A Kirkland company could help motorists avoid congestion this weekend from the closing of the northbound I-405 lanes through Bellevue. INRIX, a provider of traffic data and driver services, gathered data from the previous closing of the same I-405 lanes to see where traffic was heavy – or light.

“We reviewed data from the last closure and found that most people flocked to the 148th Avenue detour route,” said Jamie Holter, INRIX Traffic Analyst. “Bellevue Way, Richards Road, 124th Avenue Northeast and 116th Avenue Northeast were underused.”

INRIX recommends drivers check traffic conditions on all detour routes before heading into Bellevue.

“The road less traveled really can make all the difference, especially getting into Bellevue,” said Holter.

During a previous closing of the northbound I-405 lanes, INRIX found:

• Congestion on northbound I-405 between I-90 and Southeast Eighth Street picked up at 8 a.m., peaked at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and didn’t let up until 7 p.m. Between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. the backup stretched from Southeast Eighth Street to I-90.

• Congestion on 148th Avenue Northeast picked up at 10 a.m., peaked at 1 p.m. with about 30 percent more congestion and tapered off around 4 p.m. The road was back to typical Saturday traffic by 6 p.m.

• Congestion on Bellevue Way picked up at 11 a.m., peaked at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and was back to normal by 6 p.m. The change from a typical day was very small indicating that it was not used by many drivers.

• Congestion on 124th Avenue Northeast showed no change.

• Saturday congestion was significantly worse than Sunday congestion.

“During the last closure, WSDOT closed SR 520 as well, so that certainly added to the traffic dynamic. But the data shows drivers can save time by checking all the alternate routes in advance,” said Holter.

Drivers also can download and use free navigation apps which plot the least congested route based on real-time data. The INRIX mobile app is available at www.inrixtraffic.com.