Five highway locations in the Seattle area will have reduced capacity this weekend because of construction. The biggest source of congestion will be the closure of the express lanes on the lower deck of the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge, with traffic restricted from 11 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday. Crews will install drainage pipes and utility vaults, and drivers will be unable to use the express lanes to bypass work on the two northbound lanes of the upper deck, which will continue through December as part of the Revive I-5 project. Congestion is expected to begin as far south as Beacon Hill. Planned restrictions on I-90 in Bellevue and overnight slowdowns on I-405 in Bothell have been postponed because of rain. Meanwhile, the eastbound Highway 520 exit to Montlake Boulevard will close for about a week to prepare for demolition of the old ramp, while in Kirkland, Northeast 85th Street and the I-405 ramps will be closed for the weekend. On the First Avenue South Bridge, the northbound direction and the high-occupancy vehicle lane will be restricted in alternating periods Saturday and Sunday.
In addition, westbound I-90 between Mercer Island and Seattle will be fully closed from 10 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday for scheduled maintenance in the Mount Baker Tunnel. On Sunday, a new two-mile section of Highway 167 in Fife, between Highway 509 and I-5, will open; tolls will begin in December. Public transit will continue operating as usual, including Sound Transit light-rail trains across Lake Washington and between downtown Seattle and Lynnwood. The transit agency is also preparing for an influx of fans attending the Washington Huskies’ game against Utah State and is working to prevent a repeat of the recent train stoppage after the Apple Cup, which preliminary assessments attributed to a mechanical failure.
Based on: Seattle losing highway lanes this weekend; Bellevue gets reprieve