The Washington State Department of Transportation will take advantage of an on-the-road weekend for Seattle’s sports teams to close two portions of State Route 99 and the SR 520 floating bridge and highway next weekend for important safety and construction work.
Starting Friday night, Oct. 17, WSDOT contractor crews will close a small section of SR 99 just north of the Battery Street Tunnel and SR 520 from Montlake Boulevard to Interstate 405. These closures will give SR 99 tunnel contractor crews the space they need to move underground utility lines, and allow contactors on SR 520 to begin demolition of the never-completed R.H. Thomson Expressway “Ramps to Nowhere.” Also, crews will stripe the roadway on the Eastside.
In addition, the SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct will close during the day on Saturday, Oct. 18, and Sunday, Oct. 19, to allow WSDOT bridge inspection teams to conduct a semiannual inspection of the aging structure.
All lanes of SR 99 and SR 520 will reopen at 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 20, in time for the morning commute.
SR 99 closure details
• 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17 through 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 20: SR 99 will be closed between the Battery Street Tunnel and Valley Street for utility and paving work.
• 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 18 and Sunday, Oct. 19: The SR 99 closure will be extended south to Spokane Street to allow WSDOT bridge inspectors to conduct their semiannual inspection of the viaduct. Preliminary inspection results will be released once they are available.
• 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Oct. 18: The SR 99 closure will be extended north to North 39th Street in both directions for the 2014 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.
SR 520 closure details
• 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17 through 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 20: All lanes of SR 520 will be closed from Montlake Boulevard to I-405. This will allow crews to begin demolition of the R.H. Thomson Expressway “Ramps to Nowhere,” as well as stripe the roadway east of the SR 520 bridge.
Know before you go
Drivers can get up-to-the minute information on closures and traffic on the web at WSDOT’s What’s Happening Now page, on WSDOT’s mobile app, on Twitter @wsdot_traffic and by calling 5-1-1.
Hyperlinks within the release:
• SR 99 tunnel www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/
• Demolition www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520Bridge/WABN/
• “Ramps to Nowhere” www.520history.org/1956-Present/WSDOTPeninsula.htm
• Roadway striping www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520Bridge/MedinaTo202/default.htm
• Semiannual inspection of the viaduct www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/Contents/Item/Display/142
• Making Strides Against Breast Cancer main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCCY14GW?pg=entry&fr_id=62635
• What’s happening now www.wsdot.wa.gov/construction/pugetsound/today.ht
• WSDOT’s mobile app www.wsdot.wa.gov/Inform/mobile.htm
