A barrier-separated cross-over lane on I-5 in SeaTac/Des Moines will be used weeknights through Friday, July 14, as construction crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) set girders over northbound I-5. 

To complete this work, WSDOT will shift all northbound I-5 traffic over the median into the barrier-separated high occupancy vehicle lane on the opposite side of the freeway weeknights Monday, June 26 to Thursday, July 13. During the shift, the southbound I-5 HOV lane will be closed to southbound travelers. The State Route 516 on-ramp to northbound I-5 will also close.

Lane and ramp closure information

Weeknights through Thursday, July 13:

  • 7 p.m. – northbound I-5 lanes between South 244th and South 204th streets begin closing, with all but one lane closed by 11:59 p.m.
  • 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. – the southbound I-5 HOV lane between South 204th and South 244th streets is closed to southbound traffic.
  • 11 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. – the SR 516 on-ramp to northbound I-5 is closed.
  • 11:59 p.m. to 4 a.m. – northbound traffic will be rerouted into the southbound I-5 HOV lane.

Drivers should plan to slow down and drive safely through an active construction zone. This work is part of the SR 509 Completion Project.

Using the cross-over lane

As drivers approach the work zone, they will be funneled into a single lane that will cross over the median and into the HOV lane on southbound I-5. Concrete barriers are in place to protect drivers from oncoming traffic while they navigate past the work zone. Once beyond the work zone, drivers will cross back over the median to return to normal travel lanes.