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SEATTLE — People looking to travel to Seattle over the holiday weekend should expect significant delays on Interstate 5. 

Transportation crews are planning lane reductions along southbound I-5 between I-90 and Spokane Street in Seattle. During the lane reductions, crews will be replacing 35 expansion joints that are “road-worn and ready to retire.”

Expansion joints run across the width of the freeway and allow sections to expand and contract with the weather and flex under the weight of heavy vehicles, according to WSDOT. It takes about 55 hours to remove a series of expansion joints, place new ones and allow concrete to cure around it.

Work on I-5 will have a delayed start on Friday night in order to allow people heading out of town a smoother experience, according to WSDOT. Construction is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, July 1, and will last through the weekend, with lanes reopening at 6:30 a.m. Monday, July 4. 

The eastbound and westbound I-90 ramps to southbound I-5 will also be closed except for two hours after stadium events, according to WSDOT. 

People traveling to Seattle this weekend are encouraged to use Sound Transit or Metro Transit, carpool or if possible leave early in the morning, before 8 a.m., or later at night, after 8 p.m.

WSDOT said it plans to work on I-5 essentially every weekend through the end of September, although work is not anticipated on Labor Day Weekend.

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