All lanes of SB I-5 reopen near Ship Canal Bridge after semi-truck collision caused 7-mile backup
Sep 16, 2026, 5:51 AM | Updated: 8:02 am
A photo of the collision near the Ship Canal Bridge on SB I-5. (Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Transportation)
(Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Transportation)
All lanes have been reopened along southbound I-5 near the Ship Canal Bridge after a collision involving a semi-truck.
At approximately 5:28 a.m., the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) confirmed the blockage just south of NE 45th Street at milepost 169.
At its peak, the collision had caused a seven-mile backup into Shoreline and roughly a 50-minute delay getting into Seattle, according to KIRO Newsradio Traffic.
UPDATE 3: Three left lanes of SB I-5 on the Ship Canal Bridge remain blocked due to a collision involving a semi. The left lane is closed just south of this incident for construction. We are seeing 6+ miles of backup into Shoreline. Consider taking SR 99 or other routes. https://t.co/OkGqyYGhrQ pic.twitter.com/MFC3bjUjQz
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) September 16, 2026
Immediately after the collision, just the far-right lane was open. Later on, the remaining three lanes were reopened at roughly 8 a.m.
WSDOT advised travelers to take SR 99 as an alternate route, although KIRO Newsradio Traffic previously noted that it was “not a great alternate.”
Here is SB 99 at the moment. Not a great alternate. https://t.co/mrIhwm6eEc pic.twitter.com/OcYPAAAsko
— KIRO Newsradio Traffic (@KIROTraffic) September 16, 2026
The Incident Response Team and Washington State Patrol both responded to the scene.
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