Date:  Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Contact: Noel Brady, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4788

SEATTLE – Tuesday began with gusty winds and ended with a rush-hour exodus of baseball fans across the I-90 bridge, where express lanes were closed for construction.

Despite the adverse conditions, travel times on the I-90 bridge remained about the same as they were on Monday and within the range predicted during construction by state traffic engineers. At the peak of the morning commute, about 7:30 a.m., it took commuters 48 minutes to travel from Issaquah to Seattle. Under normal conditions the commute takes about 28 minutes.

Evening traffic
After a loss for the Mariners against the Rangers about 5 p.m., grumbling fans and commuters heading for the Eastside on I-90 sat in traffic for about 20 minutes between Seattle and Bellevue, about the normal evening travel time.

More rain Wednesday morning
Tuesday morning’s unusual spring storm snarled traffic throughout the central Puget Sound region. A less-powerful second storm is expected to greet commuters with more rain Wednesday morning, so it could be another tough drive.

I-90 commuters are advised to leave early – by 6-6:30 a.m. – or later – after 9 a.m. The morning commute from Issaquah to Seattle normally takes about 30 minutes. Traffic engineers said the trip tomorrow morning could be more like 45 minutes to 1 hour. Commuter might consider avoiding I-90 altogether by taking I-405 to the south or SR 522 to the north.

Progress on the job
The second of 19 consecutive days of closures on the I-90 express lanes , Tuesday saw steady progress for the project to repair cracked pavement and replace bridge expansion joints. WSDOT contractor crews spent much of the day breaking up and removing old concrete. See the latest photos on Flickr. Tomorrow they will continue chipping the old expansion joints free from the bridge with the goal of installing new joints this weekend.

The $8.3 million project supports an estimated 80 jobs.

What should drivers do?

• Plan for 15- to 30-minute delays crossing the I-90 bridge.
• Westbound I-90 commuters should leave well before 7 a.m. or after 9 a.m. or face up to an hour’s commute from Issaquah.
• Check the Web for the latest information at www.wsdot.wa.gov/construction/2009/today.
• Check the Seattle traffic map to pinpoint and avoid congestion www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle.
• Use the overhead freeway signs and the 511 driver information line to get up-to-the-minute information on the road.

Call our I-90 information hotline at 206.440.4444. The hotline is staffed 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Leave a message and your call will be returned.

For more detailed closure information on these projects and other work this weekend, drivers should bookmark www.wsdot.wa.gov/construction/2009 and check the “What’s happening right now” link.

###

< Go Back