Guide to the 100+ construction projects across Washington highways summer 2025
Major construction projects often have to wait for the summer months.
Even road maintenance has to wait for warm weather, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
When you’re driving across the state this summer, you’ll likely notice road closures and construction projects causing delays or longer travel times. In a recent blog post, the state transportation agency clarified that this is not because they hate the fun events planned all summer, but simply due to the large number of projects that need to be done.
Here’s everything you need to know about summer construction projects in Washington state.
WA summer 2025 construction projects
The Department of Transportation’s current construction plan includes 117 major projects.
This doesn’t include city and county-level projects that may lead to additional closures.
If you think a construction project could interfere with a planned trip, check the WSDOT real-time construction map.
What WSDOT construction projects will impact traffic?
Of the 117 construction projects scheduled to take place this summer, a few are particularly notable.
WSDOT’s initiative to resurface I-5 in Seattle, “Revive I-5,” is expected to take place over the next three years. This summer, closures will occur along the Ship Canal Bridge as 20% of the northbound side is repaved.
Here are the most significant closures related to the project this summer:
- June 20-23: Lane closed on northbound I-5
- July 18-21: Northbound I-5 closed between I-90 and Northeast 45th Street
- July 21 - Aug. 15: Two northbound lanes closed on the Ship Canal Bridge
- Aug. 15 – 18: Northbound I-5 closed between I-90 and Northeast 45th Street
The I-90 Vantage Bridge will also see lane closures, according to WSDOT. Through July 8, all but one lane will be closed on weekdays, with all lanes open on weekends. From July 9 through November (with the exception of Labor Day weekend), only one lane will be open in each direction every day of the week.
The I-405/State Route 167 corridor will see construction over 10 weekends this summer, mainly in the Renton and Bellevue area.
WA road closure & traffic information
Although the McClatchy Northwest service team will keep this resource updated, there are other online resources to keep track of Washington road delays and closures, including social media accounts, phone numbers and roadside assistance options.
Washington State Department of Transportation
Phone: 360-705-7000
WSDOT Traffic: Traffic information for King and Snohomish Counties. Monitored 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Phone: 206-440-4000
WSDOT Tacoma: Traffic information for Pierce, Thurston, Kitsap, Jefferson, Mason, Grays, Harbor and Clallam Counties. Monitored 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Phone: 360-357-2600
WSDOT SW: Traffic information for Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Lewis, Pacific and Skamania Counties. Monitored 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Phone: 360-905-2000
WSDOT East: Traffic information east of the Cascade Mountains. Monitored 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Phone: 509-324-6000
WSDOT North: Traffic information for Whatcom, Skagit and Island Counties. Monitored 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Phone: 206-440-4000
SR 520: Reports traffic information and construction updates for State Route 520.
Snoqualmie Pass: Reports weather, travel and construction updates for Interstate 90 through Snoqualmie Pass.
Fleet Operations Roadside Assistance:
Available from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Roadside assistance number: 800-542-6840
You can also sign up for email updates. To stay up-to-date on traffic conditions and construction updates, sign up for WSDOT’s email alerts on the department’s website.
While on the road, the transportation department says to tune your vehicle’s radio to 530 AM and 1610 AM to receive highway advisory alerts. Take note of signs in your area that may recommend additional stations offering updates.
WA sports, concerts impacted by construction projects
WSDOT says it tries to plan construction around major events when possible, but many of the department’s construction projects require dry weather and can only be completed during the summer.
As a result, WSDOT’s construction projects will likely overlap with some of the summer’s busiest events, which could make traffic even worse for attendees.
WSDOT said there were only 14 days across the summer with no notable events, so overlap was unavoidable. To accommodate for increased travel on the busiest weekends, they’ve reduced closures on Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends.
Even if you’re not planning to attend a busy event this summer, the combination of event traffic and lane closures could impact traffic for all Washingtonians.
Here are the events WSDOT recommends keeping in mind:
Sporting events:
Mariners – T-Mobile Park, Seattle
Storm – Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle
Club World Cup – Lumen Field, Seattle
Sounders – Lumen Field, Seattle
Reign – Lumen Field, Seattle
Seahawks – Lumen Field, Seattle
University of Washington football – Husky Stadium, Seattle
Washington State University football – Martin Stadium, Pullman
Concert and entertainment venues:
Cascades Amphitheater, Ridgefield
White River Amphitheatre, Auburn
Spokane Arena, Spokane
Angel of the Winds Arena, Everett
Gorge Amphitheatre, Grant County
Tacoma Dome, Tacoma
T-Mobile Park, Seattle
Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle
Lumen Field, Seattle
Notable events across the state this summer include the Lavender Festival in Sequim, the Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle, the Water Follies in Tri-Cities, Watershed at the Gorge, Hoopfest in Spokane, pride events and state fairs.
This story was originally published June 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Guide to the 100+ construction projects across Washington highways summer 2025."