UPDATE: The series of westbound SR 18 lane, ramp and directional closures has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date. The scheduled work on the SR 99 First Avenue Bridge has also been canceled. The information has been removed in the news release below.
WSDOT asking public to be aware and plan ahead for extra travel time
SEATTLE – A weekend festival of construction begins Friday night, Aug. 22, and continues through Monday morning, Aug 25, as crews conduct major construction, preservation and maintenance work on multiple highways throughout the Puget Sound region.
Planning to catch one of the headline acts? The Washington State Department of Transportation urges travelers to avoid the bad traffic vibes by planning ahead, allowing extra travel time and preparing for delays on key corridors between Seattle and north Pierce County. This is one festival to avoid stumbling into without checking the schedule first.
The mainstage lineup
I-405
A$AP Rampy
In Kirkland, the Northeast 85th Street on-ramp to southbound Interstate 405 will be closed and mainline southbound I-405 will be reduced by one lane, 24 hours a day, from 8:30 p.m. Friday Aug. 22 to 4:30 a.m. Monday, Aug 25. The southbound I-405 off-ramp to Northeast 85th Street and up to two lanes of southbound I-405 will also be closed nightly from 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Maroon 405
In Renton, southbound I-405 will fully close between North Southport Drive/State Route 900 and SR 169 from 11:59 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22 to 4 a.m., Monday, Aug. 25 while crews install drainage, pave and shift traffic as part of the I-405/Renton to Bellevue Widening and Express Toll Lanes project. The southbound I-405 off and on-ramps at Northeast 30th Street will also be closed from 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22 to 4 a.m. Monday, Aug. 25.
SR 99
The Aurora Tones
In Seattle, the southbound SR 99 Aurora Bridge will have a two-lane reduction beginning 5 to 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 23 and Sunday, Aug. 24 for annual bridge inspections.
SR 99 Inch Nails
The southbound SR 99 tunnel will be closed in Seattle from 11 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 25. Additional closures may be necessary to complete this work.
I-5
Megan The Lane Reductions
In Tukwila, up to four lanes of northbound I-5 between South 144th Street and the Bellevue/Dearborn I-90 interchange will close from 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23 to 6 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 24 for signals maintenance.
Florence + the Paving Machine
In Fife, northbound I-5 will be reduced to a single lane between 54th Avenue East to Porter Way in Milton from Friday, Aug. 22 to the morning of Saturday, Aug. 23. Lanes begin closing at 7 p.m. with four lanes closed by 11:30 p.m. Lanes begin reopening at 5:30 a.m. with all lanes open by 10 a.m. The 54th Avenue East on-ramp to northbound I-5 will be closed from 9:30 p.m. to 9 a.m.
I-5 will be reduced to a single lane between 54th Avenue East to Porter Way from Saturday, Aug. 23 to the morning of Sunday, Aug. 24. Lanes begin closing at 7 p.m. with four lanes closed by 11:30 p.m. Lanes begin reopening at 7 a.m. with all lanes open by 11 a.m. The 54th Avenue East on-ramp to northbound I-5 will be closed from 9:30 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Why do all of this at once?
There is no “good weekend” for closures like these. With a limited season of warm, dry weather, WSDOT must coordinate and work efficiently to complete them.
These closures are part of WSDOT’s ongoing efforts to preserve and improve vital infrastructure. WSDOT coordinates work with its partners, while staff in the agency’s Emergency Operations Center help keep traffic moving.
Know before you go
While these are the main acts, this is not an exhaustive list of all regional roadwork performances. All work requires dry weather and may be rescheduled. Travelers are encouraged to check travel times on the Travel Center map, WSDOT mobile app and following the agency’s social media accounts.
In addition to planning ahead and allowing for extra travel time, people are encouraged to take transit, use park and rides, or sail aboard Washington State Ferries. WSDOT also recently published a blog with helpful resources and ways to “flip your trip.”