Interstate 5 North - King County North

Interstate 5 angles northwest over Jackson and King Streets ahead of the Express Lane beginning and Exit 165 to Seneca Street and downtown Seattle. The Express Lanes are reversible and lie between the north and southbound roadways of Interstate 5. The two lane facility stretches 7.14 miles to Exit 173 at Northgate.

08/30/06

Nearing the skyscrapers of downtown Seattle along Interstate 5 north near Kobe Terrace Park.

08/30/06

One half mile south of the Exit 165 off-ramp to Seneca Street along Interstate 5 north at the Express Lanes beginning. The James Street off-ramp departs the Exit 164B c/d roadway to the right for Seattle University, City Hall, and Pioneer Square in downtown.

08/30/06

Yesler Way passes over Interstate 5 in this northbound scene. Columbia Center rises magnificently.

08/29/06

These two views look at the Express Lanes both open and closed as it departs from the left. Exit 165 follows as a left side ramp onto Seneca Street west at Central Freeway Park. Meanwhile the James Street ramp leaves the Exit 164A c/d roadway ahead of the 7th and Madison Streets exit for the Washington State Convention Center.

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The Interstate 5 Express Lanes commence and travel uninterrupted to the NE 42nd Street ramp at the University District. Additional ramps join the Express Lanes with NE 103rd Street and NE 103rd Street before their conclusion at Northgate. The lanes shift direction on a weekly schedule to aid in peak hour traffic or during special events. See the WSDOT King County Express Lanes page for a detailed schedule.

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All roadways of Interstate 5 travel on viaducts above James and Cherry Streets to the Madison Street overpass.

08/30/06

Exit 165 finally parts ways with Interstate 5 north for Seneca Street. Seneca Street flows west from First Hill into the central business district, ending at the Alaskan Way Viaduct (SR 99) northbound off-ramp to 1st Avenue.

08/30/06

Interstate 5 lowers from its viaducts to pass beneath Madison and Spring Streets ahead of the Central Freeway Park cut and cover tunnel. The Exit 164A c/d roadway finally returns to the freeway mainline as well.

08/30/06

Next in line for Interstate 5 north is the Exit 166 off-ramp to Olive Way and Capitol Hill and the Exit 167 directional interchange with the Mercer Street connector near Lake Union.

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Four lanes of Interstate 5 north enter the Central Freeway Park tunnel. Seneca Street travels above the freeway beyond the northbound portal.

08/30/06

Interstate 5 emerges briefly by the University Street on-ramp and 8th Avenue mini tunnel.

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A second cut and cover tunnel sees Interstate 5 pass under the Washington State Convention Center and Pike Street.

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Leaving the last of the tunnels, northbound motorists quickly meet the Exit 166 off-ramp to Olive Way. Boren Avenue and Pine Street intersect over the freeway mainline above in this scene.

08/30/06

Continuing north, Interstate 5 next meets Exit 167 (Mercer Street) and Exit 168A (Lakeview Avenue). The Mercer Street connector provides direct access to Mercer Street at Fairview Avenue. Interests to Seattle Center should take Mercer Street west to Broad Street for the Space Needle, Key Arena (former home of the NBA Seattle Supersonics), Pacific Science Center, and the Seattle Repertory Theatre among other attractions.

08/30/06

Exit 167 leaves Interstate 5 north at the Denny Way overpass west of Seattle Central Community College. Exit 167 quickly descends into a cut and cover tunnel below the Interstate 5 Express Lanes, the southbound mainline, and Lakeview Boulevard before joining the southbound off-ramp ahead of Fairview Avenue. Mercer Street carries a significant amount of traffic between Interstate 5 and SR 99 (Aurora Avenue) north of downtown and south of Queen Anne Hill.

08/30/06

Lakeview Boulevard shifts from the west side of Interstate 5 to the east side at Belmont Avenue. Exit 168A joins the parallel road in one half mile. Exit 168B constitutes the eastbound beginning of the busy SR 520 freeway to Bellevue and Redmond. The 12.82 mile route ends at SR 202 (Redmond Way).

08/30/06

Traffic joins Interstate 5 north from the Mercer Street on-ramp. Pictured here when traffic was flowing well, it is common to see heavy congestion at the "Mercer Street Merge" due to the weaving traffic movements between the Mercer Street and SR 520 interchanges.

08/30/06

Exit 168A drops from the Interstate 5 viaduct onto Lakeview Boulevard ahead of its end at Boyston Avenue north. Boyston Avenue parallel the freeway northward to the North Broadway community between Lake Union and Portage Bay.

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The right lane defaults onto SR 520 (Exit 168B) east to the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, Medina, Clyde Hill and Bellevue. Weaving traffic from the left to right lanes results in heavy traffic congestion during peak hours as SR 520 is one of only two routes across Lake Washington.

08/30/06

SR 520 begins and heads east from Exit 168B through Montlake to Lake Washington. Connections with SR 513 (Montlake Boulevard) north serves Husky Stadium and the University of Washington campus. Wide loads are prohibited along the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge due to narrow travel lanes and a lack of shoulders on the four lane span.

08/30/06

Travelers using the Interstate 5 Express Lanes approach the first northbound off-ramp of the 7.14 mile long roadway, the NE 42nd Street off-ramp for the University of Washington.

08/29/06

Mainline drivers of Interstate 5 see a distributor roadway at Exit 169 for NE 45th Street to Wallingford and the University of Washington campus and NE 50th Street for Meridian and Woodland Park.

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Crossing the Lake Washington Ship Canal between Lake Union and Portage Bay along Interstate 5 north. Interests to Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle Pacific University are directed onto NE 50th Street west toward Fremont.

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One quarter mile south of the diamond interchange with NE 45th Street on Interstate 5 north.

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Exit 169 branches off the northbound mainline for NE 45th and NE 50th Streets. NE 45th Street becomes a part of SR 513 at University Village. SR 513 is a 3.35 mile spur northeast from SR 520 to Naval Station Puget Sound.

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A look at the ramp split of Exit 169 for NE 45th and 50th Streets. NE 50th Street ends at NE 21st Avenue in the University neighborhood to the east and near the Ballard section of Seattle to the west.

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Express Lane motorists next reach the SR 522 (Lake City Way) ramps near Green Lake.

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Exit 170 joins the Interstate 5 mainline with Ravenna Boulevard and NE 65th Street near Green Lake. SR 522 begins at the following interchange (Exit 171) and ventures east 24.68 miles to U.S. 2 at Monroe.

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Northbound at the Exit 170 off-ramp to Ravenna Boulevard. Ravenna Boulevard angles northwest from the Ravenna Park area to intersect NE 65th Street west of Interstate 5 before ending at Green Lake Way. NE 65th Street continues east to the Ravenna and Hawthorne Hills areas of north Seattle.

08/29/06

SR 522 sees ramps from both the Interstate 5 northbound mainline and Express Lanes at what is otherwise a wye interchange. SR 522 spurs northeast 4.22 miles from Exit 171 to the Lake Forest city line through the Maple Leaf, Lake City, and Briarcrest sections of north Seattle.

08/29/06

Interstate 5 again utilizes viaducts, passing over Ravenna Boulevard, NE 65th Street, and Weedin Place ahead of the Exit 171 ramp departure to SR 522 (Lake City Way). SR 522 arcs eastward along the Lake Washington north shore to Kenmore and Bothell.

08/29/06

The Express Lanes ramp to SR 522 (Lake City Way) leaves and ascends over the northbound mainline to the state route beginning.

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Exit 171 not only provides access to SR 522 north, but also yields a ramp to NE 73rd Street ahead of Roosevelt Way south and 12th Avenue north. Exit 172 to NE 85th Street west to SR 99 (Aurora Avenue) follows in one half mile.

08/29/06

Banner Way travels next to Interstate 5 from NE 75th Street to the Exit 172 ramp to NE 85th Street west. Drivers destined for Green Lake, Greenwood, Loyal Heights, and North Beach merge onto Banner Way ahead of its transition to NE 85th Street.

08/29/06

The final exit of the Interstate 5 Express lanes joins NE 103rd Street and 1st Avenue NE at Northgate Mall in one mile.

08/30/06

Northbound Interstate 5 at the Exit 172 ramp departure and NE 80th Street overpass. SR 99 (Aurora Avenue) travels north-south 12 blocks to the west between Green Lake and North Park.

08/29/06

Express Lanes Drivers not taking the NE 103rd Street / 1st Avenue NE off-ramp default onto Interstate 5 north ahead of Exit 176 in Shoreline.

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Ramps from both the Express Lanes and Interstate 5 northbound mainline lead onto adjacent 1st Avenue NE at Northgate Mall.

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A long on-ramp from Banner Way forms an auxiliary lane for Exit 173 to 1st Avenue NE and Northgate Way. Northgate Way constitutes an east-west arterial between SR 99 at North Park and SR 522 at Victory Heights.

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A three-quarter cloverleaf interchange facilitates the movements between Interstate 5 and Northgate Way utilizing connections with 1st Avenue NE and Corliss Avenue NE to the west. Use Exit 173 to Meridian Avenue south for North Seattle Community College.

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Interstate 5 north at the Exit 173 ramp departure to Northgate. Exit 174 follows in 1.25 miles with NE 130th Street and Roosevelt Way (former SR 513).

08/30/06

The Express Lanes return to Interstate 5 north and the HOV-2 lane reforms on the left side of the freeway mainline.

08/30/06

Kinking northeast along Interstate 5 on approach to the half diamond interchange with NE 130th Street west and Roosevelt Way east (Exit 174).

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NE 130th Street continues Roosevelt Way west from Exit 174 to Haller Lake and Broadview in north Seattle. Roosevelt Way connects NE 130th Street with NE 125th Street east to Pinehurst and Lake City. The east-west path was a part of SR 513 until 1992.¹

08/30/06

A modified-diamond interchange joins Interstate 5 with SR 523 (NE 145th Street) at the Seattle and Shoreline city line. SR 523 straddles the city limits along NE 145th Street 2.45 miles between SR 99 (Aurora Avenue) and SR 522 (Lake City Way) at Kenwood.

08/30/06

Interstate 5 north enters a diamond interchange within the city of Shoreline for the Metro Transit's North Base. Only transit employees are permitted to use these restricted ramps.

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The main Shoreline interchange of Interstate 5 is the Exit 176 diamond interchange with NE 175th Street.

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NE 175th Street ventures west to SR 99 (Aurora Avenue) at Richmond Highlands and east to 15th Avenue NE at North City.

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SR 104 (NE 205th Street) angles northwest from Lake Forest Park to meet Interstate 5 at the Shoreline and King County line (Exit 177). Drivers bound for NE 175th Street in central Shoreline depart the freeway in this scene for Exit 176.

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SR 104 is one of a handful of state routes that utilize ferry crossings of Puget Sound to make connections. SR 104 continues west from Edmonds via ferry to Kingston in Kitsap County.

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Nearing the Exit 177 ramps to SR 104 (NE 205th Street) on Interstate 5 north in Shoreline. SR 104 follows Ballinger Way southeast to Lake Forest Park and its eastern terminus at SR 522 (Bothell Way).

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Exit 177 consists of a two lane off-ramp to SR 104 (NE 205th Street) from Interstate 5 north. NE 205th Street carries the state route west to Edmonds Way in Edmonds. Downtown Edmonds lies 4.67 miles to the northwest at SR 524 (Main Street).

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Separate ramps shuttle drivers to SR 104 at the three-quarter cloverleaf interchange of Exit 177. SR 104 travels 31.75 miles overall between Lake Forest Park and U.S. 101 south of Discovery Bay.

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Interstate 5 crosses the Snohomish County and Mountlake Terrace city lines at the SR 104 under pass.

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