New Year brings weekend disruptions to 1 Line, Montlake Boulevard
Jan 2, 2026, 3:36 PM
A photo of Sound Transit's 1 Line. (Photo: @AvgeekJoe via Flickr Creative Commons)
(Photo: @AvgeekJoe via Flickr Creative Commons)
The New Year is already bringing weekend traffic disruptions to Sound Transit’s 1 line and Montlake Boulevard in Seattle.
Sound Transit’s 1 Line
Passengers on Sound Transit’s 1 Line will need to factor in a little extra time traveling through downtown Seattle. The closure of four stations is needed to allow Sound Transit to test new signaling upgrades that will improve system reliability.
Those four stations are Westlake, Symphony, Pioneer Square, and the Chinatown/International District. 1 Line trains will arrive every 15 minutes between Lynnwood City Center and Capitol Hill stations, and every 15 minutes between Stadium and Federal Way Downtown stations.
From 11 p.m. on Friday, January 2, through the end of service on Sunday, Sound Transit shuttle buses will transfer passengers between the closed stations, arriving every 10-15 minutes.
Shuttle stop locations at affected stations
Capitol Hill
– to Federal Way: Broadway & E Denny Way – Bay 4
Westlake
– to Lynnwood: 3rd Ave and Pine St
– to Federal Way: Pine St and 5th Ave
Symphony
– to Lynnwood: 3rd Ave and Union St
– to Federal Way: 3rd Ave and Union St
Pioneer Square
– to Lynnwood: 3rd Ave and James St
– to Federal Way: 3rd Ave and James St
International District/Chinatown
– to Lynnwood: 4th Ave S and S Jackson St
– to Federal Way: 5th Ave S and S Weller St
Stadium
– to Lynnwood: SODO Busway and S Royal Brougham Way
SR 520 exit to Montlake Boulevard
For most of the weekend, drivers won’t be able to access Montlake Boulevard from eastbound State Route 520 (SR 520). The Washington State Department of Transportation needs full access to the off-ramp to continue with piledriving support columns in Lake Washington. These columns will support the future temporary off-ramp to Montlake Boulevard as work progresses on the new Portage Bay Viaduct.
Saturday and Sunday, the off-ramp from eastbound SR 520 will close daily between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. During these hours, all drivers who enter SR 520 from Seattle will have to cross Lake Washington and pay the bridge toll.
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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