AUBURN, Wash. — It’s open! As of 7 a.m., the Washington State Department of Transportation says SR-18 has reopened under the I-90 bridges.
It was closed for eight days of construction while crews created a diverging diamond.
It was supposed to reopen at 5 a.m. Friday, but work was taking a little longer than expected.
“We hope this diamond becomes YOUR best friend. Thank you for your patience during this important work,” WSDOT shared online.
David Rasbach told KIRO 7 News that after there was quite a bit that needed cleaning up.
“We’re hustling to get that done,” he said, “but believe me, we’re like kids on Christmas morning, we’re ready to unwrap this thing too, but mom told us we had to wait ‘til after breakfast to open the presents.”
Crews still will need to add a final layer of asphalt and permanent lane striping later this summer. WSDOT will announce details about that work when plans are finalized.
This work is part of a larger project, expected to improve traffic flow in the area.
It’s part of a project. WSDOT is widening SR-18 to two lanes in each direction between I-90 and Deep Creek. It’s about a two-mile stretch of road.
“Once that’s complete, we think you’ll really see the benefits of the diverging diamond; it’ll really start to shine.”
Rasbach said crews have reduced the number of areas where cars could come into conflict with each other or pedestrians – which means fewer chances for crashes.
Crews will also build three bridges and remove six barriers to fish passage. SR-18 widening is expected to finish later this fall.
©2025 Cox Media Group
