How restriping I-90 lanes will help your commute
May 18, 2015, 11:42 AM | Updated: May 19, 2015, 6:43 am
Drivers on I-90 say they're confused by the extra lane painted on the roadway between Mercer Island and Bellevue. (WSDOT photo)
(WSDOT photo)
Drivers on I-90 say they’re confused by the extra lane painted on the roadway between Mercer Island and Bellevue.
The Washington State Department of Transportation has been doing so many construction projects on the road that crews have moved lanes several times, leaving behind old paint and ghost stripes.
“We have shifted traffic from side to side to create safe work areas for our crews to do this work,” said WSDOT spokesperson Annie Johnson.
“Think about it like power-washing your driveway,” Johnson said of grinding away the old lane makers. The process leaves a clean patch of pavement that — in a certain light or when wet — can look like another line in the road.
Relief is coming.
Workers will be out overnight this week to lay down permanent painted lines.
“We definitely want to keep drivers safe,” Johnson said. “We want people to know what lane they need to be in. This permanent striping, that should wrap up this week, we believe will help.”
The ghost striping will remain, at least until the freshly-ground concrete gets filled with dirt and road grime.
