Drivers in Bellevue and Seattle are facing a perfect storm of traffic closures this weekend, and motorists should plan for delays or alternate routes.
Insterstate 90 eastbound will be reduced to one lane from Rainier Avenue South and rerouted to express lanes from 11 p.m. Friday, July 8 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 11. This project is part of the ongoing tunnel upgrade project to prepare for light rail across I-90.
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, the work planned for this weekend had actually been planned for earlier this year, but a windstorm in March closed State Route 520 and postponed work on I-90 to keep the bridge open.
Additionally, from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, King County will brace for the impact of the “South King Slowdown,” where WSDOT crews will reduce southbound I-5 to two lanes during the day (and one overnight) between the I-5/I-405 junction to State Route 516. The project is replacing concrete and fixing expansion joints to revamp the highway.
The southbound I-405 ramp to southbound I-5 will be closed this weekend from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. A detour is already in place.
On social media site Reddit, WSDOT gave a statement about the impact.
“Obviously not ideal to have both of these major closures on the same weekend, especially with a big Sounders game, but we’ve got a limited number of decent-weather days to get some of this done.”