Expect delays: Everett traffic will be jammed by 14-week paving project

Jul 18, 2025, 3:54 PM

Traffic on I-5 in Everett. (Photo: @SounderBruce via Flickr Creative Commons)

(Photo: @SounderBruce via Flickr Creative Commons)

KIRO Newsradio Traffic Reporter

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) just announced a prodigious paving project on I-5, starting Saturday, July 19. Work is scheduled mostly evenings and overnight hours, but commuters may see occasional daytime work. No matter how you slice it, commuting through Everett is going to get rough at times during this 14-week project.

“Saturday evening in Everett, the contractors are going to start shutting down up to four left lanes to begin the grinding part of this repavement project,” WSDOT spokesperson Della Kostelnik Juarez said. “The lanes are going to start shutting down at 7 p.m. (and) reopen at 9 a.m. on Sunday, close again at 7 p.m. Sunday and reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, there will be no work on Monday (evening).”

The work starts on southbound I-5 between 41st Street and 100th Street Southeast, near the Everett Mall. Once contractors complete work in the southbound lanes, they will repave the same section in the northbound lanes of I-5.

The schedule throughout the 14-week project includes closures:

From 7 p.m. Saturday, July 19 to 9 a.m. Sunday, July 20.
From 7 p.m. Sunday, July 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 21.
From 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly Tuesday, July 22 to Friday morning, July 25.

WSDOT will inform us if there are any changes.

The Broadway HOV on-ramp to southbound I-5 will also close during the roadwork, but the general purpose on-ramp from Broadway will remain open. Some of this work needs dry weather and may need to be rescheduled.

The Everett pavement project will repave 4 miles on I-5

This pavement repair project will repave approximately 4 miles of southbound I-5 in Everett and is expected to finish later this fall.

Motorcyclists should watch for grooved, uneven pavement and use extreme caution.

“We really encourage people to look at our travel page and look at our travel map to see what is going to be open and closed,” Juarez added.

Nate Connors is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Follow him on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.

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