KING COUNTY, Wash. — A heads up for drivers who regularly use eastbound State Route 516 in South King County: If you want to get to northbound Interstate 5, you’ll want to stay in the left lane.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) says for the next four months, the existing loop ramp will be closed. The closure begins at 10 p.m. Tuesday.
WSDOT says contractor crews will rebuild the ramp as part of the SR 509 Completion Project. Once completed, its entrance will align with an intersection where other ramps to and from northbound I-5 will be located. It will also remove some of the sharp curves in the ramp.
The SR 509 Completion Project will create an important north-south alternative to the congested I-5 corridor between Seattle and south King County.
During the closure, drivers will be redirected to a temporary left turn lane and traffic signal just east of the I-5 overpass. That starts at 4 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19. This will allow eastbound travelers to safely turn left across SR 516 and enter a temporary ramp to northbound I-5.
“There may be a bit of a learning curve for drivers,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Ward Anderson in a news release. “Eastbound SR 516 drivers are used to staying in the right lane to take the ramp to northbound I-5. Now, they’ll need to remember to stay left and then get in that temporary left turn lane.”
Signs warning drivers to stay to the left will be posted in the area.
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