WSDOT I-405 Eastside Transportation News
Find out how construction on I-90 and other major Seattle-area routes might affect your commute this week
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I-90 floating bridge to close on July 5 for major repair work
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Factoria HOV lane to close this weekend
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Gear up to tackle I-90 lane closures
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Give ‘em a brake this summer
I-90 floating bridge to close on July 5 for major repair work
Can you work from home or a flexible schedule? Travel to work very early in the morning? Take some vacation time?
If you answered yes and use westbound I-90, start making plans now. Everybody who crosses Lake Washington faces major congestion starting on July 5 when we completely close the westbound mainline lanes of the I-90 floating bridge.
We’re funneling all westbound traffic into the two I-90 express lanes while we make safety repairs to the bridge. Additional travel delays on westbound I-90 are predicted to be 30-60 minutes or more depending on how many drivers change how or when they commute.
It likely means severe congestion on westbound I-90 – worse than the hour-long commutes we saw from Issaquah to Seattle in May when we closed just the I-90 express lanes for similar work.
The best bet for commuters will be to set their alarms an hour or two early and leave no later than 6 a.m. on weekdays.
Some good news: While delays will be severe for two straight weeks, we are paying the contractor to finish by July 20. That’s more than a week earlier than the July 28 we previously planned.
For Mercer Island drivers: Plan ahead and choose which of the two westbound I-90 ramps you will use to get to Seattle. Only 77th Avenue SE and Island Crest Way will be open for westbound drivers.
During commute times, a detour will be posted for drivers to queue up to get to the 77th Avenue SE on-ramp. We hope this will keep traffic moving through the central business district and allow transit to access the ramp. See the detour maps online.
Factoria HOV lane to close this weekend
If you’re heading to downtown Bellevue on northbound I-405 this weekend give yourself a little extra time to get to your destination. The HOV lane between Coal Creek Parkway and I-90 will be closed from 9:30 p.m. on Friday, June 26 to 5 a.m. on Monday, June 29. We’ll also close an additional lane each night Friday thru Sunday. For specific closure times please visit our I-405 construction updates Web site. The closures will allow crews to pour concrete to connect the existing carpool lane to a different bridge that spans I-90.
Gear up to tackle I-90 lane closures
With the westbound I-90 mainline closed July 5-20, biking across the bridge is a great way to avoid traffic congestion and get in a little exercise at the same time. Need some help preparing for the two-wheeled commute? Attend Introduction to Bike Commuting: It’s How We Roll at noon on Wednesday, July 8. It’s a free, one-hour workshop led by Cascade Bicycle Club and hosted by TransManage to help you learn the bicycling basics at the TransManage office in downtown Bellevue, 500 108th Ave NE, Suite 210. To reserve your spot contact Melissa Burkett by Monday, July 6. If you can’t make the class, you can go online for more information about commuting by bike across the I-90 bridge.
Construction season is in full swing and as we complete different highway projects on around the Puget Sound Region this summer, you'll see several crews working behind orange construction barrels – in some cases working just a few feet from live traffic. As a reminder, we’re asking you to give highway and maintenance crews a break. Close to 99 percent of people injured or killed in work zone collisions are drivers and passengers. So slow, down, pay attention and give yourself a little more room between you and the car in front of you.
Hi Greg, haven't seen the weekly stats post in a while. Hows the market holding up these days?
Posted by: Matt | June 25, 2009 at 08:12 PM
Last week we had 580 County pendings which is still quite strong. I'll post some market info tomorrow (Tues.)
Greg
Posted by: Greg Perry | June 29, 2009 at 04:01 PM