President Obama visits Seattle during Friday rush hour
Jun 23, 2016, 10:31 AM | Updated: Jun 24, 2016, 6:16 pm
Obama give a 2-year-old citizen a fist bump upon arriving in Seattle. (KIRO 7)
(KIRO 7)
Update 5:30 p.m.
President Obama is at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle. He is expected to speak at a fundraising event for Washington Governor Jay Inslee at 9:55 p.m. at the Washington State Convention Center. The president will then speak at a private event at 11:25 p.m. He will spend the night in Seattle before departing from Sea-Tac Airport on Saturday morning.
Update:4:15 p.m.
All previous closures on area freeways have been re-opened as the president has arrived in Seattle and is traveling on surface streets to the Westin Hotel. Backups, however, remain as traffic recovers from the closures.
NOW people are starting to get cranky, after #AirForceOne causes delays @seatacairport. @b… https://t.co/Vd6oiYmZwZ pic.twitter.com/BKqwL99NY2
— Natasha Chen (@NatashaKIRO7) June 24, 2016
Update 4 p.m.
Northbound I-5 at Southcenter has reopened. There is a 1.5 mile backup on the freeway around Southcenter.
I-405 around Southcenter has already opened.
Update 3:40 p.m.
President Barack Obama’s airplane has landed at Sea-Tac Airport. Traffic cameras along NB I-5 have gone dark and access to connecting routes are closing down.
Southbound I-405 through Tukwila is closed at Southcenter.
Eastbound State Route 518 has been closed.
Connections to I-5 from State Route 99, and the eastbound I-90 ramp in Seattle have been closed.
Westbound I-90 is closed at Rainier. Southbound I-5 is closed to I-90 eastbound.
The floating I-90 bridge has been closed in both directions.
Original article
Get out of Seattle early or get stuck in traffic.
Drivers can expect serious delays this weekend as President Obama rolls into town on Friday for a private fundraising event in the midst of Seattle’s Pride festival.
Streets in the downtown core, arterials and some freeway on and off-ramps will be subject to intermittent closures throughout the weekend.
“Motorcades require freeway closures, unfortunately,” Washington State Patrol Captain Ron Mead said. “So we do everything we can to minimize the length of time they are closed without compromising the security of the visit.”
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President Obama is expected to land at Sea-Tac Airport around 3:30 p.m., instead of Boeing Field, which is the usual destination for Air Force One. He is expected to head up to the Westin in downtown Seattle.
Obama is scheduled to speak at a Governor Inslee fundraiser around 7 p.m. at the Washington State Convention Center. Parking garages around the convention center are expected to be especially busy, or in some cases, they’ll be closed during the President’s visit.
The Secret Service has not announced the route for Obama’s motorcade but did say vehicle access to the area bounded by Olive St., 7th Avenue, Lenora St and 4th Avenue will be limited to 5th Avenue between Lenora and Virginia and on Stewart between 6th and 7th Avenue.
Buses on surface streets in the north area of downtown will be rerouted, according to the Seattle Police Department. Check King County Metro Alerts for updates on impacted routes. The South Lake Union Streetcar will operate, but the stop at the Westlake Hub at McGraw Square will be closed.
The wildcard for Obama’s visit will come after the fundraising event. He is expected to attend a private fundraiser around 8:30 p.m. at a private residence, but it is unclear whether that is in Seattle or on the Eastside. KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan says drivers may see bridge closures over Lake Washington.
Obama will spend the night in Seattle. Air Force One is expected to depart around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.
The President’s visit is just the beginning of the area’s weekend traffic struggles. The Seattle Mariners play the Cardinals at Safeco Field Friday night. Seafair kicks off with the Pirate’s Landing at Alki Beach and the Greenwood Car Show on Saturday. And Pride Fest’s huge parade is scheduled for Sunday.
During the parade, 4th Avenue will close from Union Street to Denny Way between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. A portion of 2nd Avenue will also close as part of the parade’s route into Seattle Center, according to SPD.
