Heads up, Eastside travelers: a notable disruption is on the horizon. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has scheduled a full shutdown of both northbound and southbound lanes on Interstate 405 in Renton. The closure will start at 11 p.m. this Friday, July 12, stretching until the early hours of Monday, July 15, at 4 a.m. This interruption in the usual flow comes as part of the ongoing I-405/Renton to Bellevue Widening and Express Toll Lanes Project, targeting improvements in transportation infrastructure.
During this time, contractor crews will concentrate on traffic shifts, taking down the 112th Avenue Southeast bridge at Exit 9, and laying down essential drainage crossings under the lanes of I-405. The suggested detour routes, however, are not equipped to handle the standard volume of I-405 traffic—according to WSDOT—so motorists might want to consider off-peak travel or postponing non-urgent trips to avoid potential congestion.
The specifics of the I-405 closure are as follows: northbound traffic will be blocked from the North Southport Drive on-ramp up to the off-ramp for 112th Avenue Southeast, while southbound traffic will see closures from the on-ramp at Coal Creek Parkway Southeast to the off-ramp at Northeast 30th Street. Drivers will be guided around these closures by clearly marked detour signs in both directions.
To add to the commuter challenges, all lanes on eastbound I-90 from Seattle to Mercer Island are slated to close at 10 p.m. on Friday, July 12, until 6 a.m. the following day for tunnel maintenance activities. The off-ramp from southbound I-5 to eastbound I-90 and the on-ramps from Rainier Avenue South are set to be off-limits starting 9 p.m. the same day. All affected lanes and ramps should be back in service by 6 a.m., Saturday, July 13, as per the WSDOT release.
