Date:
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Contact:
Mark Leth, WSDOT Region Traffic Engineer, 206-440-4487 (Seattle)
Greg Phipps, WSDOT Communications, 206-437-6314 (Seattle)
SNOQUALMIE – Crews working for WSDOT will restripe freeway and ramp lanes at the eastbound Interstate 90 exit to State Route 18 this weekend. The restriping will address an emerging safety issue and will help keep traffic moving at the exit.
At 5 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, crews will close the two right lanes of eastbound I-90 at SR 18 to complete this work. The lanes will reopen at 9 p.m. Saturday. The eastbound I-90 exit to SR 18 will remain open. Restriping requires dry weather. If it rains Saturday, crews will try to complete the job between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28. These closures should not affect eastbound I-90 traffic.
Recent increases in traffic volumes have resulted in traffic backing up from the exit ramp onto the right lane of eastbound I-90 during the afternoon/evening commute.
“WSDOT’s goal is moving traffic safely and quickly from I-90 to SR 18,” said Region Traffic Engineer Mark Leth. “Our traffic engineers recognized a problem and designed a smart, cost-effective solution.”
During the lane closures crews will use existing pavement in the gore area between the right lane of eastbound I-90 and the exit ramp to add a second lane at the upper portion of the ramp. The restriping also includes converting the right lane of I-90 to an exit-only lane. The adjacent lane will still be a through lane, but with an option to exit (see diagram). Crews also will modify striping at the SR 18 on-ramp to eastbound I-90.
The restriping will reduce the number of lanes on I-90 from four lanes to three just beyond the exit. Currently this lane reduction occurs just after the eastbound I-90 on-ramp from SR 18.
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