Hwy 99 closure, second I-90 bridge closure expected to cause traffic nightmare
Mar 23, 2015, 11:24 AM | Updated: 4:26 pm
The first two days without the I-90 express lanes across Lake Washington are, at least anecdotally, causing delays. (AP)
(AP)
The last time the state shut down the I-90 bridge, it created a traffic nightmare across Seattle. Yet, there’s another closure on the books for this weekend.
All westbound lanes on the I-90 bridge will be closed Friday night through early Monday morning. Westbound drivers will be diverted into the Express Lanes across the lake while crews make upgrades inside the westbound Mount Baker and Mercer Island tunnels.
It’ll be the second of about 30 full directional closures of I-90 over the next two-and-a-half years. These closures are part of a project to add HOV lanes to the outer roadways because Sound Transit will eventually be turning the current Express Lanes into a light rail train bridge.
The closure is expected to cause significant issues for drivers who want to access Mercer Island from Bellevue. They’re going to have to get off at East Mercer Way because there are no exits to the island from the Express Lanes. The only other option is to make an entire loop over the lake just to get to the island.
Drivers also won’t be able to exit I-90 at Rainier Avenue once they’ve crossed the lake.
In addition to the I-90 closure this weekend, Washington State Department of Transportation crews are shutting down the Alaskan Way Viaduct for an annual inspection.
“With no major events this weekend, it’s the perfect time to bundle up these needed roadway closures,” said WSDOT Traffic Engineer Mark Bandy. “Even so, we still expect traffic will be heavy. Drivers can help keep traffic moving by carpooling, taking transit or delaying discretionary trips.”
The entire roadway between Spokane Street and the Battery Street Tunnel will be closed from 6 a.m to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The will also be lane closures on SR 99 north of the Battery Street tunnel from Friday night through Monday morning. Crews working on the SR 99 Tunnel Project, the Mercer Corridor Project, and Seattle Public Utilities plan to complete utility and sign bridge installation work.
Check WSDOT’s closure page for complete details.
