Why you might be stuck in your hot car even longer this weekend
Jun 25, 2015, 10:39 AM | Updated: Jun 26, 2015, 6:38 am
The 520 bridge is going to be closed all weekend in both directions. The closure begins at 11 p.m. Friday and runs through Monday morning. (Washington State Department of Transportation)
(Washington State Department of Transportation)
You’d better check the air conditioning in your car.
Not only is it going to be ridiculously hot this weekend, but you are likely going to be stuck in your car a lot longer than you expect because of a major construction closure.
The 520 bridge is going to be closed all weekend in both directions. The closure begins at 11 p.m. Friday and runs through early Monday morning.
SR 520 will be closed between I-5 in Seattle and 92nd Avenue Northeast on the Eastside. Even the ramps from I-5 to Montlake will be shut down.
“We’ve been through a lot of 520 closures before,” said Travis Phelps with the Washington State Department of Transportation. “The one thing that makes this different is we usually have the ramps from I-5 to Montlake open. This time around, due to the construction work, we’re going to have that actually shut down so it’s a little bit of a twist.”
Construction crews will focus on two major areas this weekend, according to 520 project construction manager Brian Dobbins.
“One is to build a brand new temporary off-ramp to Montlake Boulevard from the existing vulnerable structure, and to start to reconfigure the new on and off-ramps at Montlake Boulevard,” Dobbins said.
Workers will also continue work on the east side of the bridge where they are moving the tolling equipment to a temporary position over the highway.
Dobbins said the state works around as many big public events as it can, but at some point, the work needs to get done.
“It’s never a good time to close 520,” Dobbins said. “I’ve been doing this for years over on the Eastside. So while it’s never a good time, we’ve been coordinating with the different local events — in this case it’s the Pride event.”
There are Seattle PrideFest events scheduled Friday through Sunday, culminating with the parade in downtown Seattle on the final day.
The Seafair Pirates arrive in Alki Saturday. There is the Greenwood Car Show on Saturday. Kenny Chesney is playing CenturyLink Field on Saturday as well. There are no Sounders or Mariners games, but it is going to be a very busy weekend into and out of Seattle.
