Date:
Friday, July 23, 2010
Contact:
Patrick Conrad, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4473 (Ship Canal Bridge work)
Mike Murphy, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4699 (Lake City Way on-ramp and SR 520 work)
SEATTLE – Drivers traveling through Seattle and Redmond this weekend should plan ahead for various lane and ramp closures on northbound I-5 near downtown Seattle and a full closure of eastbound SR 520 in Redmond. Crews are repaving lanes and ramps, patching potholes and testing the fire suppression system underneath the Washington State Convention and Trade Center.
Eastbound SR 520 – SR 202 to Avondale Road
Crews will close all lanes and ramps on eastbound SR 520 SR 202 to Avondale Road in Redmond to pave the roadway and move barrier. Drivers will be detoured off eastbound SR 520 at SR 202 and will return to Avondale Road.
Closure hours: 10 p.m. Friday, July 23, to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26 - Eastbound SR 520 from SR 202 to Avondale Road will close around-the-clock from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday for paving.
Lake City Way (SR 522) ramp to I-5 express lanes
Crews need another weekend closure of the Lake City Way express lanes reversible ramp to complete guardrail installation. Some of this work is unavoidably noisy as crews install new guardrail posts. While the noisiest work will be done during the day, nearby residents should expect to hear some work at night as well. Last weekend crews installed new asphalt on the ramp and started the guardrail work.
Closure hours: 11 p.m. Friday, July 23, to 4 a.m. Monday, July 26 - Crews will close the ramp from the I-5 express lanes to Lake City Way (SR 522). Crews will also close the western-most lane of the express lanes near the ramp. When the lanes are northbound, this is the left lane. The Lake City Way on-ramp to the southbound I-5 mainline will remain open.
Ship Canal Bridge
Last weekend, WSDOT bridge workers closed two lanes of southbound I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge for bi-annual maintenance work. This weekend, crews will move to the northbound side and close two lanes early Saturday and Sunday mornings. Crews will repair potholes and complete other safety tasks on the upper deck.
Closure hours:
- Saturday, July 24, and Sunday, July 25 – Crews will begin closing two northbound lanes daily at 3 a.m. Work will begin at 4 a.m. All lanes will reopen by 9 a.m. each day.
- Friday, July 23 - The express lanes will run in the northbound direction from 11 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.
This is noisy work and residents will notice it. It requires the use of jackhammers, concrete saws and air compressors. Large trucks and trailers will also be parked on the bridge deck.
WSDOT makes every effort to reduce noise during construction work. We limit the noisiest work to daytime hours. We lower the sound on backup warning alarms on construction trucks and use sound barriers when possible to reduce the effect of the noisy work.
Fire suppression system testing – Convention Center
WSDOT crews will close multiple lanes of northbound I-5 under the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle to test the fire suppression system. This is a yearly test that requires several lane and ramp closures.
Closure hours:
- Friday, July 23 - Crews will close the two left lanes of northbound I-5 from Seneca Street to Olive Way from 12:30 to 4 a.m. The on-ramps from University Street and Cherry Street to northbound I-5 will also close. The express lanes will run in the northbound direction from 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday.
- Saturday, July 24 - Crews will close the three right lanes of northbound I-5 from Spring Street to Olive Way from 12:30 to 5 a.m. The on-ramp from Cherry Street to northbound I-5 and the Olive Way exit will also close. The express lanes will run in the northbound direction from 11 p.m. Friday to 11 p.m. Saturday.
Weekend events:
Drivers should plan ahead and allow extra time to reach their destination this weekend due to several events in Seattle that will draw thousands of people.
- The Seattle Mariners play the Boston Red Sox at Safeco Field starting at 7:10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 1:10 p.m. on Sunday.
- The Chinatown Seafair Parade is on Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m. The parade runs down Tenth Avenue S. between S. Jackson and S. King Streets.
- The Seattle Sounders play the Colorado Rapids on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at Qwest Field.
Know before you go
Drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes and plan ahead before hitting the road this weekend. WSDOT has several useful tools drivers can use to make the most of their trip:
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