Washington Department of Transportation ramps up traffic projects before Fall rain
Sep 20, 2024, 2:09 PM | Updated: 2:18 pm
I-405 in downtown Bellevue (Photo courtesy of WSDOT)
(Photo courtesy of WSDOT)
With La Niña approaching, many in the Pacific Northwest are bracing for a wetter than normal Fall and Winter, including the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). This means the agency is racing to get many projects completed before the heavy rain arrives.
This weekend brings a full closure in two separate areas of Interstate-405 (I-405), the full closure of the off ramps to Mercer Streets from southbound Interstate-5 (I-5), the closure of Lake Washington Boulevard near Montlake, and lane closures overnight on Interstate-90 (I-90) between Mercer Island and Seattle.
Interstate-405/Bothell:
The I-405/Brickyard to SR 527 Improvement Project will close all northbound lanes between SR 522 and SR 527. This closure includes the east/west on-ramps at SR 522, both on and off-ramps at NE 195th Street, and the off-ramp to SR 527. The full closure will give crews plenty of space to work safely and efficiently as they replace pavement panels and install drainage. This project is in its early stage with a Spring 2028 completion date.
This closure is from 11 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday. There will be a detour, but drivers are encouraged to plan ahead by traveling during off-peak hours or reroute your weekend trip.
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Interstate-405/Renton:
The I-405/Renton to Bellevue Widening and Express Toll Lanes Project will close all southbound lanes between SR 900 and SR 167. This closure includes the Sunset Boulevard NE on-ramp, Southport Drive on-ramp, SR 900 and SR 169 on and off-ramps, and the SR 167 off-ramp. With a 2025 completion date, this project expands the Express Toll Lane system (ETL), builds infrastructure to support Sound Transit’s rapid bus service, and opens up fish habitats.
This closure is from midnight Friday through 4 a.m. Monday with a detour.
Mercer Street off-ramps:
The southbound I-5 off-ramps to Mercer Street will close Friday night at 10 through Monday morning at 5.
If all goes as planned, this will be the final weekend of ramp closures at Mercer Street as crews are in the final stage of transitioning these ramps for the future SR 520/I-5 Express Lanes Connection Project.
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Lake Washington Boulevard:
Husky fans will have one less option heading to the game Saturday. Lake Washington Boulevard will close between Montlake Boulevard and Foster Island, cutting off access through the arboretum. Crews will be paving and striping this section of roadway from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. Local access will be allowed.
Westbound I-90 across Lake Washington:
Wash-DOT will conduct regular maintenance in the Mercer Island Lid and the Mount Baker Tunnel on Friday night. Work includes sweeping, clearing drains and ventilations systems, and testing fire extinguishers. This overnight work has lane reductions between Mercer Island and Seattle starting 10 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Saturday.
Nate Connors is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Nate’s stories here.
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