SEATTLE — An emergency expansion joint repair on southbound Interstate 5 in Seattle caused miles-long traffic backups on Tuesday morning before being cleared just after 12 p.m.
The two right lanes of southbound I-5 just south of South Spokane Street were blocked due to the emergency repairs as well as an earlier collision near Corson Street, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said in a tweet.
WSDOT shared an update on social media just after 11 a.m. that there was a 5-mile backup built up due to the repairs.
Maintenance crews have been gradually removing strip steel and strip seal on the bridge, which can become loose as the structure ages. The maintenance team was notified Tuesday morning about additional problems at that location, according to WSDOT Northwest Region Assistant Communications Manager James Poling.
The maintenance couldn't wait due to potential damage to cars, Poling said.
The expansion joint is in place, although there is a small gap that could cause the bridge to be rough and leak underneath without strip seal and strip steel in place.
The two left lanes also need strip steel and strip seal removed, but Poling said there was not a timeline for those repairs.
It's also not known when permanent repairs will take place. They cannot be done on the same day as removal.
The expansion joints that needed to be fixed Tuesday morning are not the same ones that were recently repaired as part of Revive I-5 work in 2020 and 2021, although they are in the same area, according to Poling.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.