Construction, major events to snarl Seattle-area weekend traffic
Jun 27, 2014, 12:57 PM | Updated: 1:42 pm
What do you get when you combine Cher, the Mariners, major construction and the annual Pride Parade? Another weekend of nightmare traffic around Seattle.
Closures and congestion will abound starting Friday night, when the Washington Department of Transportation closes the State Route 520 floating bridge Friday night at 11 p.m. for its annual maintenance inspection. Crews are also continuing work on the new 520 bridge, pouring tons of concrete and asphalt.
WSDOT will also close two lanes of northbound I-5 at the West Seattle Bridge Friday night at 10:00 p.m. to replace aging expansion joints. WSDOT says it’s an important milestone in the project to replace 33 aging bridge expansion joints because around-the-clock closures will no longer be needed after this weekend.
Several lanes of northbound I-5 on the Ship Canal Bridge will close from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Sunday to repair potholes and cracked pavement as well.
“People really do need to plan way ahead,” says WSDOT spokesperson Kris Olsen. “We have so much work to do and only so many weekends. Just about every weekend we’re going to have a closure throughout the summer.”
Here are the major closures planned for this weekend:
- 10 p.m. Friday: The two left lanes of northbound I-5 at the West Seattle freeway close to replace the left half of seven aging expansion joints. No ramps will be closed.
11 p.m. Friday: Both directions of the SR 520 floating bridge will be closed between Montlake Boulevard and Interstate 405.
11 p.m. Friday: The intersection of Northup Way and 108th Avenue Northeast in Bellevue will be closed for improvements.
Here are some of the special events adding to congestion:
Friday, June 27: The Mariners open a three-game series vs. Cleveland at Safeco Field at 7:10 p.m.
The Seattle Storm face Minnesota Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at KeyArena.
Saturday, June 28: The second game of the Mariners/Indians series begins at 7:10 p.m., and a Cher concert at KeyArena begins at 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 29: The Seattle Pride Parade will close the southbound I-5 exit-only ramp to Union Street from 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., and the Mariners/Indians series wraps up beginning at 1:10 p.m.
