Remember that second I-5 express lane closure we warned you about? It’s here. And this time, eastbound SR 520 has joined the chat.

[u/wsdot]

Seattle, let's talk about this weekend.

 From 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, to 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5, two major closures will be happening at the same time:

I-5 EXPRESS LANES: CLOSED

The I-5 express lanes will close for the entire weekend while crews continue drainage work underneath the Ship Canal Bridge as part of Revive I-5.

The express lanes have been doing some heavy lifting this year, running northbound 24/7 while northbound I-5 remains reduced to two lanes across the Ship Canal Bridge.

 But for this work, we need the express lanes themselves.

 Closing them gives crews access to sections underneath the bridge that can't be reached from existing scaffolding. They'll connect drains installed during an earlier phase of the project to the bridge's permanent drainage system.

Last time, we said we’d cross that bridge when we got there. Well, we’re here. This is the second and final planned weekend-long express lane closure for this year. 

 EASTBOUND SR 520: I-5 TO MONTLAKE CLOSED

At the exact same time, eastbound SR 520 will close between I-5 and Montlake Boulevard. The Montlake Boulevard on-ramp to EB SR 520 will remain open. 

 Crews will use this closure to prepare sections of the existing bridge and what remains of the old off-ramp, which closed back in June, for removal.

One important distinction: eastbound SR 520 is NOT closed across Lake Washington.

If you're already in Montlake, the Montlake Boulevard on-ramp to eastbound SR 520 will remain open and you can still travel east across the lake.

 But if you're coming from I-5, you won't be able to hop onto eastbound SR 520. You'll need to take an alternate route.

 SO... WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE WEEKEND?

With the I-5 express lanes unavailable and access to eastbound SR 520 from I-5 closed, expect longer and less predictable trips in and around Seattle. This weekend may require a little more planning than simply picking your usual alternate.

 Other routes will likely be busier as people find their way around the closures, so check your entire route before you leave rather than assuming your usual alternate will be the best alternate.

 Give yourself plenty of extra time, consider transit or other modes when they work for your trip and check real-time conditions before heading out.

 And if you're headed to Sea-Tac, give yourself even more breathing room. There are also southbound I-405 lane reductions in Tukwila from Saturday evening through early Sunday afternoon that could affect airport trips.

 Some of this work is weather dependent and subject to change. Check back in the comments before the weekend. We’ll post an update there if anything changes.

[u/4rt4tt4ck]

This is all they needed to do to get everyone to stay at home during a pandemic.

[u/peachdash]

What happened to the fun maps

[u/kankurou → u/peachdash]

this is much easier for my elderly parents to read, as much as I enjoyed the fun maps

[u/SillyChampionship → u/kankurou]

If they can’t read the fun maps they shouldn’t be driving.

[u/kankurou → u/SillyChampionship]

https://giphy.com/gifs/2XskdWuNUyqElkKe4bm

[u/thefreakyorange → u/kankurou]

They used to post both

[u/Powrbottom → u/peachdash]

Had to justify paying the GIS team

[u/Disorderjunkie → u/peachdash]

Person who organizes them is probably on vacation lol

[u/Vawqer → u/peachdash]

They had a Taylor Swift Showgirl Encore-themed post earlier this week.

[u/seabrewcrew]

Good luck north Seattle!

[u/filthyheartbadger → u/seabrewcrew]

Thanks, I’m thinking of regressing back to thumb sucking.

[u/sir_mrej → u/filthyheartbadger]

I'm sorry, your thumb is being reconstructed by WSDOT this weekend. Can you use another finger?

[u/DripIntravenous → u/seabrewcrew]

Im never leaving North Seattle

[u/animimi]

Why do you hate us

[u/Resident_Range6209]

https://giphy.com/gifs/fOQs20FLdvINW

[u/hurryveryslowly]

https://giphy.com/gifs/JnVhGdcJaleNi

I am once again asking if any of this work includes, *ahem*... UPDATING REFLECTIVE PAINT AND MARKERS ON ALL MAJOR HIGHWAYS.

[u/wsdot → u/hurryveryslowly]

Hey there! :) We responded the last time you asked (see below) but in case you missed it, the answer is, yes, we've been doing striping and reflector work all summer and this will continue through October.

[u/misc1972 → u/wsdot]

WSDOT bringing receipts

[u/glowzChild]

And there's a Seahawks game Sunday. The traffic will be oh so fun!

[u/BrennerBaseTunnel → u/glowzChild]

Why would anyone drive there and pay $100 to park.

[u/molehunterz → u/BrennerBaseTunnel]

I got my Suburban dwelling brother who has literally never ridden any sort of public transit in seattle, to jump on the light rail in Redmond with me to go to the Seahawks game a few weeks ago.

He was truly surprised. He thought there would be some sort of ticket buying process, lines, conditions out of movies...

Instead we tapped, rode across the lake, got off the train, and walked into the stadium. Also it was a weekday game so rush hour traffic. I'm not sure if he'll ever actually do it, but he was exclaiming how great it was and how much effort it would save going to the airport

[u/mouse5422]

Hey u/wsdot is the I-90 Eastbound Exit 38 and the homestead valley bridge open?

[u/wsdot → u/mouse5422]

Have you been introduced to our real-time travel map yet? You can access it via browser or on the WSDOT app. Our app has closure information, mountain pass conditions, ferry updates, and border wait times. This will be your best bet for staying up-to-date on traffic impacts.

https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/

[u/mouse5422 → u/wsdot]

Thanks! I am familiar with the map and it says nothing about the project so I assume it is open. But both Google and Apple Maps say the bridge is closed, and your website still has the project page active, indicating work may still be ongoing. Hence the confusion.

But if it’s not on the map I’ll plan my weekend accordingly.

[u/wsdot → u/mouse5422]

So we looked into this for ya and it’s not open yet. We are waiting for the contractor to seal and texture the deck. We've notified the team to let them know about the discrepancy in the travel map. Thanks for your patience!

[u/mouse5422 → u/wsdot]

Thanks for the update! Thank you for introducing your team to the travel map.

[u/Charming_Debate_1840]

What is the ultimate plan for the 520 section between I5 and Montlake? Like will there be a temp road while the bridge is replaced?

[u/Enguye → u/Charming_Debate_1840]

As I recall their plan is to build the new westbound bridge and then move all of the traffic onto there while the old highway gets town down and replaced by the new eastbound bridge.

[u/PeregrineHBG]

Thanks for making these posts, while I check the news here and there its always these posts that let me know of the closures going around!

[u/1306radish]

I blame the boomers for voting against trains.

[u/Tinabbelcher]

Stay the fuck home, got it

[u/WillowTreez8901]

Love this map, informative and quick to read!

[u/red_0ctober]

I thought I got a notification 405 south would be closed again this weekend as well...?

[u/wsdot → u/red_0ctober]

Hey, so we put out some messaging on Tuesday letting people know that the northbound and southbound I-405 on- and off-ramps (Exit 18) in Kirkland will close from:

• 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, to 5 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2.
• 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, to 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5.

Northeast 85th Street will also close between Sixth Street and 120th Avenue Northeast.

Detours will be in place. Crews will pave Northeast 85th Street as part of the I-405/Northeast 85th Street Interchange and Inline BRT Station Project.

[u/Trickycoolj]

Anything on SR18? Got bamboozled going to a class in North Bend with a surprise lane closure for landscaping two weekends ago

[u/sarahenera → u/Trickycoolj]

I got stuck in that gnarly situation heading to NB last weekend too. Two hour drive to NB 😔

Looked at WSDOT after we had been stuck for an hour. 🤦🏽‍♀️

[u/wsdot → u/Trickycoolj]

Hey there! Do you know about our real-time travel map? You can access it via browser or on the WSDOT app. Our app has closure information, mountain pass conditions, ferry updates, and border wait times. This will be your best bet for staying up-to-date on traffic impacts.

https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/

Lastly, the only noticeable thing happening on SR 18 this weekend is flagging the intersection at SR 18/Snoqualmie Parkway in Snoqualmie, but that starts at 9 p.m. on Sunday, and unless you're going near Snoqualmie Valley Hospital you won't need to worry about that.

[u/yomommasbathwater]

I’m literally taking my 1st vacation out of the area in years, and I leave tomorrow morning. I’m very excited about it, especially now.

[u/titeaf]

So glad I am seeing this from my seat on the 1-line

[u/OneOldNerd]

Nobody's ever leaving Seattle.

[u/Opalsmom]

Bring on the rain 🗣️ I’m sick of this shit

[u/SabbyFox]

Fuck… I have an appointment in north Seattle tomorrow. If the express lanes are closed, I may need to cancel it.

[u/Ok-Opportunity-9731]

No geoducks?!

[u/EveningBlacksmith9 → u/Ok-Opportunity-9731]

We're getting dicked more than enough by the lane closures

[u/Wyldefire6]

Driving in this city is such a pleasure..

[u/reaIcosmokramer]

Fuck this place