I-90 commuters are about to get some relief driving into Seattle

I-90 drivers have not been happy with the new configuration in the collector-distributor lanes to I-5 north, since they were changed earlier this year. It left commuters with a little less merging room, with a barreled-off and unused lane off to the side.

I reported on this in September. KIRO Radio’s John Curley recently noticed the limited space and challenged me to pressure WSDOT to give the second lane back. Now, Curley might owe me $5,000 as promised.

On the route from I-90 to I-5, Madison Street was made to be exit only, eliminating about a thousand feet of merging space. The merge from two lanes into one entering I-5 was pushed back and barreled-off because of the Revive I-5 project. In my anecdotal research, I have found the westbound drive on I-90 has gone up about 10 minutes during the morning commute because of this.

Tom Pearce with the Washington State Department of Transportation told me in late-summer that this stretch of I-90 into I-5 was going to stay this way over the winter, even though there was no construction happening. This was because another project was coming up. The state didn’t want to give the lane back and then switch again next year.

But that plan has changed. I spoke with Pearce this week and he told me that I-90 drivers are going to get that extra merging space back where it goes from two lanes to one, at least until the next project begins in the spring. There was concern about putting concrete jersey barriers out there because it might cause ponding or hydroplaning issues during rain. The barrel contractor also wasn’t going to be able to maintain them over the winter.

So now, the state is waiting for a good weather window to re-stripe the collector-distributor lanes and give drivers a little extra merging room. It will switch back next year when construction on the Seneca St. project on I-5 begins. Madison is going to remain exit only. That is a permanent change.

Other area updates

I have a few other odds and ends to share with you. The roundabouts that I have been telling you were coming to Bothell are finished. The state put in back to back roundabouts on Highway 524, which is the primary cut-through between Bothell and Lynnwood. I’ve driven through them a few times, and they seem to be working.

They went in on either side of 405 at Locust and Larch Ways where there has been a series of crashes caused by left-turning drivers and other factors. These roundabouts should eliminate that. That said, the drive is really tight. There isn’t a lot of wiggle room approaching either one. Drivers need to be careful with their speeds until they get used to the new configuration.

And here’s an update on Kitsap Transit’s fast ferry expansion. The route between Kingston and downtown Seattle is about to launch. We’re going to get details on the schedule this weekend, but it’s going to turn what can be a 90-minute trip today, depending on traffic, into a 35-minute crossing. The inaugural trip will be on Monday, Nov. 19. Opening up Kingston to the Seattle waterfront in 35 minutes could be a game-changer for people who live around Kingston but work on the east side of Puget Sound.

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