179-471: The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge , also known as the 520 Bridge and officially the Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge , carries Washington State Route 520 across Lake Washington from Seattle to its eastern suburbs . The 7,710-foot-long (2,350 m) floating span is the longest floating bridge in the world , as well as the world's widest measuring 116 feet (35 m) at its midpoint. It
358-534: A 100-mile (160 km) section between Tumwater and Marysville . I-5 enters Washington on the Interstate Bridge , a pair of vertical-lift bridges that span the Columbia River between Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. The bridge is the only point on I-5 where vehicles have to stop for cross traffic, because of the lifts. On the north bank of the river, the freeway passes under
537-583: A 40-year period. Construction of the SR ;520 corridor project began in April 2011 on the Eastside, where WSDOT expanded the freeway to six lanes and added HOV lanes. The project, completed in 2014, also included the construction of new bus stations and direct access ramps, new interchanges, park lids covering SR 520, and a multi-use trail. Construction of the new floating bridge began in 2012, and it
716-456: A bridge". Unlike the older bridge, maintenance vehicles can now access the pontoons from beneath the upper roadway deck without interrupting traffic. According to a project engineer on the site, the deck had to be structurally isolated from the main support structure using a damping system to ensure seismic resistance up to a magnitude 9 earthquake to comply with local building codes. The original deck design called for three support columns but
895-554: A community fun run and walk on the bridge, and a bicycle ride hosted by the Cascade Bicycle Club on the bridge and the Interstate 5 express lanes the following day. As part of the opening ceremonies, the bridge was certified as the world's longest floating bridge by Guinness World Records , at 7,708.49 feet (2,349.55 m) long; the bridge took the record from the previous Evergreen Point Floating Bridge , which
1074-504: A contractor. The segment was opened to traffic on December 18, 1981. The SR 920 designation was removed from the state highway system in 1985, and the section was re-signed as part of SR 520. A traffic signal at the intersection of SR 520 and Northeast 51st Street remained in place until 1986, when it was replaced with an interchange. The completion of SR 520 spurred new development in Downtown Redmond and
1253-567: A crane-lifted load of steel pipes swung out of control into a King County Metro bus and an overhead highway sign. The bridge deck was lifted into place in August 2015, and the final concrete pour was finished in October 2015, completing the bridge deck. The new bridge was dedicated on April 2, 2016, in a ceremony presided over by Governor of Washington Jay Inslee and attended by an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 people. The ceremony also included
1432-638: A direct off-ramp to the Federal Way Transit Center and The Commons at Federal Way shopping mall. The freeway travels north into western Kent , intersecting SR 516 near Highline College . North of Angle Lake , I-5 tracks eastward between the cities of SeaTac and Tukwila , passing east of Seattle–Tacoma International Airport . At the Westfield Southcenter shopping mall in Tukwila, I-5 intersects SR 518 ,
1611-436: A float switch that sits about 3 inches (7.6 cm) off the floor. If the pontoon is breached, an alarm will sound inside the maintenance building. From there, a pump can be lowered into the chamber and controlled from the deck above. The bridge deck is made of 776 precast concrete sections that are elevated 20 feet (6.1 m) above the concrete pontoons that forms the lower deck which essentially creates "a bridge on top of
1790-605: A freeway connecting east to Puyallup , before it reaches Tacoma. In Tacoma, the freeway passes the Tacoma Mall , turns east, and splits into collector–distributor lanes that run through central Tacoma and serve two interchanges: the terminus of SR 16 , which continues northwest over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to the Kitsap Peninsula ; and I-705 and SR 7 , which serve downtown Tacoma,
1969-581: A future retrofit that would add light rail service. The original Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, also named for state governor Albert D. Rosellini , opened on August 28, 1963, carrying the four-lane State Route 520 (at the time designated temporarily as the Evergreen Point branch of Primary State Highway 1 until the 1964 state highway renumbering ). The 7,578-foot-long (2,310 m) floating span consisted of 33 pontoons and cost $ 24.7 million to construct (equivalent to $ 246 million in 2024);
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#17327796306052148-611: A light rail line with the construction of the bridge was dropped in 2008 after Sound Transit chose to prioritize the East Link Extension on the I-90 floating bridge . A first line on the SR 520 corridor would also cause capacity issues on the section south of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. Electronic tolling with the " Good to Go " system began on the old bridge in 2011; tolling on the new bridge
2327-431: A major earthquake. Additionally, near the end of its lifetime, vibrations induced by storm surges and strong winds were able to compromise the aging drawspan, anchor cables, and pontoons, leading to structural failure in a major storm . Even if the storms were below the maximum threshold for failure to occur, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) would still close the floating bridge to traffic. Although
2506-566: A measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. The stretch of I-5 through Downtown Seattle is the busiest highway in Washington state, with a daily average of over 274,000 vehicles in the mainline and express lanes. The least-traveled segment of I-5 is located at SR 548 in Blaine , with a daily average of 6,600 vehicles. I-5 through the Seattle metropolitan area is among
2685-490: A national expressway system in the 1940s, including several bypasses on US 99 that were built by the state in the early 1950s. The state's planned toll superhighway in the Seattle area was shelved in favor of a federally-funded freeway under the new Interstate Highway System, under which I-5 was created in 1957. Construction of I-5 was completed in 1969, and several segments of the highway have been widened or improved in
2864-493: A new bridge across Portage Bay, a park lid near Roanoke Park, and a new HOV lane ramp to the I-5 reversible express lanes. The express lane ramp, planned to cost $ 68 million, was expected open in early 2024, but it was later delayed to 2030 due to the inability to increase transit service on the corridor. The Portage Bay bridge and Roanoke lid are expected to begin construction in late 2024 and be finished in 2031, in tandem with
3043-725: A north-facing arc , passing through the Yarrow Point lid and bus station. The freeway enters Bellevue , intersecting I-405 and crossing over the Eastside Rail Corridor . SR 520 continues along the north side of the Bel-Red industrial area and enters the Overlake area of Redmond . Within Overlake, SR 520 turns north and passes under a pedestrian bridge connecting to Overlake Village station on
3222-507: A north–south freeway through Seattle that was later refined into the early concepts for Interstate 5 in the 1950s. A design from 1954 proposed an eight-lane facility from Downtown Seattle to Ravenna that would cost $ 194 million (equivalent to $ 1.75 billion in 2023 dollars) to construct. Alternate plans would have placed the freeway further east on 12th Avenue in Capitol Hill or along Empire Way , which would later be used for
3401-689: A railroad viaduct carrying Amtrak's Empire Builder and intersects SR 14 . The interchange with SR 14, located west of Pearson Field and the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site , also includes ramps serving downtown Vancouver. I-5 continues north through suburban Vancouver and into Hazel Dell , passing the Clark College campus and intersecting SR 501 at Fourth Plain Boulevard and SR 500 at Burnt Bridge Creek. I-5 intersects I-205 ,
3580-412: A remote operations center that relies on CCTV cameras and an inspection and sweep for abandoned vehicles by a ground crew, who also set up safety nets during the 15-minute switch-over. Prior to a $ 6.6 million project to automate the gates and signage in 2012, the switch-over took 50 minutes in total. During snowstorms and severe cold weather, WSDOT keeps the express lanes open in one direction for
3759-525: A replacement bridge intensified. WSDOT engineers also determined that sections of the bridge would fail during a large earthquake or a major windstorm, and that the bridge was nearing the end of its life expectancy, necessitating a total replacement. The bridge underwent a major rehabilitation in 1999, including a seismic retrofit , and increased resistance to stronger sustained winds, to extend its life expectancy to 20 to 25 years. The Washington State Transportation Commission began seeking alternatives for
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#17327796306053938-462: A replacement span, with varying lane widths and configurations for interchanges in Seattle. WSDOT chose the project's preferred alternative, a replacement span with six lanes and a mixed-use trail, in 2011. The $ 5.69 billion megaproject , which encompasses the SR 520 corridor between I-5 and I-405, was funded using a state gas tax and electronic tolls on the floating bridge introduced on December 29, 2011, to repay construction bonds over
4117-503: A result of the pontoon issues, the estimated opening of the bridge was pushed back from December 2014 into 2016. Construction of the bridge deck, beginning with the eastern approach in Medina , began in March 2012. In March 2015, two construction accidents on the bridge slowed construction for reevaluation of safety measures: a contractor was killed after a high fall on the east highrise; and
4296-536: A set of collector–distributor lanes as the freeway crosses the Skookumchuck River and a set of railroad tracks on the northwest side of the city. US 12 leaves the concurrency at Grand Mound , heading west towards Aberdeen while I-5 continues north into Thurston County . North of Grand Mound, I-5 passes two interchanges with SR 121 , which forms a loop between two of the exits to serve Millersylvania State Park . The freeway travels through
4475-472: A set of flyer stops that are connected to SR 523 by a northbound loop ramp and southbound slip ramp. I-5 continues north through Shoreline , passing the King County Metro north bus base and several suburban neighborhoods before reaching Snohomish County . At the county line near Lake Ballinger , I-5 intersects SR 104 , a highway that connects to Lake Forest Park , Edmonds , and
4654-574: A state highway, were re-designated as Sign Route 520 (later SR 520) under the new state highway numbering system adopted in 1964. SR 520 would use a temporary route on Northup Way (Northeast 20th Street) and Bel-Red Road between Bellevue and SR 202 in Redmond until the planned freeway was completed by the late 1970s. A section of SR 520 between the Evergreen Point Bridge toll plaza and 104th Avenue Northeast
4833-630: A state scenic highway that continues west along SR 4 towards the Pacific Ocean . The freeway continues north, following the Cowlitz River to Castle Rock , where it meets SR 411 and a short business route that loops back to an interchange with SR 504 , the main highway to Mount St. Helens . North of Castle Rock, the Cowlitz River turns away from I-5 as the latter enters Lewis County , intersecting SR 506 west of Toledo and SR 505 east of Winlock . Between
5012-408: A statewide gasoline tax increase of two cents per gallon. Contract bidding for the last segment was halted in 1978 by a lawsuit filed by a group of Eastside residents in opposition to the freeway, claiming that its environmental impact had been improperly assessed. U.S. District Judge Morell Edward Sharp ruled in favor of the state government in March 1979, allowing for the bid to be awarded to
5191-623: A total of 20.48 million toll transactions were recorded, of which the average rate paid was $ 3.37; approximately 85 percent of toll transactions were paid through the Good to Go system. A peak of 26.5 million transactions were reported in 2019 with an average revenue of $ 3.48. In April 2017, the bridge project was awarded the 2017 Grand Conceptor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). Washington State Route 520 State Route 520 ( SR 520 )
5370-466: A waterfront route. The first section, 5 miles (8.0 km) long and four lanes wide, opened to traffic on December 5, 1960, connecting with an existing expressway to Ferndale. The remainder of I-5 from Ferndale to the Peace Arch border crossing was upgraded in two stages, beginning with 11 miles (18 km) to Dakota Creek near Blaine that opened on October 29, 1963. The last section through Blaine
5549-699: Is a state highway and freeway in the Seattle metropolitan area , part of the U.S. state of Washington . It runs 13 miles (21 km) from Seattle in the west to Redmond in the east. The freeway connects Seattle to the Eastside region of King County via the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge on Lake Washington . SR 520 intersects several state highways, including Interstate 5 (I-5) in Seattle, I-405 in Bellevue , and SR 202 in Redmond. The original floating bridge
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5728-426: Is a toll bridge and uses electronic collection. The bridge opened in April 2016 and replaced original Evergreen Point Floating Bridge at the site, which was 130 feet (40 m) shorter and four lanes wide. The original bridge was vulnerable to earthquakes and strong wind events, which would frequently shut down traffic. Planning for a replacement began in 1997 and was approved in 2011; the $ 4.65 billion budget
5907-590: Is a second half-diamond interchange with SR 529 Spur on Everett Avenue, at which point the HOV lanes terminate and leave the freeway at six total lanes. I-5 continues north through a narrow trench in the Riverside neighborhood and passes Summit Park, a city park built using leftover land and excavated dirt from the freeway's construction. The freeway continues over the Snohomish River and descends into
6086-712: Is an Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States that serves as the region's primary north–south route. It spans 277 miles (446 km) across the state of Washington , from the Oregon state border at Vancouver , through the Puget Sound region , to the Canadian border at Blaine . Within the Seattle metropolitan area , the freeway connects the cities of Tacoma , Seattle , and Everett . I-5
6265-598: Is designated as part of the National Highway System , classifying it as important to the national economy, defense, and mobility. The State of Washington also designates the SR 520 corridor as a Highway of Statewide Significance, a category of highways that connect major communities throughout the state. SR 520 is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), which conducts an annual survey on
6444-545: Is joined by the BNSF railroad while continuing north towards Mount Vernon . The freeway narrows to four lanes within Mount Vernon and forms the boundary between the uphill suburban neighborhoods and downtown along the river. In downtown Mount Vernon, it intersects SR 536 in an interchange adjacent to the city's train station . At its next interchange, I-5 crosses the railroad and encounters SR 538 , which connects
6623-509: Is planned to be constructed in the 2030s, but remains unfunded by Seattle Parks and Recreation . Improvements to the remaining segment of the SR 520 corridor, between I-5 and the floating bridge, were initially left unfunded, but underwent design and environmental review. In 2015, the state legislature approved $ 1.64 billion in funding for the "Rest of the West" program, which will be constructed between 2018 and 2029. The first phase of
6802-473: Is the only interstate to traverse the whole state from north to south and is Washington's busiest highway, with an average of 274,000 vehicles traveling on it through Downtown Seattle on a typical day. The segment in Downtown Seattle is also among the widest freeways in the United States, at 13 lanes, and includes a set of express lanes that reverse direction depending on time of the day. Most of
6981-458: The 2 Line , a light rail line that follows the highway. The freeway then passes several office parks , including the headquarters campus of Microsoft and the Nintendo of America branch office. To serve exits at Northeast 40th Street and Northeast 51st Street, SR 520 gains a set of collector–distributor lanes , separated from other lanes by a concrete barrier . The freeway crosses
7160-651: The American Association of State Highway Officials established a national highway system in 1926, designating most of the Pacific Highway north of Los Angeles as part of U.S. Route 99 (US 99). The highway's Washington segment would ultimately be completed four years later with the opening of several bridges between Everett and Marysville. It was also realigned in several areas to use newer cut-off roadways, bypassing older sections. The section between Burlington and Bellingham, historically on
7339-662: The Beacon Hill light rail tunnel near 1 Line's railyard and operating base. At the north end of SoDo and Beacon Hill, I-5 intersects I-90 , the state's major east–west freeway, forming a large interchange with ramps to T-Mobile Park and Lumen Field , two of the city's professional sports stadiums. North of the interchange, I-5 travels on an elevated viaduct over the International District and splits into collector–distributor lanes that serve exits to Downtown Seattle . The thirteen-lane freeway, among
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7518-604: The Bellis Fair Mall . The freeway heads northwest and leaves Bellingham after passing Bellingham International Airport , entering the predominately rural part of the Fraser Lowland region. I-5 continues northwest along the railroad, crossing the Nooksack River on a pair of truss bridges near downtown Ferndale and reaching a junction with SR 548 north of the city. SR 548 continues along
7697-597: The Cowlitz reservation and crosses the Lewis River into Woodland , where it intersects SR 503 . Northwest of Woodland, the median of I-5 is used by freight trains and Amtrak's Cascades and Coast Starlight passenger trains, which follow the freeway for its entire length. I-5 continues along the east bank of the Columbia River, passing through Kalama on the way towards Longview and Kelso . At
7876-555: The Eastside area, bridge replacement was explored as early as 1969, when building a parallel span was explored and rejected. The Eastside is also served by the Interstate 90 floating bridges completed in 1940 and 1989, carrying traffic across Mercer Island to and from Bellevue. The original Evergreen Point Floating Bridge was designed before the implementation of modern earthquake engineering standards, with vulnerabilities in its hollow support structures that could have failed in
8055-590: The Eastside ; and I-705 , a short spur into Tacoma . It was designated as the Purple Heart Trail in 2013 by the Washington State Transportation Commission to honor wounded military veterans. The freeway runs through the most densely populated region of Washington state, with 4.6 million people living in the nine counties on the corridor, approximately 70 percent of the state's population. Several of
8234-589: The I-90 floating bridge . The line is scheduled to be extended along SR 520 to Downtown Redmond in 2025, using funding from the Sound Transit 3 program approved by voters in 2016. The rebuilt floating bridge was also designed to accommodate a future light rail extension, requiring supplemental pontoons and new approaches. The entire highway is in King County . All exits are unnumbered. Interstate 5 express lanes Interstate 5 ( I-5 )
8413-652: The Montlake neighborhood. In Montlake, the highway intersects Montlake Boulevard ( SR 513 ) and Lake Washington Boulevard just south of the University of Washington campus and Husky Stadium . The freeway gains a set of HOV lanes and continues east on a pair of causeways through the marshlands of Union Bay and Foster Island , at the north end of the Washington Park Arboretum . From Seattle, SR 520 crosses Lake Washington on
8592-697: The Newaukum River near the Uncle Sam billboard , a politically conservative message board and roadside attraction. I-5 and US 12 turn northwest to follow the river and pass along the western edge of Chehalis , where they intersect SR 6 . After passing the Chehalis-Centralia Airport , the freeway follows the Chehalis River to the western side of Centralia . I-5 and US 12 then intersect SR 507 and gain
8771-696: The Okanogan Country as the North Cascades Highway. In northern Burlington, I-5 intersects the southern end of SR 11 , which provides access to the western Chuckanut Mountains . I-5 crosses the railroad and the Samish River before reaching the Skagit Casino Resort and Skagit Speedway near Bow and Alger , located in the middle of the heavily forested Chuckanut foothills. The freeway then travels up into
8950-592: The Sammamish River and turns east, passing to the south of the Redmond Town Center mall and Bear Creek and to the north of Marymoor Park . East of downtown Redmond, SR 520 intersects SR 202 and terminates; the road continues north as Avondale Road towards Cottage Lake . Portions of the corridor from Montlake to Downtown Redmond are also paralleled by a shared-use trail for bicycles and pedestrians. SR 520's entire route
9129-599: The Seattle Municipal Tower and adjacent to Seattle City Hall . The express lanes run through downtown and the Cascade neighborhood on the lower deck of I-5's southbound lanes, with ramps to the Pike Street at 9th Avenue (including a former exit to Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel 's Convention Place station ), and Stewart and Howell streets at Eastlake Avenue. After the ramps from Mercer Street,
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#17327796306059308-949: The Stillaguamish River and passes the Stillaguamish Indian Reservation and the Angel of the Winds Casino Resort . The freeway continues northwest through rural Snohomish County and intersects SR 532 east of Stanwood before crossing into Skagit County . From the Snohomish County line, the freeway turns north and descends into the Skagit Valley from Conway Hill, following the Skagit River that runs to its west. At Conway , I-5 intersects SR 534 and
9487-478: The Sunset Highway (later I-90 ) from Seattle towards Bellevue and the Eastside. The new bridge allowed the Eastside to develop rapidly into bedroom communities in the 1940s and 1950s; the bridge also replaced the ferry system, which ceased operation in 1950, shortly after the removal of tolls on the bridge. In the late 1940s, the state government conducted a feasibility study for a second floating bridge across Lake Washington, in response to increased traffic on
9666-466: The Tacoma Dome , Tacoma Dome Station , and the Pacific Avenue corridor. East of the Tacoma Dome area, I-5 intersects SR 167 and crosses over the Puyallup River and a railroad carrying Sounder commuter trains . The freeway reaches Fife on the Puyallup Indian Reservation and intersects SR 99 , a section of former US 99 , at 54th Avenue East near the Emerald Queen Casino . After crossing Hylebos Creek, I-5 turns north and ascends from
9845-427: The peak direction ; the express lanes run in the median of the freeway between Downtown Seattle and Northgate, carrying 54,000 of the 270,000 vehicles on the Ship Canal Bridge on an average weekday, as measured in 2010. The express lanes split from I-5 near James Street, with ramps to the mainline near the northbound Seneca Street exit; the southernmost downtown exit is at 5th Avenue and Cherry and Columbia streets under
10024-522: The state supreme court upheld the legislature's authorization and allowed the program to move forward. A separate bill in 1953 authorized planning for a toll highway between Tacoma and Everett to replace the nearly-complete Alaskan Way Viaduct and other urban streets with grade crossings and 19 total interchanges. The upgrade program was divided into 226 miles (364 km) of four-lane highway and 47 miles (76 km) of two-lane highway in rural sections between Marysville and Blaine. Construction on
10203-493: The 1963 bridge. Congestion on the old bridge was blamed on lack of shoulders, where disabled vehicles would cause severe backups. Ornamental elements include four sentinel towers rising 43 feet (13 m) above the bridge deck at the approaches, and belvederes on the north side. The bridge features advanced monitoring devices and new maintenance facilities. Beneath the bridge is a three-story high brick building used to control and monitor various life support and utility systems on
10382-425: The 1970s. The section between northern Kelso and Castle Rock was improved to Interstate standards and widened to six lanes in 1976, which was followed by an expansion through Kelso that opened in 1981. The Kelso expansion project included relocating the freeway away from a mudslide-prone hill, transferring maintenance of the old alignment to the city government. A similar six-lane expansion project in Marysville in
10561-414: The 1990s, SR 520 has been expanded with high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV lanes) and new interchanges to serve the Overlake area. In 2016, the original Evergreen Point Floating Bridge was replaced by a wider bridge, as part of a multibillion-dollar expansion program that is scheduled to be completed in the 2020s. The program also includes the construction of new bus infrastructure at Montlake and on
10740-497: The Chuckanut Mountains and crosses into Whatcom County south of Lake Samish . The entire Skagit County section of I-5 is designated as the Skagit Valley Agricultural Scenic Corridor , a state scenic byway , in recognition of its agricultural industry. I-5 travels along the eastern shore of Lake Samish before turning west to follow Chuckanut Creek through a narrow valley formed by Chuckanut and Lookout mountains in Lake Samish State Park . At Lake Padden , it turns north and enters
10919-431: The Eastside, as well as a bicycle and pedestrian path along most of the highway's length. SR 520 begins at an interchange with I-5 in northern Seattle near Roanoke Park . The interchange provides access to both directions of I-5 as well as a westbound off-ramp to Harvard Avenue and Roanoke Street. SR 520 travels east across the south end of Portage Bay and its wetlands on the Portage Bay Viaduct, entering
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#173277963060511098-453: The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge and I-405. Sound Transit began Link light rail service along the Redmond portion of the SR 520 corridor in April 2024, with the opening of the 2 Line to Redmond Technology station . Approved by voters in 2008, the line will connect Redmond Technology station at Northeast 40th Street and Overlake Village station at 152nd Avenue Northeast to Seattle and Downtown Bellevue, crossing Lake Washington on
11277-449: The Hawks Prairie industrial area, where it intersects SR 510 , a highway serving the Nisqually Indian Community and Yelm . I-5 continues northeast through the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge towards DuPont on the east side of the Nisqually River in Pierce County . Immediately east of DuPont, I-5 travels through Joint Base Lewis–McChord , a major military installation that encompasses land on both sides of
11456-554: The Kitsap Peninsula via the Edmonds–Kingston ferry . The freeway continues through western Mountlake Terrace , passing the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center and its median bus station near 236th Street Southwest. Upon entering Lynnwood , I-5 turns northeast and follows the Interurban Trail , passing the Lynnwood Transit Center , which is connected to the HOV lanes via a set of direct ramps. The freeway then intersects SR 524 (196th Street Southwest) and its spur route on 44th Avenue West before heading towards Alderwood Mall . To
11635-452: The Mercer Island bridge. In 1953, the Washington State Legislature approved the construction of a second floating bridge, using past and future tolls to fund its construction. The west end of the floating bridge was to connect to the Everett–Seattle tollway (later I-5) at Roanoke Street, south of the planned Ship Canal Bridge , as well as the proposed Empire Way Expressway (later the R.H. Thompson Expressway) at Montlake. The east end
11814-414: The Montlake–Evergreen Point alignment in 1954, intending to begin construction in 1955, but the alignment dispute delayed a final decision until December 1956. Citizen groups from the Montlake area protested the decision, but were largely ignored by the project's citizen committee. Construction of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge began on August 29, 1960, and assembly of the bridge's pontoons began
11993-504: The Northgate Mall, with a ramp to Northeast 103rd Street and the two remaining lanes merging onto I-5. The downtown entrances at Cherry, Columbia, and Pike streets are designated for HOV use only to encourage carpooling without affecting buses using the ramps. The express lanes typically carry southbound traffic from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. and northbound traffic from 11:15 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays, with an overnight closure from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. On most weekends,
12172-458: The Overlake Village area via a set of new streets and an underpass. It began construction in 2021 and was opened in December 2023 at a cost of $ 68 million. The package also funded $ 40.9 million to engineer and acquire land for an expanded interchange at 124th Avenue Northeast in Bellevue to serve the Spring District . Since the opening of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge in 1963, several proposals from local governments have requested
12351-419: The Overlake area, contributing to major traffic congestion on the freeway. In 1994, the state government approved $ 81.1 million (equivalent to $ 151 million in 2023 dollars ) in highway improvements for the SR 520 corridor, including lane expansions and the addition of HOV lanes. The segment from West Lake Sammamish Parkway to SR 202 was widened from two to four lanes in September 1995, and included
12530-451: The Puyallup River Valley, entering King County and the city of Federal Way while parallel to SR 99. After passing under SR 161 at Kitts Corner near the Wild Waves Theme Park , I-5 intersects SR 18 , a freeway that connects to Auburn and Maple Valley . I-5 continues north past the former corporate headquarters of Weyerhauser to central Federal Way, where the freeway's high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV lanes) have
12709-424: The University District. I-5 runs north along 5th Avenue through the University District, a few blocks west of the University of Washington campus, and intersects Northeast 45th and 50th streets using a weaved pair of diamond interchanges . In the Roosevelt – Green Lake area, I-5 intersects Ravenna Boulevard and SR 522 , a major highway that travels along the north side of Lake Washington. Further north,
12888-588: The area. The overpass's $ 30 million cost (equivalent to $ 41 million in 2023 dollars ) was funded mostly by Microsoft , along with contributions from the City of Redmond and federal stimulus funding. Additional projects were funded by the Connecting Washington funding package, which was approved by the state legislature in 2015. An additional ramp is being added to the 148th Avenue Northeast interchange in Overlake, connecting eastbound traffic to
13067-403: The bridge carried four lanes of traffic, separated by a curb that was later replaced with a simple Jersey barrier ; at the center was a drawspan that opened for large vessels traversing the lake. The original bridge would also close to traffic during sustained wind gusts of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) or higher for more than 15 minutes. Due to increased traffic generated by rapid growth of
13246-521: The bridge design. The bridge includes HOV lanes with priority for transit and the program as a whole built several transit-only facilities. A 2008 WSDOT report included five core bus rapid transit routes proposed by Sound Transit connecting the Eastside (Kirkland, Redmond, and Bellevue) to Downtown Seattle and the University District, with a base frequency of 15 minutes, increasing up to 7 minutes at peak times. The bus rapid transit program
13425-410: The bridge replacement project in 1997, including a Sand Point crossing and various designs for a parallel replacement span. The non-bridge elements of the project on the Eastside would be centered on lidding the freeway; a proposal to build a lid over the entire section between Lake Washington and I-405 was rejected due to its projected cost of $ 2 billion. In 2003, the alternatives were narrowed to
13604-439: The bridge's planned HOV lanes. The bridge was engineered to accommodate a Link light rail extension with two options (both requiring 30 additional pontoons): one option would be 116 feet (35 m) wide with two lanes each direction, plus light rail to replace the HOV lanes; the other 150-foot-wide (46 m) option would retain the HOV lanes, two general purpose lanes in each direction, and add light rail. A proposal to include
13783-430: The bridge. The City of Redmond opposed the request, leading to a dispute between the two cities that was later resolved with a compromise to place completion of SR 520 ahead of the bus lane. The state government approved funding for the Redmond project in 1977, extending SR 520 by 2.65 miles (4.26 km) at an estimated cost of $ 10 million (equivalent to $ 39 million in 2023 dollars ), funded using part of
13962-527: The bridge. A backup generator sits on the ground level to power all systems in case of power loss. Behind the back wall of the building lies a massive retaining wall built in response to steep hills. In 2023, the floating bridge carried an annual average of 57,913 vehicles per weekday. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic , the bridge carried a weekday average of 74,912 vehicles in 2018. Public transportation and high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) use were incorporated in
14141-639: The city of Bellingham , intersecting SR 11 east of Fairhaven and the Alaska Marine Highway terminal. The freeway travels along the east side of Sehome Hill and downtown, passing the Western Washington University campus and several intersections with downtown streets. Northeast of downtown Bellingham, I-5 intersects SR 542 (the Mount Baker Highway) and turns west to meet SR 539 at
14320-511: The city rejected the plan, citing the possible release of toxins in the pontoon's concrete. The pontoons were sold to a recycling company based in Gig Harbor which plans to reuse the individual pontoons for floating decks and other projects. An unaffiliated contest was held in 2012 seeking ideas for the 33 pontoons of the old bridge, with solutions ranging from a "floating High Line " to partial submersion for walking paths. The first pontoon of
14499-514: The concrete. A state investigative report by concrete expert John Reilly blamed the WSDOT Bridge and Structures Office (BSO) for the error. The BSO did most of the pontoon design in-house, instead of delegating those details and the financial risk to contracting teams. The goal was to allow bids to be submitted sooner. The states top bridge engineer, Jugesh Kapur was ultimately let go over the error and another Department of Transportation employee
14678-538: The construction of a new bridge across the Sammamish River. In late 1996, the highway's terminus at SR 202 was converted from a signalized intersection to an interchange, including an overpass connecting to Avondale Road. SR 520's HOV lanes between I-405 and West Lake Sammamish Parkway were opened in 1999 after a $ 40 million (equivalent to $ 69 million in 2023 dollars ) expansion project. The new lanes were restricted to two persons per vehicle, while
14857-452: The construction of a parallel span or additional pontoons to increase capacity and add infrastructure for rapid transit and bicyclists. Daily traffic crossing the bridge rose from 17,400 cars in 1964 to nearly 100,000 in 1987, making the bridge the worst traffic bottleneck in the state of Washington. By the late 1990s, the bridge was carrying twice as much traffic as it was designed to handle, and calls from Eastside cities and companies for
15036-458: The construction of a southbound onramp from the I-5 express lanes , the addition of light rail to the project, and an eight-lane bridge. The final environmental impact statement for the project was issued in 2011, allowing for construction of the pontoons to begin the following year. Funding was allocated to major phases of the project at different times. The $ 4.5 billion in funding comes largely from
15215-603: The corridor. The federal government began planning for a national "superhighway" system in the late 1930s, including the US ;99 corridor as the main route along the West Coast. The highway system, designed with a minimum of four lanes in rural areas and strict grade separation , was approved for limited funding by Congress in 1944 and planned by the Bureau of Public Roads over the following years. The US 99 corridor
15394-550: The creation and majority-federal funding of the Interstate Highway System . A few months later, the state supreme court overturned the $ 194 million authorization (equivalent to $ 1.67 billion in 2023 dollars) to build the 65-mile (105 km) Tacoma–Everett expressway as a toll road after finding it to be unconstitutional. The federal contribution under the Interstate Highways program
15573-571: The decades since. Interstate 5 is the only Interstate to traverse Washington from north to south, serving as the primary highway for the western portion of the state. It is listed as part of the National Highway System and the state's Highways of Statewide Significance program, recognizing its connection to major communities. I-5 has three auxiliary Interstate Highways within Washington: I-205 , an easterly bypass of Portland, Oregon , and Vancouver ; I-405 , bypassing Seattle via
15752-538: The east of the mall, I-5 intersects I-405 and SR 525 . I-5 crosses into northern Lynnwood and intersects 164th Street Southwest near Martha Lake and Mill Creek , where a partial HOV ramp connects to the Ash Way Park and Ride . The freeway continues north into Everett and intersects SR 96 southeast of Paine Field . It then passes Silver Lake and the South Everett park and ride (located in
15931-713: The eastern freeway bypass of the Portland metropolitan area , in Salmon Creek near the Vancouver campus of Washington State University . From Salmon Creek, I-5 continues northwesterly and intersects SR 502 at the Gee Creek rest area west of Battle Ground . Its next interchange, in eastern Ridgefield , forms the eastern terminus of SR 501. The freeway passes the Ilani Casino Resort on
16110-570: The eastern shore of Lake Washington were established in the late 19th century and initially served by steamship ferries , bringing passengers and goods to and from Seattle. By 1913, the steam ferry Leschi was transporting automobiles and pedestrians between Seattle and the docks in Bellevue, Kirkland , and Medina. In 1940, the Lake Washington Floating Bridge was opened between Seattle and Mercer Island , carrying
16289-417: The entire day to prevent snow and ice from causing electronic failures in the automated gates. The entire highway is in Seattle , King County . The Pacific Highway was formed in 1913 by the state government as the north–south trunk in its first highway system, following the general route of modern-day I-5. The trunk route, one of three suggested by good roads activists for several years and studied by
16468-629: The express lane ramp, at a cost of up to $ 1.4 billion. The third phase is a planned second bascule bridge over the Montlake Cut that parallels the existing Montlake Bridge to increase vehicular capacity. The SR 520 corridor is served by Sound Transit Express Route 545, as well as other Sound Transit Express, King County Metro , and Community Transit bus routes. The corridor averaged about 24,500 weekday riders in 2016, using 700 bus trips on 18 routes. During peak periods, buses travel on SR 520 every one to four minutes between
16647-673: The finished but unopened freeway a month earlier to avoid congestion on US 99. The Tacoma and Olympia sections of I-5 were connected by a new freeway across Fort Lewis and the Nisqually River that opened in November 1968 and cost $ 12 million (equivalent to $ 80.3 million in 2023 dollars). Its opening eliminated the last traffic signal between Seattle and Portland. I-5 was routed around Bellingham on an easterly arc with several interchanges that were added after lobbying by downtown business groups who had originally favored
16826-447: The first batch of completed pontoons, estimating that it would cost $ 400 million to repair cracks and other flaws that would bring down the bridge's predicted lifespan below the desired 75 years. The problems were originally speculated to stem from shortcuts allegedly taken by the contractor to complete pontoons to meet set deadlines; the proposed solutions to fix the pontoons included adding high-tension steel cables and post-tensioning of
17005-578: The floating span at transitional spans, which connect the deck to fixed bridges and approaches using hinges to move up to 24 inches (61 cm) for fluctuations in lake water levels moving the pontoons. All the pontoons are designed with watertight compartments that are monitored remotely with sensors to detect leaks that could lead to catastrophic failure. The bridge's 58 anchors all feature 3-inch-thick (7.6 cm), 1,000-foot-long (300 m) steel cables and are divided into three types: 45 587-short-ton (533 t) fluke anchors used in softer soils deep in
17184-538: The following month, with the exception of a single set of four columns preserved for a future park, to make way for a work platform. The new approach bridge opened for westbound traffic in August 2017, with later revisions to extend the HOV lane towards the Montlake interchange. The bridge's multi-use bike and pedestrian path partially opened in July 2016, with access to the completed sections for an "out-and-back" experience;
17363-478: The following month. The remainder of the SR 520 megaproject, which includes replacement of the Portage Bay bridge and Montlake Boulevard interchange, is scheduled to be completed in 2031. The new Evergreen Point Floating Bridge was designed to be more stable in stronger winds and raised the bridge deck much higher above the surface of the lake than the old bridge. Unlike the original floating bridge, where
17542-555: The following year. The bridge and its approach highways, connecting the main branch of Primary State Highway 1 in Seattle to its Eastside branch near Bellevue, were added to the state highway system in March 1961. Construction of the western approach, an expressway between the Roanoke Interchange, Portage Bay, Montlake, and the Washington Park Arboretum, began in early 1962. The eastern approach
17721-624: The four-abreast express lanes emerge onto the median of I-5, following it past Capitol Hill and Eastlake to the Ship Canal Bridge. The express lanes cross the Ship Canal on the lower deck of the bridge, which includes an exit to Northeast 42nd Street in the University District. A southbound-only, HOV-only onramp from Ravenna Boulevard and an additional ramp to SR 522 connect the express lanes to North Seattle, leaving two express lanes and an HOV lane. The express lanes end southwest of
17900-400: The freeway and its parallel railroad . Near American Lake , an interchange with Thorne Lane marks the proposed western terminus of SR 704 , a new highway that would travel between the boundaries of Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base (the two components of Joint Base Lewis–McChord) to Spanaway . Continuing past the bases, I-5 passes through Lakewood and intersects SR 512 ,
18079-441: The freeway is four lanes in rural areas and six to eight lanes in suburban areas, including a set of high-occupancy vehicle lanes in the latter. I-5 also has three related auxiliary Interstates in the state, I-205 , I-405 , and I-705 , as well as several designated business routes and state routes. The freeway follows several historic railroads and wagon trails developed during American settlement of western Washington in
18258-479: The freeway reaches Northgate and the express lanes merge back with the mainline, forming a set of HOV lanes. I-5 passes to the west of Northgate Mall and the Northgate light rail station along 1st Avenue before moving back east to 5th Avenue near Haller Lake . At Jackson Park , freeway intersects SR 523 , which runs on 145th Street and forms the northern city limit of Seattle. The interchange includes
18437-712: The freeway runs due north along the boundary between the city and the Tulalip Indian Reservation and intersects several arterial streets: SR 528 west of downtown Marysville, 88th Street near Quil Ceda Village , and 116th Street near the Tulalip Resort Casino and Seattle Premium Outlets shopping mall. North of the city and reservation, I-5 crosses over the railroad and enters Arlington 's Smokey Point neighborhood, where it intersects SR 531 just west of Arlington Municipal Airport . A pair of rest areas are situated north of
18616-595: The freeway to the Skagit Valley College and a minor retail corridor. The freeway then crosses the Skagit River into Burlington on a bridge that partially collapsed on May 23, 2013, and was subsequently renamed the Trooper Sean M. O'Connell Jr. Memorial Bridge after a state trooper who died while directing detour traffic during its rebuilding. On the north side of the river, I-5 skirts
18795-579: The freeway's median) at 112th Street Southeast near the Everett Mall and a southbound-only rest area. Northeast of the mall, I-5 comes to a major interchange with several highways: SR 99, which travels southwest as Everett Mall Way; SR 526 , which travels west to the Boeing Everett Factory and Mukilteo ; SR 527 , which travels south through Mill Creek; and Broadway, which continues north into downtown Everett. From
18974-714: The freeway, causing vehicles to weave across several lanes that contributes to traffic congestion. I-5 continues onto the Ship Canal Bridge towards the University District , crossing 160 feet (49 m) over a section of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Eastlake Avenue parallel to the University Bridge . The bridge also includes a lower deck for the express lanes, with a ramp connecting to Northeast 42nd Street in
19153-519: The general course of the Snohomish River , and intersects the southern terminus of SR 529 at a half-diamond interchange with Pacific Avenue and Maple Street near the Everett train station and transit center. One block north of the interchange, the freeway intersects US 2 , a major highway that travels across Stevens Pass to eastern Washington. To the north of the US 2 ramps
19332-459: The highway and a modern " freeway " through Vancouver. The plan was opposed by Governor Arthur B. Langlie , who questioned its constitutionality on the basis that it could violate the state constitution's 18th amendment. The bond's use of future gas tax revenues to pay interest would, under some interpretations, violate the amendment's requirement that the gas tax must be used for highway purposes, using it instead to pay off debts. Later that year,
19511-535: The highway and travels west towards the Cherry Point Refinery and Birch Bay . In Blaine, the northernmost city on I-5, SR 543 splits off to serve an alternate border crossing for trucks and freight. I-5 travels along the northeast edge of downtown Blaine and intersects SR 548 before it reaches the Canadian border at the Peace Arch , where the highway terminates. The monument
19690-405: The highway in the state. The 19.7-mile (31.7 km) section between north Seattle and Everett was opened on February 3, 1965. It was constructed over sections of the former Seattle–Everett Interurban Railway and cost $ 23 million (equivalent to $ 170 million in 2023 dollars). Several of the freeway's interchanges in southern Snohomish County were opened two months later. The freeway
19869-609: The highway: Freeway Park , a landscaped city park between Seneca and Union streets; and the Seattle Convention Center between Union and Pike streets. I-5 continues north out of downtown Seattle under a 20-to-30-foot (6.1 to 9.1 m) retaining wall along Melrose Avenue at the edge of Capitol Hill . To the west is the South Lake Union and Cascade neighborhoods, accessed via ramps to Stewart Street and Mercer Street . The freeway travels along
20048-469: The interchange and are the busiest in the state, serving 2.1 million visitors per year, and is home to a 22-foot-wide (6.7 m) Western red cedar stump that was once hollowed out to allow vehicles to drive through it. The area around the freeway transforms from suburban to rural, with rolling hills and forested areas, as it approaches Island Crossing and an interchange with SR 530 west of downtown Arlington. North of Island Crossing, I-5 crosses
20227-414: The lakebed; eight 107-short-ton (97 t) gravity anchors used in solid soils nearer to the shore; and five 10-foot-diameter (3.0 m), 79-to-92-foot-long (24 to 28 m) drilled shaft anchors used in conjunction with the gravity anchors to prevent navigation hazards. To ensure storm resistance in the event of water seeping into the pontoons, each pontoon is outfitted with a leak detection system with
20406-436: The lanes are open to southbound traffic from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and northbound traffic from 1:45 p.m. to 11 p.m., with an overnight closure to reduce neighborhood noise. The weekend times are sometimes adjusted for special events, including weekend sporting events, or construction on the mainline lanes in Seattle. The express lanes are controlled by a series of movable gates and electronic signs controlled by
20585-461: The largest cities along the I-5 corridor are also connected by the parallel Cascades , a regional train service between Eugene, Oregon , and Vancouver , British Columbia, operated by Amtrak and funded by the state governments of Oregon and Washington. I-5 is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), who conduct an annual survey of traffic volume that is expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic (AADT),
20764-499: The late 1960s was delayed after a dispute between the state government and Tulalip Tribes over compensation for land that was later settled in 1970. A section further north of Marysville was expanded to six lanes in 1972, including a new bridge over the Stillaguamish River for northbound traffic and replacement of a railroad underpass with a pair of overpasses. A municipal traffic plan from 1946 outlined designs for
20943-540: The mall interchange, I-5 descends towards the Lowell area on the east side of a hill with several suburban neighborhoods. Near the Everett Memorial Stadium and Lowell Park, the freeway intersects 41st Street in a single-point urban interchange , with additional ramps from the HOV and mainline lanes towards downtown Everett on Broadway. I-5 then curves northeasterly around downtown Everett, following
21122-463: The mid-to-late 19th century. The state legislature incorporated local roads into the Pacific Highway in 1913, connecting the state's southern and northern borders between Vancouver and Blaine. The Pacific Highway was built and paved over the next decade, and became the northernmost segment of the national U.S. Route 99 (US 99) in 1926. The federal government endorsed the creation of
21301-481: The morning and evening peak periods ; tolls paid by mail are charged an additional $ 2. The freeway reaches the eastern end of Lake Washington at Evergreen Point in northern Medina , where it travels under a landscaped park lid and next to a median-side bus station . After an interchange and lid at 84th Avenue Northeast in Hunts Point , SR 520 travels eastward around the northern edge of Clyde Hill in
21480-470: The new floating bridge to the existing western approach was completed in September 2014. The north side of the new western approach, which would ultimately carry westbound traffic and the multi-use trail, began construction in October 2014. The project included removal of unused ramps over SR 520 that were built in the 1960s for the cancelled R.H. Thomson Expressway project; the ramps were demolished
21659-591: The next interchange at SR 599 , a short freeway that connects to SR 99. From the SR 599 interchange, I-5 makes a gradual turn to the northwest while crossing over the Duwamish River and a mainline railroad, following the latter into the city of Seattle after an interchange with SR 900 . After entering Seattle, I-5 passes under the Link 1 Line tracks at Boeing Access Road and runs northwesterly between Boeing Field and Georgetown to
21838-558: The north end of Capitol Hill through the Eastlake neighborhood on the east side of Lake Union , passing over the I-5 Colonnade mountain bike park. At Roanoke Park , I-5 intersects the western terminus of SR 520 , a major freeway that crosses Lake Washington on the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge to Bellevue and Redmond . The heavily trafficked Mercer Street and SR 520 exits use ramps that are on opposite sides of
22017-414: The north side of the freeway were completed and opened, forming a 4.5-mile-long (7.2 km) trail from northern Bellevue to Marymoor Park in Redmond. In the late 2000s, WSDOT completed several highway improvement projects on the segment of SR 520 between West Lake Sammamish Parkway and SR 202 in Downtown Redmond. In August 2008, a flyover ramp from westbound SR 202 to westbound SR 520
22196-538: The old bridge to be disassembled was towed through the Lake Washington Ship Canal in July 2016. As of December 2020, several pontoons of the old bridge are anchored in the Pitt River in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia . Construction of the 1.2-mile (1.9 km) western approach to the floating bridge, a conventional viaduct that crosses Union Bay , was split into three projects. A temporary bridge to connect
22375-585: The older HOV lanes between I-405 and the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge had a three-person requirement. A new interchange was built at Northeast 40th Street in 2000 to serve the Microsoft Redmond Campus and other nearby employers, along with a set of collector–distributor lanes through the area, and ramp meters to manage traffic flow. Between 1994 and 2002, portions of a multi-use pedestrian and bicycle path on
22554-478: The opening of the bridge's westbound lanes, the Washington State Transportation Commission proposed increasing toll rates to introduce nighttime tolling by 2017. The toll rate increase and nighttime toll was approved by the commission and implemented on July 1, 2017. The old bridge was planned to be decommissioned by floating away pontoons to an industrial site in Kenmore for disposal and recycling; in March 2016,
22733-418: The original bridge carried two lanes of traffic in each direction, it did not include shoulders or pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. The lack of a shoulder led to traffic congestion in the event of an accident, which would block one or two lanes in a given direction and block emergency services from accessing the bridge. Planning of the replacement bridge started in 1997 with a cross-lake study conducted by
22912-514: The primary means of access to the airport and Burien , and I-405 , the eastern freeway bypass of Seattle that travels through Renton and the Eastside. The interchange includes several left-hand ramps, necessitating the separation of the thru HOV lanes from the mainline. For a short distance, the light rail tracks of the Link 1 Line , which followed SR 518 from Tukwila International Boulevard station , join I-5 and run on its west side until
23091-551: The program, planned to be completed by 2024, included construction of the eastbound lanes of the western approach bridge and a new Montlake Boulevard interchange with HOV lane ramps, a relocated bus station, and a park lid. The eastbound approach to the floating bridge was opened to limited traffic in July 2023 and expanded to carry three lanes in its permanent configuration the following month. The HOV access ramps to Montlake Boulevard were opened in September 2024. The second phase, to be constructed between 2020 and 2031, will include
23270-467: The proposed R. H. Thomson Expressway . A larger, twelve-lane freeway through Downtown Seattle with a reversible express lane system was announced in April 1957 ahead of a series of public hearings . The proposal received a mix of strong support and criticism from members of the public, while the city government endorsed the plan with a caveat that right of way along the freeway be reserved for use by rapid transit . The twelve-lane design, sans transit,
23449-421: The rate for standard two axle passenger vehicles ranges from a minimum of $ 1.35 from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. to a maximum of $ 4.90 during peak commuting hours on weekdays; an additional $ 2 is charged for mail users. Major holidays are assessed at the weekend rate, which ranges from $ 1.35 overnight to $ 2.95 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Vehicles with more than two axels are charged an additional rate. In 2023,
23628-487: The relocation of the military base's main gate to a new cloverleaf interchange . Another early Interstate project, the 6.5-mile (10.5 km) Olympia Freeway, was opened to traffic on December 12, 1958, at a cost of $ 11.6 million (equivalent to $ 94 million in 2023 dollars). It also included a freeway section of US 101 and US 410 that intersected I-5 in the state's first three-level interchange. A rural section of freeway between Marysville and Mount Vernon
23807-654: The remaining freeway to Redmond, via a northeastward course through the Overlake area and across Marymoor Park. Construction of a 1.3-mile-long (2.1 km) segment between 124th Avenue Northeast and 148th Avenue Northeast in Overlake began in February 1972 and was completed in December 1973. The planned route of SR 520 along the north side of Marymoor Park in Redmond was given the temporary designation of SR 920 in 1975. The two-lane expressway , connecting West Lake Sammamish Parkway ( SR 901 ) and SR 202,
23986-630: The river's estuary , which has several sloughs that I-5 crosses. It also passes the Everett Water Pollution Control Facility and several wastewater treatment ponds, which produces strong odors that are noted by motorists. On the north side of Steamboat Slough, I-5 turns northwesterly and intersects SR 529 before crossing over the BNSF Railway and Ebey Slough into Marysville. Within Marysville,
24165-414: The road surface is directly on pontoons connected end-to-end, the new bridge featured pontoons laid north–south, perpendicular to the direction of vehicular traffic, and a road surface on a platform raised 20 feet (6.1 m) above the water. This design includes shoulders and a protected pedestrian and bicycle path across the viaduct. The floating bridge is laid atop 77 concrete pontoons that float above
24344-478: The rural sections in southwestern Washington began in late 1951 and the first section near Kalama was opened early the following year. Major bypasses of Centralia, Fort Lewis, Kelso, Marysville, and Tumwater were completed in 1954. The 2-mile-long (3.2 km) Vancouver freeway opened on April 1, 1955, constituting the state's first grade-separated freeway and costing $ 7 million (equivalent to $ 62.2 million in 2023 dollars) to construct. In December 1955,
24523-612: The section between Chehalis and Olympia was moved onto a straighter highway that bypassed Tenino and other small towns along the meandering route of the Pacific Highway. Its opening marked the end of the southern section of the upgraded US 99. The northern section was declared complete after a bypass of Mount Vernon and Burlington, including a new bridge over the Skagit River , was opened to traffic in June 1957. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 , signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 29, 1956, formally authorized
24702-423: The six-lane Evergreen Point Floating Bridge ; at 7,710 feet (2,350 m), it is the longest floating bridge in the world. Tolls are collected electronically using the state's Good to Go pass or by mail, and vary based on time of day and the vehicle's number of axles . As of 2024 , tolls for Good to Go users range from a minimum of $ 1.35 between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. and a maximum of $ 4.90 during
24881-654: The south end of Kelso, near the confluence of the Columbia and Cowlitz rivers, the freeway intersects SR 432 , which connects to Longview and the Lewis and Clark Bridge via SR 433 . I-5 continues north along the Coweeman River to the Three Rivers Mall , located east of downtown Kelso, where SR 4 terminates. Between Vancouver and Kelso, the highway is part of the Lewis and Clark Trail ,
25060-474: The state Department of Transportation. The study followed several others in the late 20th century to find solutions to traffic on the SR 520 floating bridge, with most proposals rejected after heavy opposition from communities on both ends of the bridge. The preferred alternative for the bridge's design, with four general-purpose lanes and two HOV lanes, was announced by WSDOT in April 2010. Alternative options included
25239-438: The state gas tax earmarked for highways in 2005, toll revenue, and federal highway funds and loans. In 2014, the budget for the project was increased by $ 250 million to cover cost overruns. The western portions of the project in Seattle, which are budgeted at $ 2 billion, were the last to be funded as part of the 2015 and 2022 legislative transportation packages. The first stage of the SR 520 floating bridge replacement project
25418-568: The state legislature in 1909, strung together several wagon trails dating back as early as the 1840s, when settlers arrived in the Puget Sound region from the Willamette Valley via the Cowlitz Trail . Part of the highway also followed the military road constructed in the 1850s from Fort Vancouver to Fort Bellingham . The Washington section was part of a longer highway along the West Coast from Canada to Mexico, which
25597-495: The state's highways to measure traffic volume in terms of annual average daily traffic . In 2016, WSDOT calculated that 80,000 vehicles traveled on SR 520 near its interchange with SR 202 in Redmond and 47,000 vehicles used it at SR 513 in Seattle, the highest and lowest traffic counts along the highway, respectively. The highway is noted for its lack of a " reverse commute ", with roughly equal amounts of traffic in both directions during peak periods. New towns along
25776-631: The suburb of Tumwater, passing the Olympia Regional Airport and several state office parks before reaching the terminus of US 101 , a major highway that encircles the Olympic Peninsula , on the south side of Capitol Lake . After the interchange, I-5 enters Olympia and turns eastward after passing the Washington State Capitol campus and downtown Olympia. The freeway passes through Lacey and
25955-476: The trail was fully opened on December 20, 2017. The original approach bridge continued to carry eastbound traffic until it was closed in November 2019 to prepare for construction of the south half of the new approach bridge. All four lanes of traffic between Montlake Boulevard and the floating bridge was directed onto the westbound approach bridge, which was narrowed and restriped for the multi-year construction period. A temporary onramp from Lake Washington Boulevard
26134-586: The two interchanges is the Gospodor Monument Park , a roadside attraction with four sculptures of up to 100 feet (30 m) in height commemorating religious and indigenous figures. After their installation in 2002, the sculptures caused backups on the freeway due to rubbernecking by passing drivers who slowed down near them. Near Napavine , I-5 becomes concurrent with US 12 , which continues east across White Pass to Yakima . The two highways intersect SR 508 and cross over
26313-487: The water and are secured by 58 anchors to the lake bottom. Of the pontoons, 21 are longitudinal pontoons that support the deck and structure and are 360 by 75 by 28 feet (109.7 m × 22.9 m × 8.5 m) and weigh 11,000 short tons (10,000 t); 54 smaller supplemental pontoons, weighing 2,500 short tons (2,300 t), are used to stabilize the weight of the bridge; and two "cross" pontoons, weighing 10,100 short tons (9,200 t), are sited at each end of
26492-552: The water-facing Chuckanut Drive , was moved inland via Lake Samish in 1931. State Road 1 was re-designated in 1937 as Primary State Highway 1 under the state's new highway numbering system, but was not signed as such, giving priority to the overlapping US 99. By 1941, the Pacific Highway was the busiest road in the Pacific Northwest and had been widened to four lanes in most urban areas because of traffic congestion, necessitating studies into by-passing cities along
26671-691: The west along the railroad and Beacon Hill to the east. Mid-way along Beacon Hill near Jefferson Park , the freeway turns due north and intersects the east end of the Spokane Street Viaduct, part of the West Seattle Bridge , which has additional ramps to the SoDo area and the VA Puget Sound Medical Center . I-5 continues north between SoDo and northern Beacon Hill, crossing over the western portal of
26850-572: The western edge of Burlington, passing car dealerships and retail stores, including the Cascade Mall and an outlet mall . To the west of downtown Burlington, the freeway intersects SR 20 , a major state highway, in a partial cloverleaf interchange that includes several businesses inside the western loop. SR 20 continues west towards Anacortes and the Olympic Peninsula, and east through North Cascades National Park to
27029-544: The widest in the United States, runs in the full block between 6th and 7th avenues between downtown to the west and First Hill to the east, home to Harborview Medical Center and Yesler Terrace . It passes to the east of Seattle's tallest building, the Columbia Center , and the city's Central Library before adding a set of reversible express lanes in the median near Madison Street . I-5 turns northeasterly and passes under two structures built atop sections of
27208-399: The worst congested highways in the United States, with 78 percent of peak direction miles classified as "routinely congested" for seven to eight hours a day and an average annual delay of 55 hours for Seattle– Everett commutes. The freeway has a maximum speed limit of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) in rural areas and 60 mph (97 km/h) in urban and suburban areas, which includes
27387-502: Was 130 feet (40 m) shorter in length. Traffic on the new bridge was shifted over in two stages, beginning with westbound traffic on April 11 and ending with eastbound traffic on April 25. Initially, the bridge narrowed from 6 lanes to 4 lanes at the end of the floating span, over 1.2 miles (1.9 km) east of the Montlake Boulevard interchange, and was not fully traversable for bicyclists and pedestrians. Shortly after
27566-513: Was also the first to use the Interstate highway shield , which was installed during construction in 1958. By the end of 1959, new interchanges and overpasses had brought most of the highway between Vancouver and Olympia to Interstate standards. Governor Albert D. Rosellini announced an accelerated push for freeway construction, primarily aimed at completing Interstate 5 between Seattle and the Canadian border, in August 1960. The Tacoma section
27745-518: Was anticipated to be $ 165 million (equivalent to $ 1.42 billion in 2023 dollars), but come in smaller installments that would require more time to complete the freeway project. The entire US 99 corridor was subsequently assigned the designation of "Interstate 5" in 1957 and the federal government allocated planning funds to begin engineering of the Seattle Freeway, which commanded its own Highway Department division. Washington
27924-661: Was built in 1921 and its surrounding park is open to the public without needing to report to customs officers. The park is connected to its administrative buildings and parking lots by a set of crosswalks across the northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 5. The Peace Arch–Douglas crossing is the third-busiest port of entry on the Canadian border, with an average of 3,500 to 4,800 vehicles crossing per day. The highway continues north as Highway 99 towards Vancouver, located 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Blaine. I-5 has 7.14 miles (11.49 km) of express lanes within Seattle, which reverse to carry traffic in
28103-587: Was completed in early 1959. The first section of the Tacoma–Seattle–Everett freeway was opened to traffic on October 1, 1959, extending the Fort Lewis freeway 5 miles (8.0 km) from Gravelly Lake near McChord Field to South 72nd Street in southern Tacoma. The $ 4.68 million project (equivalent to $ 37.4 million in 2023 dollars) built the six-lane freeway and a cloverleaf interchange at SSH 5G (now SR 512). The Tacoma section
28282-470: Was conceived by the Pacific Highway Association of North America in 1910. The Pacific Highway was dedicated by 60,000 people at the Peace Arch in Blaine on September 4, 1923, with a few sections still under construction. Earlier that year, the Washington state government had designated it as State Road 1 and allotted funds to pave some rural sections. By 1925, almost all of the highway had been paved or improved to modern standards. The federal government and
28461-477: Was constructed between 1962 and 1963, connecting the bridge to Medina, Secondary State Highway 2A in southern Houghton , and Northup Way—a local road that continued east towards Redmond. The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge opened on August 28, 1963, along with the Roanoke Expressway, part of the Seattle Freeway, and the eastern approach to Houghton and Bellevue up to a temporary interchange with 104th Avenue Northeast. The bridge and its approaches, constituting
28640-432: Was dedicated on April 2, 2016, as the longest floating bridge in the world. The westbound lanes opened on April 11 and the eastbound lanes were opened on April 25. The new, 116-foot-wide (35 m) bridge features four general purpose lanes and two HOV lanes, as well as a multi-use trail on its north side that opened on December 20, 2017. Demolition of the former bridge was completed in early 2017. The western approach
28819-416: Was delayed by construction issues and opened on November 23, 1965, with a dedication ceremony at the Peace Arch. The British Columbian government had already completed upgrades to its section of Highway 99 between Blaine and the Fraser River in 1962. The southernmost section of the Bellingham Freeway through the Chuckanut Mountains opened in three stages in 1966, completing the last four-lane section of
28998-413: Was demoted. A floating, 660-short-ton (600 t) cofferdam was launched in November 2013 to assist in repairs of the pontoons, functioning as a portable drydock that wrapped around parts of the pontoons. The repairs were made by the contractor at the direction of WSDOT from December 2013 to June 2014 and cost a total of approximately $ 208 million, using up the majority of the program's reserve funds. As
29177-412: Was derived from state gas taxes and federal sources, as well as toll revenue. Construction of the 77 concrete pontoons began in 2011 and on-site assembly began in 2014. The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge carries six lanes of traffic—including two lanes for high-occupancy vehicles —and has a multi-use trail for cyclists and pedestrians on its north side. It also carries bus traffic and is designed for
29356-440: Was expanded in 1973 to accommodate a bus-only lane at the request of Metro Transit , which had begun operating express buses over the bridge. The Northup Interchange, where SR 520 intersects I-405, was opened on November 22, 1966. The highway was also extended east from 104th Avenue Northeast to 124th Avenue Northeast, serving the Bel-Red industrial area. The state government announced plans in 1968 to begin construction on
29535-488: Was extended 13.5 miles (21.7 km) north to Midway (near Des Moines) on October 10, 1962. The dedication ceremony was attended by Governor Rosellini and included a parade of U.S. Army vehicles from Fort Lewis . The Tacoma–Midway section cost $ 14.5 million to construct (equivalent to $ 136 million in 2023 dollars) and included a cloverleaf interchange for the Auburn cutoff (later SR 18) in Federal Way. The ceremony had been preceded by drivers trespassing onto
29714-420: Was in place from its opening in 2016. The tolls are projected to generate $ 1.2 billion by 2056 to pay off bonds for the project as well as bridge operations and maintenance, debt service, future repairs, insurance, and deferred sales tax. The toll varies by time of day as well as day of week and applies in each direction. Rates are reviewed annually to cover all operational costs and debt service. Since August 2024,
29893-518: Was included in the initial 37,700-mile (60,672 km) system announced three years later by the Public Roads Administration . The state legislature adopted its own set of standards for limited-access highways in 1947, later amending them to encourage upgrades to existing two-lane roadways. In 1951, the legislature authorized a $ 66.7 million bond issue (equivalent to $ 628 million in 2023 dollars) to fund upgrades to US 99, including four-lane sections on all but 40 miles (64 km) of
30072-416: Was initially six lanes wide but was expanded to eight lanes from Northgate to modern-day Shoreline in 1966 because of increased traffic congestion. The 3-mile (4.8 km) bypass of downtown Everett between 41st Street and the Snohomish River was completed on January 18, 1968; its opening eliminated fourteen traffic lights and included ramps to connect with the Hewitt Avenue Trestle. The final section of I-5
30251-401: Was later revised to two due to aesthetic issues. Moreover, the lighting mounted on top of the deck had to be positioned to minimize light pollution as well as its effect on aquatic habitat. The bridge has two general purpose lanes and one high-occupancy vehicle lane (HOV lane) per direction. It includes shoulders and a 14-foot-wide (4.3 m) pedestrian/bicycle path on the north side, unlike
30430-414: Was not implemented and replaced by increased frequency on King County Metro and Sound Transit Express routes that serve the corridor. Existing freeway bus stations (also known as "flyer stops") on the Eastside at Evergreen Point and Yarrow Point were rebuilt and moved from the freeway's shoulder to the median , accompanied by landscaped lids with parking and lawns, in 2014 for increased compatibility with
30609-408: Was opened a month later to replace the last of the unused Thomson Expressway ramps. Two mobile gantry cranes were used to disassemble and lift pieces of the old approach bridge beginning in 2020 after a construction delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The eastbound lanes on the approach bridge were opened to limited traffic in July 2023 and expanded to carry three lanes in its permanent configuration
30788-409: Was opened in 1963 as a replacement for the cross-lake ferry system that had operated since the late 19th century. In 1964, SR 520 was designated as a freeway connecting I-5 to I-405. An extension to Redmond was proposed later in the decade. In the 1970s and 1980s, sections of the freeway between Bellevue and Redmond were opened to traffic, replacing the temporary designation of SR 920. Since
30967-427: Was opened in July 1977 after several months of construction. Completion of the last segment of SR 520, between 148th Avenue Northeast and SR 920, was given priority by Eastside cities and civic groups in the mid-1970s. However, the City of Bellevue asked that the state government build a reversible bus lane on the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge before completing the last segment, due to increased traffic on
31146-434: Was opened on May 14, 1969, spanning 3.5 miles (5.6 km) between Everett and Marysville over the Snohomish River delta. It was originally scheduled to open several months earlier, but delayed steel work on the bridge over the Snohomish River caused scheduling issues. Several right-in/right-out intersections and non-grade-separated sections remained on I-5 until the completion of widening and grade separation projects in
31325-404: Was opened to traffic, replacing a pair of onramp traffic signals. SR 520 was widened to four lanes in each direction in 2010, in a multi-phase project that added HOV and merge lanes, as well as reconstructed ramps at West Lake Sammamish Parkway. In addition to the Downtown Redmond projects, a new lid-like overpass at Northeast 36th Street in Overlake was opened in 2010 to improve traffic in
31504-446: Was partially replaced with a new bridge for westbound traffic in August 2017, with the eastbound lanes temporarily remaining on the old approach bridge. As part of the project, several " ghost ramps " in the Washington Park Arboretum for the cancelled R.H. Thomson Expressway were demolished in 2017, despite calls to preserve them in memory of the protests that cancelled the projects in the 1960s. A park with one preserved set of columns
31683-414: Was the construction of 77 concrete pontoons in 2011 and 2012 by Kiewit-General-Manson at two purpose-built facilities in Aberdeen and Tacoma . The pontoons were floated to the bridge on Lake Washington via the Lake Washington Ship Canal . Pontoon assembly and fastening, to form the floating bridge's deck, began in 2014 and concluded in July 2015. In 2012, WSDOT identified cracks and other problems with
31862-436: Was the fastest of the three West Coast states to upgrade sections of US 99 to four lanes and partial Interstate standards using new interchanges, with only 15 miles (24 km) of the highway in northern Whatcom County still two-laned by 1959. Among the first projects to use federal funding from the 1956 act was an upgrade of the Fort Lewis highway to four-lane freeway standards, which opened in September 1957 and included
32041-455: Was to connect to the planned north–south freeway bypass of the Seattle area (later I-405), with an optional connection to the Stevens Pass Highway . Two alignments for the floating bridge were considered in the late 1950s: a Sand Point –Kirkland, favored by the City of Seattle; and an Evergreen Point crossing, favored by the state government and the U.S. Navy , which operated Naval Air Station Sand Point . The state government initially chose
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