Weekend traffic expected in Seattle for parade, construction
Jul 29, 2011, 11:22 AM | Updated: Oct 10, 2012, 7:28 am
If you’re not sitting at a baseball game or on a parade route this weekend, traffic is going to be tough to navigate.
The Seafair Torchlight Run and Parade on Saturday are expected to attract over 300,000 people to downtown Seattle. The parade starts at 7:30 p.m. in front of the Seattle Center, winds down Fourth Ave. and ends around Washington Street. The run begins an hour earlier at 6:30 p.m.
“It might make sense to plan around it because with that many people traveling through downtown, we are going to see some heavy traffic on city streets and nearby highways,” said Rick Sheridan, Seattle Department of Transportation spokesperson.
The Mariners are in town for a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. The team is honoring former Sonics members at 6:45 p.m. after a tribute to Rick “The Peanut Man” Kaminski at 6:35 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s games begins at 1:10 p.m.
The Alaskan Way Viaduct will not only close for the Torchlight Run (between the West Seattle Bridge and the Battery Street Tunnel), but also for installation of a new stormwater drainage system.
WSDOT will close southbound lanes from the Battery Street Tunnel to the West Seattle Bridge from 11:59 p.m. Saturday to 5:00 a.m. Monday.
Check Seattle Department of Transportation’s website for a list of more events that could snarl traffic.
