Date:  Friday, August 21, 2009

Contact: Greg Phipps, WSDOT Communications, 206-437-6314 (on-call pager)
Learn more at our What’s Happening Now page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/construction/2009/today

SEATTLE – If you’re planning on leaving the house this weekend, WSDOT wants you to be prepared so you can get to your destination on time. Several construction closures in and around Seattle, and a Saturday night Seahawks game could give you a traffic migraine if you don’t know before you go.

I-5 in downtown Seattle
Saturday, Aug. 22 - Beginning at 8 a.m. crews will close one lane of southbound I-5 between Yale Avenue and Union Street, and the on-ramp from Yale Avenue to southbound I-5. The lane and ramp will reopen by 11 p.m. The I-5 express lanes will run south from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. Southbound I-5 drivers should expect delays of up to 60 minutes through downtown Seattle. Drivers heading into Seattle on northbound I-5 Saturday afternoon and evening should give themselves extra time to reach their destination and expect backups to mid-Boeing Field due to the I-5 express lanes being open southbound all day.

Sunday, Aug. 23 - Crews working for Sound Transit wrapped up their work a day early this weekend. The on-ramp to southbound I-5 from Yale Avenue and one lane of southbound I-5 between Yale Avenue and Union Street will not be closed on Sunday, August 23 as originally planned. Sound Transit crews were able to complete all of their work in one day instead of two.

City streets in SODO
Up to 65,000 fans are expected to converge on Qwest Field for the 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22 game between the Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. Seahawks fans who haven’t been to the SODO neighborhood since last season could be in for a surprise as several construction projects are under way near the stadium.

WSDOT is building a bridge over the railroad tracks on S. Royal Brougham Way and a new off-ramp from I-90 and I-5 to S. Atlantic Street/Edgar Martinez Drive S. Construction is also under way on nearby city of Seattle projects and on WSDOT’s Alaskan Way Viaduct Electrical Line Relocation project. Fans should expect construction-related lane, parking and pedestrian access restrictions related to these projects south of Qwest Field.

I-5 in Fife
Starting at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, crews on the I-5 HOV widening project through Fife will close three out of four northbound lanes, leaving just the inside lane open to traffic. During the closure they will restripe three miles of northbound I-5 to shift traffic away from the median to create work space for the widening project. All lanes will reopen by 10 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 23.

SR 99 Battery Street Tunnel in Seattle
Crews working for WSDOT and the Seattle DOT will close northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct (SR 99) just prior to the Battery Street Tunnel between 10 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 23, and 5 a.m., Monday, Aug. 24. Traffic will be detoured to Western Avenue and back to SR 99 just north of the Battery Street Tunnel. During the closure, crews will clean the stormwater collection and treatment systems, and conduct survey work inside the tunnel.
Travelers can minimize or avoid delays if they plan ahead:

• Allow extra time
• Use alternate routes or avoid closure areas.
• Carpool or use transit
• Know before you go:
• For information about traffic conditions on freeways, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle or call the 511 Travel Information Line.
  • Get traffic alerts at www.twitter.com/wsdot_traffic.
  • For a complete list of WSDOT construction closures, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/construction
  • For city street closure information, visit the city of Seattle’s Traveler Information Web site at seattle.gov/travelers
  • For info on bus and rail service, go to http://www.soundtransit.org/ and metro.kingcounty.gov.

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