Paving, bridge repair projects to reduce westbound I-90 in Issaquah to one lane for up to 10 weekends

ISSAQUAH – A series of construction projects will repair and replace aging pavement and repair several bridges along the Interstate 90 corridor in Issaquah and from Mercer Island to Bellevue. 

People traveling through the area should expect weekend and nighttime I-90 lane reductions and ramp closures. This includes up to 10 weekends when westbound I-90 will be reduced to a single lane in Issaquah.

Starting in July, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will begin construction on three new projects, that will:

What to expect 

Eastbound I-90 in Issaquah

Contractor crews will grind and replace more than 4 miles of eastbound I-90 beginning Sunday, July 13, between West Lake Sammamish Parkway (milepost 13) and East Sunset Way (milepost 18). 

Construction is scheduled from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday nights and from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Thursday nights. This work will require closing up to three lanes of eastbound I-90, with occasional ramp closures at West Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast/Lakemont Boulevard Southeast, 17th Avenue Northwest, Front Street North and East Sunset Way/Highlands Drive Northeast. To help create a safer space for workers, the speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph through the work zone.

People travelling in the area should watch for slower speed limits, occasional ramp closures with signed detours and traffic delays during overnight lane reductions. This project is expected to finish in fall 2025.

Westbound I-90 in Issaquah

Beginning in late July or early August, contractor crews will begin repair work on five bridges on westbound I-90 and grind and replace 2.5 miles of pavement between East Sunset Way/Highlands Drive Northeast (milepost 18) and Tibbets Creek (milepost 15).

During this project, crews will reduce westbound I-90 to a single lane for up to 10 weekends to repair pavement, waterproof protection and expansion joints on five bridges. These weekend lane closures will start at 7 p.m. Friday nights and continue through 9 a.m. Sunday mornings. Speed limits in the work zone will be reduced to 45 mph.

In addition to bridge work, paving is scheduled between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. nightly Saturdays through Thursdays. This nighttime work will require closing up to three lanes of westbound I-90 and occasional ramp closures at East Sunset Way/Highlands Drive Northeast, Front Street North and 17th Avenue Northwest.

People travelling in the area should expect significant traffic delays during weekend closures, slower speeds through the work zone and occasional ramp closures with signed detours during the project. Work is expected to continue through spring 2026.

Eastbound I-90 from Mercer Island to Bellevue

As early as fall 2025, contractor crews will begin a pavement and bridge repair project on eastbound I-90 between Mercer Slough (milepost 9) and 150th Avenue Southeast in Bellevue (milepost 12). Crews will perform crack sealing and grind and replace pavement along a nearly 2-mile section of road. They’ll also resurface the Richards Road Southeast bridge near the I-405 interchange and replace expansion joints.

During this project, crews will close up to three eastbound I-90 lanes overnight to grind and repair pavement, replace bridge joints and sensors, and seal cracks in the pavement. Crews will work Saturday through Thursday nights, with varying hours depending on how many lanes need to be closed. Nightly lane reductions could start as early as 8 a.m., and all lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. The HOV lane will be open to all vehicles during right lane closures.

Additionally, this project has up to four weekend-long lane reductions, including:

• Two weekend, two-lane closures from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.
• Two weekend, three-lane closures from 8 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday, immediately followed by a two-lane closure until 2 p.m. Sunday.

Ramps along eastbound I-90 may close during portions of this work as needed, including the 150th Avenue Southeast/Southeast Eastgate Way off-ramp, 148th Avenue Southeast off-ramp, Richards Road Southeast/Factoria Boulevard off-ramp and 142nd Place Southeast HOV on- and off-ramps. 

This project is expected continue through 2026. People travelling in the area should expect traffic delays and occasional ramp closures with signed detours.

Other nearby I-90 projects

In addition to these three projects, the I-90 Sunset Creek Fish Passage project in Bellevue also is expected to continue until 2027, and two other projects will begin shortly:

For the most up-to-date information on upcoming closures with these projects, please visit the project webpages. Real-time travel information is available from the WSDOT mobile app, the WSDOT Travel Center map or by signing up for WSDOT's email updates.