Date:
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Contact:
Jamie Holter, WSDOT Communications, (206) 440-4472 (Seattle)
Summer construction takes a short break this weekend for the Labor Day holiday. WSDOT crews and contractors will be off the road from noon, Friday, Sept. 1 through noon, Tuesday, Sept. 5 to allow travelers to get to and from their holiday destinations. Our crews will be back on the road Tuesday afternoon, taking advantage of warm and dry weather.
New this week
I-5, Marysville
Crews will begin putting up signs along southbound I-5 through Marysville as they prepare to install a second run of cable median barrier. This second run will provide extra protection through a ten-mile section of I-5 through Marysville.
www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/cablebarrier/
I-90, East of Snoqualmie Pass
Contractor’s crews will close one lane of westbound I-90 seven miles east of Snoqualmie Pass Tuesday, Sept. 5 or Wednesday Sept. 6 depending on traffic volumes. The lane closure is during the day to move the concrete barrier back to the shoulder after the installation of the rock catching fence. The rock catching fence will be off the road. This work is in advance of drilling work associated with the widening project on I-90 east of the pass. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I90/SnoqualmiePassEast/
Additional Incident Response Teams
WSDOT will have extra incident response teams on the road to help drivers over the holiday weekend. We’ll have three teams on I-5 in the greater Seattle area and one extra team roving the I-405 construction zone in Kirkland. We’ll have one additional truck in Kent and we’ll put five teams in Everett on Friday afternoon. Everett will see two teams for the rest of the weekend.
Concerts at the Gorge
The Dave Matthews Band will perform at the Gorge Amphitheater Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights (Sept. 1, 2 and 3). Drivers should expect significant congestion on eastbound I-90 between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and westbound I-90 between 10 p.m. and midnight. Check the statewide travel map before you leave: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/
Bumbershoot, Seattle
Drivers should expect congestion in downtown Seattle during the Bumbershoot arts and music festival. It runs for three days, Saturday, Sunday and Monday (Sept. 2, 3 and 4) Check the traffic map before you leave: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/
Evergreen State Fair, Monroe
Drivers should expect some congestion around US 2 and SR 522 in Monroe through Monday, Sept. 4. Drivers are reporting our new interchange at SR 522 and Fales/Echo Lake roads is helping to speed traffic through the area. Check out the traffic on SR 522 using our two new cameras at Paradise Lake Road: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/seattle/sr522_paradiselk_south.htm#cam
Work continues this week
SR 9, Sumas
SR 9 between Nooksack Road and Garrison Road will reopen this week after five weeks. During the closure, crews rebuilt and widened the highway. Now crews will close all lanes of East Badger Road between Garrison Road and Telegraph Road, and all lanes of Easterbrook Road between Morgan Road and Front Street for 35 days starting Tuesday, September 5. During the closures, drivers will follow signed detour routes to help them around the closure.
www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr9/nooksaktocherry/
I-5, Everett – Lynnwood
Contractors plan to stay off this section of road in South Everett and Lynnwood to ease traffic related to the I-5 Everett girder setting. If they do close lanes, it will likely be Thursday night between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Friday from SR 526 to 164th Street.
www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/52ndW_SR526_Safety/
I-5, Everett
WSDOT contractors will close all lanes of southbound and northbound I-5 Tuesday, Sept. 5 through Thursday, Sept. 7 at night from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. (southbound) and 6 a.m. (northbound) to set concrete girders across I-5 at 41st Street. Crews may close on Friday night if they do not complete the work by Thursday. Detours signs will be in place. This will have a significant impact on traffic. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/HOVSR526toUS2/
I-405, Tukwila
We will close three southbound lanes at night Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 5 – 7 to restripe the roadway between I-405 and S. 188th Street. We will also close up to three lanes in each direction for pavement work Tuesday through Thursday nights between S. 320th Street and the Pierce County line. The WSDOT traffic map can help assess congestion in the area. www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/
SR 16, Tacoma
The eastbound SR 16 ramps to Pearl Street will be closed for 14 days beginning at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 7 while crews reconfigure the ramps. Drivers should use the 19th Street ramps to get to Pearl Street. The Jackson Avenue ramps are scheduled to reopen by Wednesday, Sept. 6. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/PierceCountyHOV/sr16_olympic_union/
Looking Ahead
I-529, Everett
Crews will close all northbound lanes of the SR 529 bridge for two entire weekends. The first closure is scheduled from 11 p.m., Friday, Sept. 15 through 5 a.m., Monday, Sept. 18. The second closure is scheduled from 11 p.m., Friday, Sept. 22 through 5 a.m., Monday, Sept. 25. This closure means the river will be closed to maritime traffic as well. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR529/SnohomishRiverBridgesRepair/
SR 9, Maltby
Crews will completely close SR 9 from 228th St SE to SR 524 (Maltby Road) from 10 p.m., Friday, Sept. 22 to 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 25 to install a new culvert on Cutthroat Creek. A signed detour will be in place. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR9/sr522_212thst/
What can drivers do?
We may sound like a broken record, but it is important that we remind drivers that there are many ways for them to get information and avoid traffic delays. Drivers should plan ahead, check our real-time traffic map and pay attention to the signs along the way. If you can, consider alternate routes or adjusting your driving schedule to avoid the worst traffic.
Know before you go: visit WSDOT’s Web site
- WSDOT offers several ways to get up-to-date traffic and construction information from our Web site at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ before you leave your home or office
- Traffic map - The color-coded map shows where traffic is heavy and light so you can alter your commute accordingly
- Travel times - Real-time point-to-point travel times
- Traffic cameras - take a look at traffic conditions on a growing number of highway locations throughout the Puget Sound region
- E-mail alerts - Sign up for one of nine e-mail alert lists. You’ll get advance notice of upcoming construction closures delivered right to your inbox
- Construction update report - comprehensive, seven-day advance listing of lane, ramp and road closures
Project pages -Find your highway and see the long and short-term construction plans
Know on the road
- 511 - This driver information phone line provides real-time traffic, incident and closure information
- Overhead and roadside electronic signs - Emergency and incident alerts and, in some Seattle-area locations during rush hours, point-to-point travel times
- Highway advisory radio - Yellow signs with flashing lights alert drivers to tune into radio frequencies airing construction updates
- Work zones - watch for construction zone signs, barrels, barriers and cones. Slow down and stay alert when driving through construction zones, not just for the construction workers, but also for you and your passengers. Far more motorists are injured in work zone collisions than construction workers.
WSDOT and our contractors are doing our part to stay out of your way and keep traffic moving. We do most of our work at night or on weekends when there are fewer drivers on the highway. We make every effort to limit lane closures and only close lanes when we absolutely have to. We also strive to get in, complete our work quickly, and get out, giving the roads back to drivers as quickly as possible.
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