Aftermath of June 2021 heat wave: Concrete repairs begin this week on I-5

Repair crews at 175th Street in Shoreline during the June 2021 heat wave, courtesy Washington State Department of Transportation.

Beginning Monday, Jan. 31, a Washington State Department of Transportation contractor will replace concrete panels at various locations on I-5 between Tukwila and Shoreline that were damaged last year when extreme heat caused the pavement to expand and crack. WSDOT maintenance teams patched these areas, but those repairs were meant to be temporary.

Nightly lane closures on I-5 will be used to complete the work. Lanes will begin closing as early as 8 p.m. in some areas, potentially reducing one direction of the highway to a single lane by midnight. All lanes will reopen early the next morning.

Crews will sawcut and excavate the existing damaged pavement, then pour new concrete panels. Many of the 46 concrete panels due to be replaced are located in the Shoreline area.

The best way to track closure locations and times is by using the WSDOT real-time travel map or downloading the WSDOT mobile app. This work is weather-dependent and will likely be rescheduled if there is rain in the forecast.


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