Avoid I-90 for the Seahawks game officials say, with westbound closed at Mercer Island this weekend

Good luck getting to the Seahawks game from the east side this weekend. Westbound Interstate 90 is going to be closed at the west end of Mercer Island.

I-90 is the primary route into Lumen Field from the east side, but it will not be a good option for getting to the Hawks game Sunday or across Lake Washington all this weekend.

Westbound I-90 down to 1 lane east of Issaquah for road repairs

The expansion joints across all the westbound lanes needs to be replaced. It was replaced on the on-ramp from West Mercer Way last weekend, now it’s time to do the main line.

“We’re going to start some work Sept. 22, and that’s going to carry through Monday morning Sept. 26,” Washington State Department of Transportation spokesperson Tom Pearce said. “That means that on westbound I-90 we’re going to have a full closure there.”

You should avoid westbound 90 all weekend if you can Pierce stressed, saying people will, “be able to get on Mercer Island, but they will not be able to continue through.”

East side drivers know their options, and they aren’t great, and one of them includes a toll. You can go south around the lake, using Interstate 405, or you can use State Route 520 to get across the lake. The daytime tolls on 520 on the weekend range from $1.40-2.65, if you have a Good to Go account, and $2 more if you’re paying by mail. This will also put a lot more people on Interstate 5, which will make it slower than normal too.

“Hawks fans, plan ahead,” Pearce said.

It’s usually about 8-miles from the I-90/405 interchange in Bellevue.

If you were to go south into Renton, your trip to the game would be about 22 miles. If you go north and across 520, you have a toll and about a 15-minute trip.

My best advice all weekend is to go really early or go late.

Mercer Island residents will still be able to go west across the lake by using the West Mercer Way on-ramp, which will be open. I know what you’re thinking, you’re going to jump off I-90 on Mercer Island and jam the neighborhood streets to that ramp. Please don’t do that. Those roads cannot handle much extra traffic if any.

There is also a construction project on 40th street that Dave Ross tells me will get in your way.

Be courteous and find a detour that works for you.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints.

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