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Multiple traffic projects cause delays through Seattle

Drivers in Seattle should prepare for extra congestion on the roads this weekend as construction projects on I-5, SR 99, and Alaskan Way include lane closures and restrictions.
Credit: CooperGriggs
Road Closed Sign with Barricade in Background. File photo from Getty ThinkStock

Prepare yourself for a potential traffic headache in Seattle as Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) crews work on three major projects.

Lane closures and restrictions on southbound State Route 99 and northbound Interstate 5 in Seattle began Friday evening and will last until early Monday morning.

Final Revive I-5 weekend

WSDOT closed several lanes of northbound I-5 in Seattle as crews continued to work on the Revive I-5 project. This weekend's closure is expected to be the last for the summer project.

All but two northbound lanes between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Olive Way closed Friday at 8 p.m. and won't open until Monday at 5 a.m.

WSDOT said during the closure the right lane will be for travelers exiting into the downtown Seattle area. Drivers in this lane will also be able to remain on northbound I-5 north of downtown. The left lane is recommended for drivers who do not need to take a downtown exit since it will reroute into the northbound express lanes.

The closure is a major component of "Revive I-5," a months-long renovation project with a total cost of estimated at $51.2 million. During the closure, crews will be replacing pavement and expansion joints.

Related: Drivers survive Revive I-5 closures in downtown Seattle

WSDOT closed the following ramps during the weekend construction:

Northbound I-5 on-ramps closed:

  • Columbian Way
  • University Street
  • Michigan Street
  • Cherry Street

Northbound I-5 off-ramps closed:

  • West Seattle Bridge/Spokane Street/Columbian Way
  • Seneca Street
  • Olive Way
  • Michigan Street

Southbound SR 99 closure

All southbound lanes of State Route 99 closed at 9 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday from the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel to Spokane Street.

WSDOT said the closure was so crews could complete paving work near Atlantic Street, critical for next year’s opening of the new SR 99 tunnel under Seattle.

Alaskan Way moving west

WSDOT closed Alaskan Way along Seattle’s waterfront Saturday at 8 p.m. between Railroad Way South and Wall Street until Sunday at 10 a.m.

During the closure, crews finished striping a new four-lane alignment to move the roadway west, out from under the Viaduct. The move allowed WSDOT to keep the street open when crews begin tearing down the Alaskan Way Viaduct in early 2019.

The traffic switch will not restrict access to Colman Dock.

Also see: SR 99 lane closures in north Seattle will last up to one year

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