The Washington State Department of Transportation has shared a breakdown of the multiple highway closures across the greater Puget Sound this weekend.
Drivers have been asked to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, and prepare for delays as crews conduct “major construction, preservation, and maintenance work” on key corridors between Seattle and north Pierce County.
Two previously scheduled projects have been postponed, which included lane reductions on westbound SR 18 as well as work on the SR 99 First Avenue Bridge.
Here’s a breakdown of the major closures, provided by WSDOT:
I-405
- In Kirkland, the Northeast 85th Street on-ramp to southbound Interstate 405 will be closed and mainline southbound I-405 will be reduced by one lane, 24 hours a day, from 8:30 p.m. Friday Aug. 22 to 4:30 a.m. Monday, Aug 25. The southbound I-405 off-ramp to Northeast 85th Street and up to two lanes of southbound I-405 will also be closed nightly from 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- In Renton, southbound I-405 will fully close between North Southport Drive/State Route 900 and SR 169 from 11:59 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22 to 4 a.m., Monday, Aug. 25 while crews install drainage, pave and shift traffic as part of the I-405/Renton to Bellevue Widening and Express Toll Lanes project. The southbound I-405 off and on-ramps at Northeast 30th Street will also be closed from 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22 to 4 a.m. Monday, Aug. 25.
“How big of a mess you think it’s going to cause down here?” KIRO 7’s Madeline Ottilie asked drivers in Renton.
“I’m afraid to say… too much,” Ron Guernsey said. “Better to stay home and not worry about it.”
Guernsey said he would take public transportation instead.
“I would rather take the train,” he said. “You lay back and you just watch the world go by.”
SR 99
- In Seattle, the southbound SR 99 Aurora Bridge will have a two-lane reduction beginning 5 to 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 23 and Sunday, Aug. 24 for annual bridge inspections.
- The southbound SR 99 tunnel will be closed in Seattle from 11 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 25. Additional closures may be necessary to complete this work.
I-5
- In Tukwila, up to four lanes of northbound I-5 between South 144th Street and the Bellevue/Dearborn I-90 interchange will close from 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23 to 6 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 24 for signals maintenance.
- In Fife, northbound I-5 will be reduced to a single lane between 54th Avenue East to Porter Way in Milton from Friday, Aug. 22 to the morning of Saturday, Aug. 23. Lanes begin closing at 7 p.m. with four lanes closed by 11:30 p.m. Lanes begin reopening at 5:30 a.m. with all lanes open by 10 a.m. The 54th Avenue East on-ramp to northbound I-5 will be closed from 9:30 p.m. to 9 a.m.
- I-5 will be reduced to a single lane between 54th Avenue East to Porter Way from Saturday, Aug. 23 to the morning of Sunday, Aug. 24. Lanes begin closing at 7 p.m. with four lanes closed by 11:30 p.m. Lanes begin reopening at 7 a.m. with all lanes open by 11 a.m. The 54th Avenue East on-ramp to northbound I-5 will be closed from 9:30 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Why now?
According to WSDOT, there is no “good weekend” for closures like these.
“With a limited season of warm, dry weather, WSDOT must coordinate and work efficiently to complete them. These closures are part of WSDOT’s ongoing efforts to preserve and improve vital infrastructure. WSDOT coordinates work with its partners, while staff in the agency’s Emergency Operations Center help keep traffic moving,” read the release from WSDOT.
Know before you go
You can check travel times on the Travel Center map, the WSDOT mobile app, and by following the agency’s social media accounts.
WSDOT also encouraged communities to take transit, use park and rides, or sail aboard Washington State Ferries. WSDOT also recently published a blog with helpful resources and ways to “flip your trip.”
“If you do see our crews on the road, please give them extra space to move and give yourself some extra time to get there safely,” said WSDOT’s Lauren Padgett.
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