Date:  Thursday, January 22, 2009

Contact: Sean McDermott, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4455
Kris Olsen, WSDOT Communications, 206-437-6314

SEATTLE – Drivers should plan for daytime and nighttime road closures for several construction and maintenance projects near Seattle this weekend.

SR 520 Evergreen Point Floating Bridge:
Bridge crews will close a single lane of westbound SR 520 at the midspan of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge:

• Sunday, Jan. 25 from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. for electrical work.

Daylight hours are required for the crews to safely perform the necessary work. Drivers can check traffic conditions on the bridge by going to the Lake Washington bridge Web page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/bridges/sr520/.

Northbound I-5 on-ramp from Olive Way:
Crews will close the on-ramp to northbound I-5 from Olive Way:

• Saturday, Jan. 24 and Sunday, Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. for retaining wall repair.

The crews will begin repairing the wall damaged during a bus-involved collision that occurred December 19, 2008. This work must be done during the day due to noise sensitivity for the surrounding neighborhoods.

There will be a signed detour available for the Olive Way on-ramp. Drivers can check current traffic conditions on I-5 just south of the construction site by checking our traffic camera at Yesler Way: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/seattle/I5_yeslerway.htm#cam.

I-90 express lanes:
Sound Transit crews will close the I-90 express lanes:

• Sunday, Jan. 25 – Tuesday, Jan. 27 nightly from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. for survey work.

This closure is part of Sound Transit’s East Link project to expand light rail. Sound Transit is doing this work at night to reduce driver inconvenience. The east and westbound lanes of I-90 are not affected by this closure. Current traffic conditions on and near I-90 can be found on line by visiting the Seattle area traffic page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/.

Northbound I-5 from Swift Avenue S to Holgate Street S:
Crews will close four left lanes of northbound I-5 for repairs to an overhead electronic sign:

• Saturday, Jan. 24 beginning at 11 p.m. to Sunday, Jan. 25 at 7 a.m. from just north of Swift Avenue S. to S. Holgate Street.

Traffic will be routed through the far right lane. We scheduled the work to take place overnight when traffic volumes are lowest and congestion will be minimized. This work is weather-dependent.

Drivers are encouraged to check travel conditions at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/ to ensure they allow plenty of time to reach their destination.

Know before you go:
WSDOT has many tools to help drivers get the information they need to plan their trips.

Our Seattle traffic Web page www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/ shows current conditions throughout the Puget Sound area.
Drivers can also find real time travel times at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/traveltimes/.
Our travel alerts and slowdowns Web page www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts/pugetsound.aspx lets drivers know about closures around the region.
Up-to-the-minute incidents that may affect traffic are also available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/incidents/.
Drivers can also learn about more construction closures at our King County construction update page. 

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WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/ or by dialing 5-1-1.

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