Another nice weekend is headed our way. Per local meteorologists, upper 60s with morning clouds, but dry. (and for some of us, 60s are just peachy) Plenty of events both near and far, but don’t bother taking Mercer unless your destination is SLU, the I5 ramps are closed for the weekend.

Traffic:

• Mercer: I5 on- and off-ramps at Mercer Street closed June 7-10

Multi-Day Events:

• The Art of John Lennon, BlackRapid (517 Aloha), June 7-9 FREE admission
• Seattle Mini Maker Faire, Seattle Center Northwest Rooms, June 8-9
• Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, Seattle Center Armory, June 8-9, FREE
• Glazer’s Camera Annual Photofest 2013, SLU, June 8-9
• SIFF International Film Festival, SIFF Uptown & Film Center, May 16-June 9
• Director’s Choice, PNB, May 31-June 9
• King’s Wish with Caspar Babypants, Teatro Zinzanni, June 1-30 (weekends)
• Concerts at the Locks, Ballard Locks, FREE June 1-Sept 2 (Sat & Sun, 2pm)
• Imaginate, Pacific Science Center, June 1 – Sept 2

Friday, June 7

• Architectural Grooves: A Guided Tour of EMP Museum, EMP, 2-3pm
• Fremont Beer Garden, Briefcase Relay, and 5K, Fremont, 6pm
• Seattle Storm vs. Tulsa Shock, Key Arena, 7pm
• Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees, Safeco, 7:10pm

Saturday, June 8

• Seattle Science Festival Expo Day, Seattle Center, 10am-6pm FREE
• World Ocean Day Films, Seattle Center IMAX, 10:30am
• Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees, Safeco, 1:10pm
• Second Ascent Ballard Criterium Bike Race, Ballard, 3:30pm
• Rat City Rollergirls, Key Arena, 5:30pm
• Seattle Sounders vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, CenturyLink, 7:30pm

Sunday, June 9

• Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees, Safeco, 1:10pm
• Seattle Pacific University Graduation Ceremonies, Key Arena, 2-5pm

Have an event that you would like us to report on? Drop us an email at tips@queenanneview.com

A nice weekend is on tap (per our local meteorologists), so check out some outdoor activities this weekend, including the Bigelow Block Sale, Lower Kinnear Park work party, a concert at the Ballard Locks, or a Queen Anne Historical Walking Tour.

Traffic:

• 520 Bridge: closed to traffic 11pm Friday, May 31 to 5am Monday, June 3

Multi-Day Events:

• SIFF International Film Festival, SIFF Uptown & Film Center, May 16-June 9
• Director’s Choice, PNB, May 31-June 9
• Pagdiriwang Phillipine Pre-Festival, Seattle Center June 1-2
• King’s Wish with Caspar Babypants, Teatro Zinzanni, June 1-30 (Sat & Sun)
• Concerts at the Locks, Ballard Locks, June 1-Sep 2 (Sat & Sun 2pm) FREE
• Imaginate, Pacific Science Center, June 1–Sep 2

Friday, May 24

• Ballard Bike Street Party, Ballard, 4pm-7pm FREE
• Aspects of Love – Concert Series Recital, First Church, 8pm FREE

Saturday, June 1

• Bigelow Block Sale, Bigelow Ave N & surrounding streets, 9am-3pm FREE
• Lower Kinnear Park Work Party, 9am-noon FREE

Sunday, June 2

• Susan G. Komen Puget Sound Race for the Cure, Seattle Center, 8am-11am
• Queen Anne Historical Walking Tour, Kerry Park, 10am (RSVP)
• Fremont BBQ Extravaganza, Fremont, 10am-11pm FREE admission
• Handmade Happening, Lumen Condo Lounge (501 Roy), 11am-3pm FREE admission
• Blood Drive, First United Methodist Church, 11:30am-6:30 pm
• Seattle Storm Tailgate Party, Bayview, 4pm (game @ 6pm)

Have an event that you would like us to report on? Drop us an email at tips@queenanneview.com

Happy Memorial Day (aka Folklife Festival) weekend! Be prepared for lots of traffic around Lower Queen Anne/Uptown and scarce parking as thousands (SDOT estimates 10K) descend upon the Seattle Center for the free festival, which runs Friday through Monday.

Memorial Day:

• Seattle Public Library – closed
• Metro – Sunday schedule
• FREE Parking Day

Multi-Day Events:

• Northwest Folklife Festival, Seattle Center, May 24-27 FREE
• Family Science Weekend, Seattle Aquarium, May 24-27
• SIFF International Film Festival, SIFF Uptown & Film Center, May 16-June 9
• The Frog Prince, Seattle Pacific University Theatre, May 21-25

Friday, May 24

• Mariners vs Rangers, Safeco, 7:10pm

Saturday, May 25

• Celebrate Summer Adventure, Charley+May, 11am-4pm FREE
• Mah Jong Club, Blue Highway Games, 3-5pm FREE
• Queen Anne Cash Mob (QA business TBD), meet at The 5 Spot, 3:30pm
• Board Game Challenge, Blue Highway Games, 6:30pm FREE
• Mariners vs Rangers, Safeco, 7:10pm

Sunday, May 26

• Mariners vs Rangers, Safeco, 1:10pm

Monday, May 27

• Mariners vs Padres, Safeco, 1:10pm

Have an event that you would like us to report on? Drop us an email at tips@queenanneview.com

We all know the Mercer closure will make navigating around Queen Anne and the Seattle Center tricky this weekend, and that means a lot of confused drivers (locals and visitors alike). But, plenty of events to suit all sorts, an all-day Ballard festival, the Seattle Storm preseason opener, a road race at Gasworks, a free panel discussion with the Mayor at the Queen Anne Community Center, the U-District Street Fair, SIFF International Film Festival, and much more!

Traffic:

• Mercer: weekend closure of sections of Aurora/99 and Mercer St, 11pm Friday, May 17 – 5am Monday, May 20

Multi-Day Events:

• Boeing Boeing, Seattle Repertory Theatre, April 19-May 19
• Sister Angelica & Human Voice, Seattle Opera, May 4-18
• 44th Annual U-District Street Fair, University District, May 18-19
• SIFF International Film Festival, SIFF Uptown & Film Center, May 16-June 9

Friday, May 17

• Queen Anne Dispatch Friends & Family Event, 9am-10pm FREE
• 17th of May Festival, Ballard, 10am-8pm (festivities at 10am, parade at 6pm) FREE
• The Sheds, The Vera Project, 7pm
• Seattle Storm vs Tulsa Shock, Key Arena, 7pm

Saturday, May 18

• Seattle’s Best 15K and 10K, Gasworks, 7:30am
• Queen Anne Quick Styx Girls Lacrosse Jamboree, Queen Anne Bowl, 9am-5pm FREE
• Heather Christo Book Signing and Scones, Stuhlbergs, 10:30am FREE
• Chinese Arts and Culture Festival, Seattle Center Armory, 11am
• Coal Train Impacts in Your Neighborhood: Panel with Mayor McGinn and Prof. Dan Jaffe, Queen Anne Community Center, 12:15-1:15pm FREE
• Handbag Sample Sale & Trunk Show, 2408 Warren Ave N, 3pm-7pm
• Y-WE Speak, Seattle Repertory Theatre, 6pm
• Sounders vs FC Dallas, CenturyLink, 7:30pm
• JSusan Carr Ensemble, Queen Anne Christian Church, 8pm

Sunday, May 19

• Seattle University School of Law Graduation, Key Arena, 10am
• 31st Annual Nordstrom Beat the Bridge, Husky Stadium, 8am
• Kids Storytime with Charles Ward, Queen Anne Book Company, 1pm-2pm FREE

Have an event that you would like us to report on? Drop us an email at tips@queenanneview.com

As part of the West Phase of the Mercer Corridor Project, a large portion of Aurora/99 and part of Mercer Street will be closed starting 11pm Friday, May 17 through 5am Monday, May 20. Then, beginning Monday, travel along and around Mercer will change. Expect “significant delays” for the weekend,and “major” Mercer and Aurora/99 impacts beyond the weekend.

The run-down on the closure and the aftermath are as follows from SDOT:

Weekend closure:

• Aurora/99 will be fully closed between Valley St and the southern end of the Battery St Tunnel
• Traffic traveling through Seattle via SR 99 will be directed to I-5 north of Seattle at 85th Street or south of Seattle at E Marginal Way
• Mercer Street will be fully closed to traffic between 5th Ave N and Dexter Ave N
• Traffic heading east towards I-5 will be detoured to Denny Way at 5th Ave N and will reconnect to Mercer Street at Dexter Avenue N to continue east
• Sidewalks will be closed on both sides of SR 99 between Thomas and Valley Streets and on the south side of Mercer between 5th Ave N and Dexter Ave N

Beginning Monday, May 20:

• Lane restrictions on Mercer will remain in place between 4th Ave N and 9th Ave N an alternate route for travelers heading to I-5
• Broad Street re-opens to eastbound traffic as an alternate route to I5
• Signal modifications at the intersections of 5th Ave N and Harrison St and Harrison St and Broad St will allow southbound 5th Ave N traffic to connect to eastbound Broad Street
• Due to the re-opening of Broad Street to two-way traffic, left turns from eastbound and westbound Mercer onto 9th Ave N will be restricted to facilitate traffic flow on Mercer. Travelers heading north towards Westlake and Fremont should use Dexter Avenue N to reach their destinations.

Mercer West: 5th Ave W to Dexter Ave N - Access to Northbound 99 During Construction

Mercer West: 5th Ave W to Dexter Ave N - Access to I5 During Construction

Additional traffic revisions will include:

• Mercer will be reduced to two eastbound lanes between 4th Ave N and 9th Ave N
• Local access will be maintained at Taylor Avenue N
• The sidewalk on the north side of Mercer will be closed between 5th Ave N and Dexter Ave N. The sidewalk on the south side of Mercer Street will remain open
• Aurora/99 traffic will be shifted to the west side of the roadway between Valley and Harrison streets; two lanes of SR 99 in each direction will remain open
• Northbound 99 off-ramp to Mercer will be permanently closed. A new signalized intersection at Republican Street and Dexter Avenue N will be available for northbound SR 99 traffic to reach South Lake Union

Steel yourselves – this is just the tip of the iceberg. More on next week’s Mercer messiness and closures next week (a hint if you’re unaware: Mercer and 99 closures next weekend for Mercer West work, so enjoy this weekend…).

From SDOT:

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) advises travelers of upcoming lane restrictions on Mercer Street and Broad Street beginning tomorrow, Thursday, May 9:

• Eastbound Mercer Street will have the left lane restricted from just west of Dexter Avenue N to Ninth Avenue N on Friday, May 10 from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Westbound Mercer Street/Broad Street will have the left lane restricted from Westlake Avenue N to Harrison Street from 8:00 a.m. Thursday, May 9 until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, May 17.

Just in from SDOT, the Fremont Bridge will undergo annual maintenance today, Thursday, May 2nd, beginning at 10am. The bridge will be opening for 20 minute intervals this morning – no word from SDOT on when the maintenance check will be completed:
 

According to our contacts at SDOT, the Ballard Bridge will be undergoing electrical tests today that will result in the bridge opening and closing every half hour.

The test openings will run from now until 4pm today (Tuesday, April 23) and “may resume again at 6pm”. SDOT promises to keep the openings “as brief as possible” but they will still impact traffic to and from Ballard. Openings for boats will be coordinated with the test openings to minimize traffic delays.

SDOT advises allowing for extra time crossing the Ballard bridge or taking an alternate route.

It’s almost here – the Mercer West Phase begins Monday, April 22nd, and here’s the roundup of what you need to know about traffic, lane restrictions, and Metro routes during this phase of construction. Some of these impacts are short-term, but some will last the duration of the Mercer West Phase through the summer of 2015.

Per SDOT: “Travelers can expect significant traffic and delays and should plan ahead and use alternate routes when possible.”

Lane Restrictions – SR 99/Aurora
Starting Monday, April 22, following the morning commute, crews will begin reducing SR 99 to two lanes in each direction between Aloha and Harrison streets to accommodate rebuilding the SR99/Aurora overpass as part of the Mercer West Phase.

These lane restrictions will remain in effect throughout the West Phase of the Mercer Corridor Project (estimated completion: Summer 2015):

• Southbound SR 99 curb lane restricted between Aloha and Harrison
• Northbound SR 99 curb lane restricted between the Mercer Street exit and Roy St
• SR 99 sidewalks: west side sidewalk will be closed between Thomas St and Roy St and the east side sidewalk will be closed between Republican St and Roy St

Broad Street and 5th Ave N

• Broad Street off-ramp from southbound SR 99 will be closed from Monday, April 22 through the duration of Mercer West construction (summer 2015)
• Westbound Broad Street will be reduced to a single lane just south of Harrison Street beginning Monday, April 22 for approximately 3 weeks during the hours of 9am-4pm.
• Left lane restrictions on both northbound and southbound 5th Ave N between Republican and Harrison during the weekends of April 27-28 and May 4-5

Metro

• Metro bus stops on northbound Aurora at Thomas St and Mercer St, and southbound on Aurora at Mercer St will be closed from Monday, April 22 through the duration of Mercer West construction (summer 2015)

• Routes 5, 26 Ex, 28 Ex or 358 – Northbound on Aurora just south of Denny Way
• Route 16 – Northbound on 5th Av N just north of Republican St
• All routes – North of Mercer, northbound on Aurora just north of Prospect St
• During the above closures, board or exit southbound routes 5, 26 Express, 28 Express or 358 to downtown Seattle at one of these posted bus stops:
  • North of Mercer, southbound on Aurora just south of Prospect St
  • South of Mercer, southbound on Aurora just north of Denny Way
• Routes 5, 26 Ex, 28 Ex and 358 will remain on regular route
• Northbound 16 will be rerouted via Dexter Av N and Valley St to Aurora. Heading toward downtown route 16 will follow its regular route

Update as of 5pm from SDOT:

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) crews continue to repair a water main break on Aurora Avenue.  Two northbound lanes on Aurora between Prospect and Highland remain closed.  The far left lane northbound is open to traffic.  All lanes are expected to be open to traffic by 6 p.m. this evening. Drivers should plan accordingly and avoid the area, if possible.

Per our contact at SDOT:

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) crews are working to repair a water main break on Aurora Avenue.  Two northbound lanes on Aurora between Prospect and Highland streets are closed and may remain closed through the rush hour and into the evening.  The far left lane northbound remains open to traffic. Drivers are asked to avoid the area, if possible.

UPDATE: Due to the weather forecast, SDOT has cancelled this weekend’s paving project.

Weather permitting, SDOT will be grinding and paving Garfield St between Nob Hill Ave N and 2nd Ave N this weekend, April 6th and 7th.

In advance of the paving, SDOT crews will repair the street surface (no time provided). The crew will be working on the paving project from 9am-6pm both Saturday and Sunday, during which times the street will be closed to traffic. Crosswalks and sidewalks will remain open.

Metro route 4 travels along this stretch of Garfield, so expect a detour. Re-route information is not yet available on Metro’s site.

We’ve had the heads up about the Mercer West Stage, and now the reality sets in – starting Tuesday evening, preparations will begin for the conversion of Mercer Street to two-way traffic from I-5 to Uptown. According to SDOT, impacts will be “small” in April, but we’ll all need to prepare for much larger impacts in May, when Mercer will be reduced to two eastbound lanes between 5th Ave N and Dexter, and SR 99 will be reduced to two lanes in each direction between Harrison and Valley.

Here’s the map of traffic flow for Mercer Stage 4:

Here’s the rundown of changes and closures in April:

• April 2: 9^th Ave N closed to northbound traffic from 8pm April 2 to 6am on April 3
• April 3: Westlake Ave N fully closed to traffic beginning the morning of April 3
• Late April: signal adjustments at 5th Ave N and Harrison St
• Late April: signalizing the intersections of Dexter Ave N and Republican St and Broad and Harrison St
• Late April: Broad St will be re-opened to two-way traffic when impacts to Mercer begin to help ease eastbound congestion heading towards I-5

Then comes May – it’ll make April seem like a piece of cake: first up in the larger construction stage is fixing the portion of Mercer that goes under Aurora. No definitive dates yet, but expect the following in May:

• Mercer reduced to two eastbound lanes between 5th Ave N and Dexter Ave N
• SR 99 reduced to two lanes in each direction between Harrison St and Valley St

The construction rendering below shows what the final portion will look like (in the distant future):

The Mercer West Phase widens Mercer to three lanes in each direction between Dexter Ave N and Fifth Ave N and converts the existing four eastbound lanes to two lanes in each direction between 5th Ave N and1st Ave N.

When completed in 2015, Mercer will have additional left-turn lanes, widened sidewalks, and a bicycle path between Dexter Ave N and Fifth Ave N. Roy St will also become a two-way street with bicycle lanes between 5th Ave N and Queen Anne Ave N.

April will be a bit messy, but think of it as the calm before the storm – May will be the beginning of the Mercer headache (nightmare?). What is messy now, will be much worse… until 2015.