Seattle DOT doesn’t have plans to fix backup at Roanoke I-5 overpass

Everyday the Roanoke Street overpass over I-5, connecting the Eastlake and Montlake neighborhoods, backs up onto several Eastlake streets.

The backups are due to a light at Harvard Avenue, which is on the east side of the freeway. Drivers who want to take a left on Harvard in order to get to the northbound I-5 on ramp must wait until they get a green left turn arrow, whether there is oncoming traffic or not.

There is no dedicated left turn lane.

Cars have to sit there and wait while there are no cars coming the opposite way. As they sit, cars back up behind them across the overpass and down onto Boylston Street when they could easily just safely turn. As they sit, tempers flare because drivers in the backup don’t realize the cars in front aren’t supposed to turn without the arrow.

I’ve had cars pull out from behind me as I’ve waited to turn and turn left in front of me, all while telling me I’m “Number 1!” with the wrong finger.

The City of Seattle said it used to allow free left turns at the intersection, but there were a bunch of accidents caused by drivers turning when they didn’t have enough time.

So the city put up the sign and prevented turns without the arrow.

The Seattle Department of Transportation said it might seem unnecessary when you can sit an entire light cycle and not have any oncoming traffic, but it’s there to prevent accidents when volumes are high.

The city has no plans to change it.