Seattle traffic this weekend is going to bite
Jul 25, 2025, 2:00 PM | Updated: Jul 28, 2025, 11:51 am
We are smack-dab in the middle of summer in Seattle, and that means there are a ton of events bringing in visitors by the hundreds of thousands.
This weekend, July 25-27, is the 40th annual Bite of Seattle at the Seattle Center. Over the years, attendance numbers have averaged near 355,000, with the highest recorded number at 406,000 visitors in 2006.
That’s an average of 120,000 daily visitors making the trek to Seattle during the three-day event, and that means a lot of traffic. Add to this, Revive I5 continues to block 2 northbound lanes of I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge.
This, in itself, has proven to be more traffic than Seattle can handle, with daily backups taking drivers 40 minutes to drive 4 miles through downtown Seattle from the south. Drivers from the north have been dealt with nightmarish backups stretching 12 miles and adding over an hour to their commute.
Combine Revive I-5 with the Bite of Seattle and Seattle traffic — this weekend is going to bite.
Consider carpooling or riding public transportation. Sound Transit’s 1-Line is a good option, with easy access at Westlake Station to the Seattle Monorail that takes you directly to the Seattle Center.
Traffic outside of Seattle
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is keeping busy this weekend by shutting down 2 major highways and a section of I-5.
State Route 167
All southbound lanes on SR 167 in Kent will be closed from SR 516/Willis Street and South 277th Street from 11:59 p.m., Friday, July 25 to 4 a.m. Monday, July 28. A signed detour route will be in place.
The following on- and off-ramps will be closed:
- Willis Street on-ramp to southbound SR 167.
- Southbound SR 167 off-ramp to South 277th Street.
Contractor crews working for WSDOT will replace bridge joints and resurface the Green River Bridge as part of the SR 167 Corridor Improvements Project.
State Route 18
In Auburn, all lanes on eastbound State Route 18 will close between C Street Southwest and Auburn Way South from 9 p.m., Friday, July 25, to 5 a.m. Monday, July 28, while crews perform paving work. Both the C Street Southwest on-ramp to SR 18 and the SR 18 off-ramp to Auburn Way South will be closed during this work.
I-5
In Pierce County, all northbound lanes on I-5 approaching DuPont will close over two nights at Steilacoom-DuPont Road. Workers will remove temporary structures used to build the new overpass. Travelers will detour up and over the Steilacoom-DuPont Road off- and on-ramps from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. overnight Friday, July 25, and Saturday, July 26.
Nate Connors is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Follow him on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.
