. The switch from a two-lane bypass road will occur during a series of rolling slowdowns beginning Thursday night, Feb. 19, near Stanwood.
Starting at 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, contractor crews will begin shifting northbound traffic from a bypass road back onto the mainline. People traveling through the area should expect rolling slowdowns as traffic is shifted. Provided the weather cooperates, we expect to have all three northbound lanes open by noon on Friday.
Southbound I-5 will continue to use its two-lane bypass road through March.
Removing barriers
Returning northbound I-5 to three lanes represents a significant milestone for the I-5/Secret Creek Fish Passage, which is removing three barriers to fish passage along Secret Creek and replacing them with structures that fish can swim through.
For the new culvert under northbound I-5, crews excavated more than 30,000 cubic yards of material and installed a culvert that is 65 feet long and 70 feet in diameter. They also built an 11,000 square foot reinforced wall.
We expect to finish a culvert beneath southbound I-5 later this spring. After the I-5 culverts are complete, crews will replace the culvert beneath Pacific Highway immediately west of I-5. They’ll also rehabilitate about 2,000 feet of the Secret Creek stream bed throughout the project area. The three culverts will provide a potential habitat gain of nearly 5 miles for salmon and steelhead along Secret Creek.
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A visible shift is about to take place at the I-405/SR 522 Interchange in Bothell. Beginning Feb. 20, we will start removing large ramps that once carried northbound I-405 traffic to SR 522. Taking down these structures opens the center of the interchange so crews can widen I-405 and continue construction on the I-405/Brickyard to SR 527 Improvement Project.
This work will happen over a sequence of weekend closures stretching into mid-March. While the ramp removal work can happen in most weather conditions, certain steps, such as restriping temporary detours, require dry pavement. We will confirm each closure as schedules are finalized.
Closure schedule
- Feb. 20-21: All lanes of westbound SR 522 at the I-405 Interchange will close from 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, to 6 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 21, to remove the first section of the ramp over the westbound lanes of SR 522. Crews will start closing lanes as early as 8 p.m.
- Feb. 27-March 2: All lanes of eastbound and westbound SR 522 at the I-405 Interchange will close from 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, to 4 a.m. Monday, March 2, to remove the remaining portion of the ramp over SR 522. Crews will start closing lanes as early as 9 p.m.
- As early as March 6-9: All lanes of northbound and southbound I-405 in Bothell will close from Friday night, March 6, to Monday morning, March 9, to remove portions of the ramps over mainline I-405. Times for the closure will be released when the schedule is finalized.
- As early as March 13-16: All lanes of northbound and southbound I-405 in Bothell will close Friday night, March 13, to Monday morning, March 16, to remove the remaining portion of ramps over mainline I-405. Times for the closure will be released when the schedule is finalized.
Expect delays and congestion and follow signed detours or use alternate routes during the closures.
 There are several major closures for the I-5 interchange at Northeast 145th Street/SR 523 and Fifth Avenue Northeast construction of Shoreline’s 145th Street Corridor and Interstate 5 Interchange projects.
Fifth Avenue Northeast just north of the 145th Street intersection is closed and the entire Northeast 145th Street and Fifth Avenue Northeast intersection will close beginning Thursday, March 19. All closures will reopen Tuesday, March 31.
Currently closed:
- Fifth Avenue Northeast between Northeast 145th Street and the northbound I-5 on-ramp.
- Sixth and Eighth Avenues Northeast for traffic from Northeast 145th Street.
A signed pedestrian path is available on the west side of Fifth Avenue Northeast.
Closures starting Thursday, March 19, at 9 p.m. include:
- The Northeast 145th Street overpass.
- The northbound I-5 off-ramp to Northeast 145th Street.
- Fifth Avenue Northeast between Northeast 145th Street and the northbound I-5 on-ramp.
- Sixth and Eighth Avenues Northeast at Northeast 145th Street.
A signed pedestrian path will be available on the north side of the Northeast 145th Street overpass and the west side of Fifth Avenue Northeast.
New roundabout opens March 31
Once Northeast 145th Street reopens March 31, the new roundabout east of the I-5 overpass will be open in a temporary single-lane configuration. The roundabout will look similar to the roundabout constructed on the west side of I-5 last year.
Later this spring, crews will install signage, landscaping, and do final paving on both 145th Street roundabouts. They will then be restriped to be two-lane roundabouts.
Sound Transit contractor crews will work in Mountlake Terrace as part of the Lynnwood Light Rail extension. Work involves the following closures:
- Westbound SR 104 on-ramp to northbound I-5 from 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, to l 4:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 20.
- The right lane on southbound I-5 between 220th and 236th Street Southwest from 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, to 5 a.m. Friday, Feb. 20.
- The 220th Street Southwest on-ramp to southbound I-5 from 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, to 4:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 20.
- The two right lanes on northbound I-5 between 220th and 236th Streets Southwest from 10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, to 5:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 20.
Della Kostelnik Juarez, WSDOT communications
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