NORTH SOUND, FEB. 23: Heads up North Sound I-405 commuters! The overhead ramps from I-405 to SR 522, which are now no longer in use, are going to come down and result in full weekend closures of the freeway.
This past weekend, SR 522 westbound lanes were closed so crews could tear down the first section of the ramp.
From Friday night, Feb. 27, through early Monday, March 2, all lanes of SR 522 will close to bring down more of the ramps.
Weekend I-405 closures in March
Then crews for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will fully close I-405 during the weekend of Friday night, March 6, through early Monday, March 9. Portions of the overhead ramps above I-405 will be torn down.
WSDOT crews also plan to fully close I-405 again from Friday night, March 13, to early Monday, March 16, to finish demolition of the overhead ramps.
Planned detours
Detours around these highway closures will make for difficult and overly crowded traffic conditions. Northbound I-405 motorists will be directed to take the new off-ramp to SR 522. At the new traffic signal, drivers can then rejoin the freeway. Traffic in the area is bound to significantly back up, likely well through Totem Lake and beyond.
For southbound I-405 motorists, the detour has them exit at Canyon Park, take SR 527 south into Bothell, then take eastbound SR 522 to rejoin I-405 at that on-ramp. That stretch of southbound 527 is not designed to take that kind of large traffic volume. This detour will quite likely simply shut down Bothell.
WSDOT authorities strongly suggest avoiding the I-405 corridor area from Canyon Park to the 160th interchange in Bothell during these closures. If needed, take alternate routes such as SR 9 through Woodinville, I-5, SR 99 or other north-south surface street routes.
SR 522 traffic in both directions will also be a mess due to heavy traffic volumes. WSDOT says to use other ways to travel east or west through the region, well south or north of the I-405/SR 522 interchange.
Why all these closures
The former overpass ramps are being taken down to add a second express toll lane in both directions of I-405 between Canyon Park and the 522 interchange to ease daily congestion. Once the former overpass ramps are removed, a new I-405 bridge will be constructed to carry general northbound I-405 traffic. The current northbound I-405 bridge will handle the expanded express toll lanes in both directions.
In addition, a mid-freeway transit station will also be built at the 160th interchange serving the Brickyard Park & Ride, similar to the Totem Lake mid-freeway structure. The freeway expansion project is slated to reach the finish line in 2028.
