WSDOT postpones long-term plan to close Highway 99 in Seattle
Mar 9, 2015, 5:40 AM | Updated: Mar 10, 2015, 9:49 am
In this photo, looking north from the north portal of SR 99, construction crews work on a bridge that will connect the SR-99 tunnel to the Aurora Ave. surface street. Construction, and more lane closures will affect that area starting Monday night. (WSDOT Photo)
(WSDOT Photo)
UPDATE at Monday 10:52 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Transportation is postponing plans to close SR 99, originally scheduled to begin Wednesday night. The closures were expected to last through early June.
Crews closed northbound SR 99 to straighten a curve in the highway near Mercer Street Monday at 10 p.m. Lanes reopened at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
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“The rest of the work will be postponed and be planned further down the road to where we have more certainly of what will occur and feel very good that we have minimized the impact on SR 99 drivers,” the WDSOT told the Seattle City Council Monday morning.
Originally, WSDOT crews were going to start closing the highway in both directions between Valley Street and the Aurora Bridge. The northbound lane closures would have lasted about eight weeks; southbound lane closures would have lasted about 12 weeks.
The lane closures would have allowed a safe zone to install foundations for large signs that would eventually direct traffic at the north end of the SR 99 tunnel.
WDSOT said the construction delay is not related to the Seattle tunnel project.
