Busy weekend ahead: Seattle protests, graduations, freeway closures will snarl traffic
Jun 13, 2025, 5:15 PM
Major backups seen at the Ship Canal Bridge. (Photo courtesy of WSDOT)
(Photo courtesy of WSDOT)
Graduation, protests, freeway closures, and sports will prove to be challenging for drivers this weekend around Seattle.
UW graduation
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Let’s begin with the 150th commencement at the University of Washington (UW) on Saturday, where 50,000 are expected to attend, not including the 7,400 graduates. The weather will be perfect for this outdoor ceremony at Husky Stadium, which will kick off at 1:30 p.m. Traffic around Montlake will be packed starting hours before the ceremony and again when the ceremony wraps up.
Additionally, a planned “No Kings” rally is set to take place at the UW Red Square around the same time as the commencement ceremony. It is unclear if the protestors plan to stay on the campus or march to Husky Stadium. Another “No Kings” rally is planned at Cal Anderson Park. Both are scheduled between noon and 3 p.m., Saturday.
There are many other “No Kings” rallies around the region. Click here to see if there is one near you.
I-405 closure
As far as road closures go, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is shutting down all northbound lanes on Interstate-405 (I-405) between Sunset Boulevard in Renton to Coal Creek Parkway in Factoria. This is another chapter in the I-405/Renton to Bellevue Widening and Express Toll Lanes Project.
The detour route will send most drivers onto Coal Creek Parkway. This route is not designed to withstand freeway traffic, and drivers can expect it to be packed throughout most of the weekend, especially during peak hours. WSDOT suggests taking alternate routes over the weekend, like I-5, or traveling during non-peak hours.
All northbound lanes on I-405 will shut down at 10 p.m., Friday, through 4 a.m., Monday.
I-90 overnight closure
WSDOT will close all eastbound lanes on Interstate-90 (I-90) across Lake Washington for tunnel maintenance. Routine check-ups in the Mount Baker and Mercer Lid tunnels will shut down all lanes between Seattle and Mercer Island starting Friday at 10 p.m. between 6 a.m. Saturday.
Drivers’ only option crossing the lake during this closure will be eastbound State Route 520 (SR 520), which is a toll bridge.
State Route 516 closure
Eastbound State Route 516 (SR 516) in SeaTac will be fully closed between SR 99 and Military Road South from 10 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Monday. The I-5 north 5 exit to SR 516 will also close Saturday, June 14, through the morning of Sunday, June 15. The closure will allow crews to pave and stripe SR 516 to accommodate an expanded interchange opening later this summer.
Eastbound drivers on SR 516 will be detoured onto I-5 south to South 272nd Street, then routed back onto I-5 north and exit at South 200th Street/Military Road South and follow a signed detour back to SR 516. Northbound I-5 drivers wishing to exit SR 516 will also follow a signed detour.
The reconfigured SR 516/I-5 interchange will include new signals, multimodal improvements, and a new Veterans Drive South underpass to help people travel through the interchange safely and efficiently.
This work is part of the SR 509 Completion Project.
SR 516 closure information
Friday, June 13, through the morning of Monday, June 16, from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., all lanes of SR 516 east will close between SR 99 and Military Road South. A signed detour will be in place.
I-5 ramp closure information
Saturday, June 14, through the morning of Sunday, June 15, from 11 p.m. to 3:30 a.m., the northbound I-5 exit to SR 516 will close overnight. A signed detour will be in place.
Soccer, baseball
Seattle will also be packed with sports fans, as 150,000 will visit for the 10-day FIFA Club World Cup 2025, starting this weekend—not to be confused with the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026. If you are attending any of the matches, plan on full-capacity trains and buses headed to Lumen Field, and allow plenty of extra time to get there.
The Seattle Sounders will play 3 out of the 6 matches, with their first game on Sunday.
The Seattle Mariners play at home and will bring an estimated 120,000 fans over Father’s Day Weekend.
Sound Transit
Sound Transit will add bus and train services to accommodate the busy weekend, and remind passengers to check the schedule ahead of time for any potential changes.
Nate Connors is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Follow him on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.
