Avoid Montlake this weekend, construction will make it miserable
Jun 16, 2023, 7:19 AM | Updated: 10:18 am
Construction on the Montlake Lid project will be a hassle for drivers in the area (Photo from Chris Sullivan/KIRO Newsradio)
(Photo from Chris Sullivan/KIRO Newsradio)
Cross Seattle’s Montlake neighborhood off your travel list for the weekend. Construction will make it impossible to get around.
Montlake Boulevard closes at 10 p.m. Friday and will be closed through early Monday morning. It will be closed just south of the Montlake Bridge, across State Route 520 to Roanoke.
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All of the ramps to and from SR 520 will be closed, which means your trip from the east side will need another plan.
“So you’re in Kirkland, and you want to go to U Village, people need to know that they’re not going to be able to exit at Montlake,” the Washington Department of Transportation‘s Steve Peer said. “They’re going to need to go all the way up to Interstate 5 and 45th Street. Wherever they’re going, it’s just going to take a little bit longer of time.”
The last time they had a closure like this (a few weeks ago), it was a nightmare in the neighborhoods. It was bumper-to-bumper on the neighborhood streets, especially north of SR 520.
What’s the work this weekend? Utilities.
“There’s a ton of utilities that go back and forth through here, so they’re opening the pavement, fixing the utilities, rerouting them, and then repaving restriping,” he said. “It’s a big process.”
When the road opens Monday morning, it won’t look quite the same either.
“It doesn’t get a lot better come Monday,” Peer said. “On Monday, Montlake will be funneled down to just one lane in each direction, so really, until the following Saturday, drivers should stay away from this area.”
The positive news for drivers this weekend?
The off-ramp to Roanoke, at the west end of SR 520, is scheduled to reopen after a two-week closure.
Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints.
