Drivers on eastbound Interstate 90 between Seattle and Bellevue should prepare for significant delays starting Thursday, Sept. 18, as the Washington State Department of Transportation begins a 16-day repair project on the I-90 East Channel Bridge. The construction will reduce lanes and close multiple on-ramps around the clock through Sunday morning, Oct. 5.
Beginning the evening of Sept. 18, contractor crews will narrow eastbound I-90 to three lanes between Island Crest Way and Bellevue Way. The first night of work will include a sharp reduction to one lane from 8 p.m. Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19, to allow crews to set up the work zone. A second overnight one-lane closure is planned sometime between Sept. 24 and Sept. 26 as crews shift operations from the south to the north side of the bridge.
The eastbound I-90 on-ramp from East Mercer Way will close at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, and remain closed for six to eight days while a new expansion joint is installed on the bridge’s south section. The ramp is expected to reopen between Sept. 24 and Sept. 26 once the work moves north. A final overnight closure of the same ramp is also planned for the end of the project, with details to be released closer to that time.
Additionally, the eastbound I-90 HOV on-ramp from 80th Street will close at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, and remain closed through 7 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 5.
The bridge repairs address deteriorating modular assembly joints that have reached the end of their service life. One joint, originally installed when the bridge opened in 1988, failed in the right lane in January 2024. Replacing these expansion joints is necessary to maintain the structural integrity of the bridge and extend its lifespan.
The I-90 East Channel Bridge carries nearly 75,000 eastbound vehicles each day. WSDOT advises drivers to plan for alternate routes or allow extra travel time throughout the duration of the project.
