Date:  Friday, March 11, 2011

Contact: Kristy Van Ness, Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program, 206-805-2881 (Seattle), 206-300-4312 (cell)
Greg Phipps, Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program, 206-805-2862

SEATTLE – Construction crews will open the northbound SR 99 on-ramp from S. Royal Brougham Way at 7 tonight, just days before the Sounders FC regular season home opener. Crews demolished the SR 99 on-ramp from First Avenue S. on Feb. 18. They spent three weeks rebuilding the ramp to connect it to S. Royal Brougham Way between First Avenue S. and Alaskan Way S.

“We want to thank all the drivers for their patience and understanding while the on-ramp was closed,” said Matt Preedy, the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program’s director of south end projects. “We understood the importance of getting the on-ramp open quickly, and our contractor, Skanska, really came through.”

Relocating the SODO on- and off-ramps was a critical step in building the SR 99 detour. This will keep the highway open and traffic moving as crews demolish the viaduct south of Railroad Way S. starting in mid 2012 and build a new roadway in the footprint of the old viaduct. Drivers could continue to use the detour while we make the final connection between the new roadway and any of the replacement options for the viaduct’s downtown waterfront section. WSDOT’s preferred central waterfront viaduct replacement alternative, a bored tunnel, could open to traffic by late 2015.

A new city street, East Frontage Road S., provides a direct connection to the new ramp from S. Atlantic Street. This week, Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) activated the traffic signal at the new intersection of East Frontage Road S. and S. Atlantic Street. These city street improvements help keep traffic moving in a neighborhood that links I-5, I-90 and SR 99 to the Port of Seattle and the city’s largest sports and event destinations.

Drivers can find regularly updated traffic information for downtown Seattle and SODO through the construction traffic update.

For more information on the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement program, visit http://www.alaskanwayviaduct.org/.

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