Big travel weekend: Graduations, Father’s Day, and weekend roadwork

It’s going to be a big weekend on the roads with Father’s Day outings and lots of graduations. But also this weekend are lane closures and maintenance work on busy streets and highways.

Here’s a look at some of what’s happening.

Aurora Bridge lane closures

SR 99 Aurora Bridge lane closures return this weekend. The bridge will be reduced to one lane in each direction.

The lane reductions begin at 7 p.m. Friday, June 14, and will wrap up by 5 a.m. Monday, June 17 while crews remove the old asphalt on the bridge deck and make needed repairs. The area will be repaved over several more weekends of closures.

Mercer maintenance work

Crews will be doing maintenance work on Mercer Street in Downtown Seattle this weekend.

The southbound I-5 mainline and express lane off-ramps to Mercer Street will close from 9 p.m. Friday, June 14, to 5 a.m. Monday, June 17.

Drivers who plan on using the northbound I-5 off-ramp to Mercer Street will have to take a left turn to Fairview Avenue North, where a uniformed police officer will direct drivers to Denny Way and then to Westlake Avenue North.

University of Washington graduation ceremony

The University of Washington graduation ceremony will bring added traffic to the Seattle area Saturday, with commencement beginning at 12:30 p.m. at Husky Stadium. Drivers should expect delays before and after the event.

Bridge work on northbound I-5 in Nisqually

WSDOT said drivers should plan ahead for back-to-back weekends of northbound Interstate 5 lane reductions in Nisqually. Crews are replacing bridge approach slab near the Nisqually River Bridge. Closures will be from 10 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Monday, June 14-17 and June 21-24.

Two of the three northbound lanes will remain open. The two open lanes will be narrower than usual with a reduced speed limit of 35 mph.  Significant backups are expected.