Ballard Bridge to close southbound lanes tonight and tomorrow night for paving

Meghan Walker Ballard

The Ballard Bridge will be closed to southbound vehicles for two nights this week (Oct. 23 and 24) so crews can finish paving at W Emerson St.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) says they will close the southbound driving lanes on the Ballard Bridge from 7 p.m. each night, planning to reopen at 5 a.m. the following mornings.

Here is the schedule:

  • 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23 – 5 a.m. on Thursday, October 24
  • 7 p.m. Thursday, October 24 – 5 a.m. on Friday, October 25
Map of partial bridge closure with detour information, which is provided below.

The bridge will remain open for buses, emergency vehicles, and people walking, biking, or rolling.

SDOT says the paving is dry-weather dependent, so if it rains, they’ll cancel the closure, and will post updates on Facebook and X.

SDOT had planned to close the bridge last weekend for scheduled work, but they canceled the closure due to wet weather.

Here are SDOT’s recommended detours for navigating the closure:

If you are driving…   

  • Please use the Aurora Bridge to travel south during the closure.  
  • Please use Gilman Ave W while W Emerson St is closed.   

If you are riding the bus… 

  • There are no changes to bus routes. Buses will travel over the Ballard Bridge as usual. 
  • The southbound bus stop at 15th Ave W and W Emerson St will be moved south on 15th Ave NW. It will be right across from W Ruffner St. 
  • The northbound bus stop at 15th Ave W and W Emerson St will also be moved to accommodate paving. Please look for signs for the temporary bus stop location. 

If you are walking, rolling, or biking… 

  • At least one path on the bridge will remain open for people walking, rolling, or biking. If you are biking across the bridge, you may need to dismount to safely pass others. 

What to Expect If You’re Near the Construction Area 

  • Overnight work is noisy but within allowable noise levels. You may hear loud humming, construction vehicle horns, and a sound like a big vacuum.  
  • You may also feel mild vibrations or smell odors associated with asphalt paving. 
  • We will close the sidewalk in work areas. There will be detour signs in place to direct you around the construction.   

Photo: SDOT