Shoulder driving on I-405 through Bothell begins Monday
Apr 23, 2017, 8:44 AM
Shoulder driving on I-405 . (WSDOT)
(WSDOT)
On Monday, drivers on northbound I-405 in Bothell can take advantage of the shoulder on the congested freeway.
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Craig Smiley, spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Transportation, says drivers just need to watch for big green arrows.
“Drivers that are entering 405 northbound from 527 are going to see some new electronic overhead signs,” he said. When the shoulder is open, drivers will be able to use the shoulder, “just like any general-purpose lane.”
Shoulder driving will begin north of the SR 527 on-ramp and extend two miles to I-5 in Lynnwood.
Shoulder driving will generally be open to traffic during the afternoon commute, primarily between 2-7 p.m. Vehicles that weight more than 10,000 pounds will be prohibited, with the exception of buses.
The primary reason for adding shoulder driving is the heavy congestion drivers are experiencing on I-405, especially in the Bothell area during the afternoon commute.
“There’s a big bottleneck there at [State Route] 527,” Smiley said of the interchange near Canyon Park. “We had about 1,000 cars per hour during peak commutes getting on at 405 … they were having to immediately merge into the lanes. That’s causing a pretty big bottleneck. So that’s giving those thousand cars a place to go.”
Project manager Kim Henry previously told KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan that the shoulder driving will make a big difference for commuters.
“We really think that’s going to help this whole traffic area, and help traffic move through a lot better,” Henry said. “And once that does, it will take pressure off of this whole northbound direction and improve travel times for everybody.”
The state will “closely monitor” how the peak-use shoulder driving impacts traffic in the next few months. The state knows “that this area of I-405 still needs more help.
“That’s why we’re continuing to look at how to fund and build additional improvements between SR 522 and I-5, including extending the second express toll lane farther north and improving the SR 522 and SR 527 interchanges to help traffic move more smoothly.”
