If you haven’t heard the news, surprise! 99 is going to shut down starting tonight for 2 weeks. 99 will be closed at 12:01am Friday, April 29, between South Spokane Street and the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel.
Will it be bad? Remember the fish truck incident on 99? And, consider that 99 is the preferred route for 90,000 cars each day. Even with preparations and a heads up, traffic will be bad. It’s still unclear how it will affect Queen Anne, but don’t be surprised if there are extra cars on the surface streets and Elliott/15th Ave W.
Here’s the official news from WSDOT:
Alaskan Way Viaduct closes Friday – It’s not too late to make a plan
SEATTLE – On-ramps to the State Route 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct will begin closing at 10 p.m. tonight, Thursday, April 28, and the road will be fully closed at 12:01 a.m. Friday, April 29, between South Spokane Street and the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel.
The Washington State Department of Transportation urges all drivers to consider alternate commutes as the closure takes 90,000 vehicles off one of Seattle’s two north/south highways. The website 99closure.org has resources and ideas for commuters throughout the Puget Sound region.
“Whether you drive or take the bus or train, everyone should have a backup plan,” said Dave Sowers, WSDOT Alaskan Way Viaduct deputy program administrator. “And make sure you have a plan for the weekend as well. Seattle has Mariners games, a Sounders game and Sunday’s May Day activities all scheduled this weekend.”
WSDOT, the Seattle Department of Transportation, King County Metro and many other public agencies are working together to help lessen the effects of the closure. They will provide real-time traffic monitoring, police officers at key intersections to keep traffic moving, additional water taxi runs, additional response vehicles to clear accidents and more.
Tips to create a viaduct closure plan:
- Take the bus, train, or water taxi to work. Bus commuters should check to see the changes in place for routes that normally use the viaduct
- Carpool or vanpool
- Bike to work
- Adjust your work hours or work from home
- Have a backup plan for picking up and dropping off children at daycare and after-school activities
- Know before you go – using WSDOT’s travel tools or SDOT’s travelers information page
The SR 99 tunneling machine Bertha will build more than 350 feet of tunnel past Yesler Way to clear all the foundations of the viaduct. WSDOT is closing the road to better monitor the structure and avoid any unplanned closures.