BELLEVUE -
If you're hitting the road for the Fourth of July travel weekend get ready for some big traffic delays. The WSDOT is predicting the areas which will be the worst for congestion over the next several days.
Drivers along soundbound I-5 from Olympia to Chehalis will experience the worst congestion Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorist heading northbound along I-5 in the same area can expect traffic to be the worst Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Drivers along I-5 northbound from Bellingham to the Canadian border will see the heaviest traffic Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Drivers heading southbound along I-5 from the border to Bellingham could be in for heavy traffic delays Friday from 11 a.m. to noon and again from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Holiday weekend traffic could be miserable for drivers relying on I-90 near Seattle and Bellevue. On Sunday afternoon, drivers could face serious delays as they return from their Fourth of July vacations. The closures will start early Sunday morning and continue throughout the day. At 4 p.m. Sunday, westbound traffic will be funneled into only one westbound lane of I-90 heading into Seattle.
The closure will come at the same time they're predicting a large number of people will be returning from eastern Washington. For alternate routes, WSDOT recommends drivers take SR 202 to Redmond, SR 900 to Renton or SR 18 to Maple Valley.
WSDOT has released this construction timeline for I-90:
Sunday July, 5 at 1:00am - I-90 Express Lanes closed
Sunday July, 5 at 4:00pm - Only one I-90 Westbound lane open from Mercer Island to Seattle
Sunday July, 5 from 9:00pm to 5:00am - I-90 bicycle and pedestrian path temporarily closed for construction
Monday July, 6 5:00 am - All Westbound I-90 traffic funneled into the two I-90 express lanes on Mercer Island (Expect Severe delays)
Monday July, 20 - All lanes open in time for the commute
Drivers who rely on I-90 are told to:
-Allow extra travel time during construction.
-Leave early, before 6:00am on weekdays
WSDOT Assistant Regional Administrator Russ East warns drivers may want to cut their weekend shorter "we urge any motorist that's out there on Sunday afternoon coming back from the holiday weekend to get across the bridge by 4:00." East also believes the work on I-90 will have a ripple effect on several other freeways and highways "every one of those routes is already congested, today, and so we expect to see heavy congestion throughout our entire transportation system."
Many drivers said they were aware of the construction but said they understand the work has to get done. JW Hanberry said "it's better than the expansion joint failing while I'm in mid-span." He plans to take other routes on most of his work days but said at least one day each week he will have to fight the traffic.
Will Russell was just getting ready for a weekend on Mercer Island and said he'll definitely leave before the closures start Sunday. "I'll be out of here before 4:00, if I'm going to deal with that, that's for sure" the Ballard resident said. "
Drivers along soundbound I-5 from Olympia to Chehalis will experience the worst congestion Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorist heading northbound along I-5 in the same area can expect traffic to be the worst Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Drivers along I-5 northbound from Bellingham to the Canadian border will see the heaviest traffic Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Drivers heading southbound along I-5 from the border to Bellingham could be in for heavy traffic delays Friday from 11 a.m. to noon and again from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Holiday weekend traffic could be miserable for drivers relying on I-90 near Seattle and Bellevue. On Sunday afternoon, drivers could face serious delays as they return from their Fourth of July vacations. The closures will start early Sunday morning and continue throughout the day. At 4 p.m. Sunday, westbound traffic will be funneled into only one westbound lane of I-90 heading into Seattle.
The closure will come at the same time they're predicting a large number of people will be returning from eastern Washington. For alternate routes, WSDOT recommends drivers take SR 202 to Redmond, SR 900 to Renton or SR 18 to Maple Valley.
WSDOT has released this construction timeline for I-90:
Sunday July, 5 at 1:00am - I-90 Express Lanes closed
Sunday July, 5 at 4:00pm - Only one I-90 Westbound lane open from Mercer Island to Seattle
Sunday July, 5 from 9:00pm to 5:00am - I-90 bicycle and pedestrian path temporarily closed for construction
Monday July, 6 5:00 am - All Westbound I-90 traffic funneled into the two I-90 express lanes on Mercer Island (Expect Severe delays)
Monday July, 20 - All lanes open in time for the commute
Drivers who rely on I-90 are told to:
-Allow extra travel time during construction.
-Leave early, before 6:00am on weekdays
WSDOT Assistant Regional Administrator Russ East warns drivers may want to cut their weekend shorter "we urge any motorist that's out there on Sunday afternoon coming back from the holiday weekend to get across the bridge by 4:00." East also believes the work on I-90 will have a ripple effect on several other freeways and highways "every one of those routes is already congested, today, and so we expect to see heavy congestion throughout our entire transportation system."
Many drivers said they were aware of the construction but said they understand the work has to get done. JW Hanberry said "it's better than the expansion joint failing while I'm in mid-span." He plans to take other routes on most of his work days but said at least one day each week he will have to fight the traffic.
Will Russell was just getting ready for a weekend on Mercer Island and said he'll definitely leave before the closures start Sunday. "I'll be out of here before 4:00, if I'm going to deal with that, that's for sure" the Ballard resident said. "
