Project news

• Preliminary construction began this summer.  
• Crews are currently widening the westbound lanes of I-90 to five lanes (2 eastbound, 2 westbound with the westbound truck climbing lane) between the West Easton Interchange/milepost 70 to the top of Easton Hill/Milepost 67. Eastbound and westbound traffic will be shifted to the westbound detour next summer so that the final alignment will be 7 lanes total where the eastbound lanes currently are (3 lanes eastbound, 3 lanes westbound with the westbound truck climbing lane). All detour traffic will stay on the interstate.
• The Connecting Washington funding package provides funding for this next phase of the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project.

Why is WSDOT improving safety and reliability on I-90?

Phase 3 is part of a 15-mile corridor improvement project to improve safety and reliability and reduce congestion along I-90 from Hyak to the Easton vicinity. 

On an average day, 28,000 vehicles travel over Snoqualmie Pass and traffic numbers double on weekends and holidays. Traffic volumes are expected to increase 2.1 percent every year, reaching an average of over 41,000 vehicles per day by 2030.

This phase includes approximately six miles of improvements between the Cabin Creek Interchange to the West Easton Interchange.  

The end result

WSDOT will increase traffic capacity and improve safety by:

• Adding a new lane in each direction
• Replacing concrete pavement
• Stabilizing rock slopes
• Building wildlife crossings
• Improving sight distance and traffic safety 
• Improving traffic management technology systems

Needs & benefits

• Safety. WSDOT will increase traffic safety by replacing concrete pavement, improving driver sight distance, improve shoulders and investing in new traffic management technology.
• Congestion Relief. WSDOT will increase freight and mobility reliability of this vital transportation corridor by adding a new lane in both directions.
• Environmental. WSDOT partnered with state, federal and private groups to deliver a streamlined mitigation strategy to address water quality, aquatic life and wildlife goals in this unique Cascade Mountain area.

Timeline

2020 - preliminary construction is scheduled to begin
Fall 2025 - scheduled completion