Only northbound I-5 on-ramp between Mercer Street and U-District reopens early

The Harvard Avenue E on-ramp to northbound I-5 reopened to traffic about 4:45 a.m. Friday morning, about three days ahead of schedule.

The ramp has been closed since July, when Revive I-5 work resumed on the Ship Canal Bridge after the World Cup. The ramp closed as that work moved from the left side of the bridge to the right side. This ramp is the only surface street access to northbound I-5 between Mercer Street in South Lake Union and 45th Street in the University District.

We reopened the Harvard Ave on-ramp to NB I-5 on the Ship Canal Bridge in Seattle a few days earlier than planned! Thanks to all who dealt with the challenges of this closure. Revive I-5 work continues with the bridge reduced to 2 lanes; we’ll open all lanes later this fall. https://t.co/O4k9agCW3r

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) October 9, 2026

During the closure, drivers in the Eastlake and Capitol Hill neighborhoods have had to drive way out of their way to access northbound I-5. Many drivers were forced to drive into South Lake Union, navigating all the lane closures and construction on Eastlake and Fairview Avenues. Some even drove down into the Montlake Neighborhood to access I-5 via SR 520.

But drivers, be aware

There is a very short merge onto the freeway from the reopened ramp.

“People are going to have to be careful as they merge there because they won’t have the full length that they had when the bridge is fully open, but they’ll still have some room,” Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) spokesperson Tom Pearce said. “Just need to watch where they’re going and look for gaps.”

The ramp reopens as WSDOT races to finish the northbound work on the Ship Canal Bridge. That work should be done in late November or early December.

Chris Sullivan is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here. Follow KIRO Newsradio traffic on X.

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