The Seattle Department of Transportation will begin intermittent nighttime lane closures on Mercer Street today, Monday, August 29, as part of ongoing work on the Mercer Corridor Project.

The I-5 Mercer Street on and off ramp closure scheduled to take place this weekend, from late Friday night, August 26 to early Monday, August 29, has been canceled. From SDOT:

This cancellation is being made in order to accommodate the many nearby events taking place this weekend which are expected to draw large crowds. The cancellation of this weekend’s scheduled closure will likely result in an extra weekend closure possibly in October.

The next planned full weekend closure of the I-5 Mercer Street on and off ramps is scheduled to take place from 11 p.m. on Friday, September 9 to 5 a.m. on Monday, September 12. From SDOT:

Additional full weekend closures in September may be announced—further notification will be provided as dates are finalized.

Detour route maps are available on the project website at: www.seattle.gov/Transportation/ppmp_mercer.htm. Detour routes shown will be signed on roadways and may be heavily used, particularly Denny Way both eastbound and westbound.

During these closures, the I-5 on-ramp at University Street will be concurrently closed to provide more efficient traffic flow around the closed Mercer Street exit lane. Fairview Avenue N will also be closed between Mercer Street and Valley Street and Mercer Street will be closed to through traffic between Westlake Avenue N and Fairview Avenue N. All detour routes will be clearly marked.

Travelers are encouraged to carpool and use alternate modes of transportation. Transit

information can be found at:

• King County Metro at www.kingcounty.gov/metro, or by calling 206-553-3000
• Sound Transit at www.soundtransit.org
• Community Transit at www.commtrans.org

These recurring weekend closures are part of ongoing work on the Mercer Corridor Project. More information on the project here.

The Nickerson/15th Ave W ramp to southbound 15th Ave W (north of W Emerson Street) will be closed for several days this week and next so that Puget Sound Energy (PSE) may relocate a gas line that runs under the intersection. The work is being done in preparation for the final phase of the Ship Canal Trail construction, which is set to begin next month.

PSE will close the Nickerson/15th Avenue W ramp to southbound 15th Avenue W from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. beginning this coming Wednesday, August 24, and continue for up to five days, resuming next Monday, August 29 and Tuesday, August 30 as needed. The roadway will remain open over the weekend.

During this utility work PSE will detour most traffic from W Nickerson Street to W Emerson Street heading east, to access southbound 15th Avenue W. Due to the tight turns, large trucks will be detoured onto westbound W Emerson Street, south along Gilman Avenue W to 20th Avenue W, and then eastbound on W Dravus Street to 15th Avenue W.

Once again the Seattle Department of Transportation will be closing down the Mercer Street on and off ramps to I-5 for two full weekends this month in order to do ongoing work required for the Mercer Corridor Project. The closures will take place from 11 p.m. this coming Friday, August 12 until 5 a.m. on Monday, August 15, and again from August 26 to 29 during the same hours.

Detour signs will be posted around the area, but if you’d like to look up the detour routes beforehand, you may download them both here:

Access from I-5 Detour Map
Access to I-5 Detour Map

In addition to these two closures, WSDOT will be concurrently closing all lanes on SR 520 from 11:00 p.m. Friday, August 26, to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 29, between Montlake Boulevard and I-405 in Bellevue. (SR 520 from I-5 to Montlake Boulevard will remain open to traffic). Details on this closure and detour maps can be viewed here.

SDOT will also be implementing a number of other nighttime lane closures related to the Mercer Corridor Project throughout the month:

• Beginning as early as Monday, August 1, northbound Westlake Avenue N will be closed overnight between Mercer Street and Valley Street. Northbound traffic, including King County Metro bus routes, will be detoured to Terry Avenue N from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. for approximately one week. Southbound traffic will remain on Westlake Avenue N. For King County Metro bus information, please visit Metro Online at www.kingcounty.gov/metro and check the “Alerts Center.”
• Beginning as early as Monday, August 8, nighttime lane closures will occur intermittently on Mercer Street at both Boren Avenue N and Terry Avenue N to accommodate water main installations lasting approximately three weeks. Up to three lanes of Mercer Street will be closed overnight, and Boren Avenue N and Terry Avenue N will have intermittent closures to through traffic between Republican Street and Mercer Street. Work hours are expected to be 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

See a map of all of SDOT’s ongoing and upcoming construction projects citywide here.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is again closing down the Mercer Street on and off ramps to I-5 this weekend, from 11 p.m. on Friday, July 22, to 5 a.m. on Monday, July 25, to do some construction work related to the Mercer Corridor Project.

SDOT will also be concurrently closing all lanes on Broad Street between Westlake Ave N and 9th Ave N during the same times. Crews will be taking advantage of the anticipated reduced traffic volumes due to the Mercer closure during this time to perform some storm drain work in the intersection of Broad Street and 9th Ave N. From SDOT:

Travelers who planned to use westbound Broad Street over the weekend will be detoured to southbound Westlake Avenue N to Denny Way for access to the Seattle Center and downtown Seattle, or to northbound Westlake Avenue N to 8th Avenue N for access to lower Queen Anne and Dexter Avenue N.

As with previous weekend ramp closures, the I-5 on-ramp at University Street will be concurrently closed to provide more efficient traffic flow around the closed Mercer Street exit lane on I-5. Fairview Avenue N will also be closed between Mercer Street and Valley Street, and Mercer Street will be closed to through traffic between Westlake Avenue N and Fairview Avenue N.

Updated detour route maps are available on the project website at: www.seattle.gov/Transportation/ppmp_mercer.htm. Detour routes will be signed on roadways and may be heavily used, particularly Denny Way in both directions. Travelers are advised to consider alternate routes, SR 99 or alternate I-5 exits and entrances, and to carpool or use alternate modes of transportation.

During these closures, the I-5 on-ramp at University Street will be concurrently closed to provide more efficient traffic flow around the closed Mercer Street exit lane. Fairview Avenue N will also be closed between Mercer Street and Valley Street, and Mercer Street will be closed to through traffic between Westlake Avenue N and Fairview Avenue N. All detour routes will be clearly marked.

The Washington State Department of Transportation will be concurrently closing all lanes on SR 520 from 11:00 p.m. Friday, July 8, to 5:00 a.m. Monday, July 11, between Montlake Boulevard in Seattle and Interstate 405 in Bellevue. SR 520 from I-5 to Montlake Boulevard will remain open to traffic. Details of the closure and detour maps are available at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520Bridge/WeekendClosures.htm.

Travelers are encouraged to carpool and use alternate modes of transportation. Transit information can be found at:

• King County Metro at www.kingcounty.gov/metro or by calling 206-553-3000
• Sound Transit at www.soundtransit.org
• Community Transit at www.commtrans.org

There are going to be added congestion and possible traffic delays around Queen Anne over the next few days due to some construction work at two different sites in the neighborhood.

On Thursday, July 7 and Friday, July 8 Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) crews will be grinding and removing existing asphalt on Dexter Ave N between McGraw and Garfield streets, as part of the Dexter repaving project. There will be one lane of travel in each direction, and parking and loading zone restrictions near the work zone, with periodic cross-street and driveway interruptions. SDOT will have uniformed police officers on site to direct traffic. From SDOT:

Drivers should reduce speeds when traveling through the area. Bicyclist should consider utilizing sidewalks or alternate routes. When riding on Dexter Avenue North, bicyclists will share a lane with motor vehicles and should expect grooved pavement and loose asphalt as well as raised utility casting and man holes in the street. There will be increased construction truck traffic.

Once the asphalt removal is complete, crews will begin to repair Dexter Ave’s base pavement and repave the street, which is scheduled to take place later this month. After repaving, SDOT will continue the Dexter Ave N street channelization, installing bus islands, a buffered bike lane, applying new traffic markings and other finals steps.

On Thursday, July 7 SDOT crews will also be performing maintenance work along the eastbound ramp of the Emerson Street Viaduct Bridge to Nickerson Street. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday traffic flaggers will be on hand to help direct traffic as crews repair expansion joints on the bridge. Commuters should be mindful of the work and allow extra time during their regular commutes.

The Rock ‘n Roll Marathon and Half Marathon will be taking over parts of Seattle on Saturday.

A look at the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon and Half Marathon route. For larger image, click here (.pdf)

The Alaskan Way Viaduct and Aurora Avenue North will be closed at 5:45 a.m., starting at North 39th Street in Fremont. The Seattle Department of Transportation anticipates the southbound lanes should re-open by 1:15 p.m., and the northbound lanes will re-open by 4 p.m. The full list of road closures is here (.pdf.)

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be closing down the I-5 on and off ramps at Mercer Street again this weekend, as part of ongoing work needed as part of the Mercer Corridor Project.

The closure will begin at 11 p.m. on Friday, June 17, and go until 5 a.m. on Monday, June 20. Detour route maps are available here. From SDOT:

Detour routes shown will be signed on roadways and may be heavily used, particularly Denny Way both eastbound and westbound. Travelers are advised to consider alternate routes to their destinations such as SR 99 or alternate I-5 exits and entrances.

After this weekend’s closure, the Mercer Street access to and from I-5 will not be closed again until the weekend of July 8-11, and is scheduled to take place during the same hours. From SDOT:

During these closures, the I-5 on-ramp at University Street will be concurrently closed to provide more efficient traffic flow around the closed Mercer Street exit lane. Fairview Avenue N will also be closed between Mercer Street and Valley Street and Mercer Street will be closed to through traffic between Westlake Avenue N and Fairview Avenue N. All detour routes will be clearly marked to support traffic flow around the closures.

SDOT is advising travelers heading to the Fremont Solstice Parade and Fair to use SR 99 or to the alternate I-5 off-ramps at Olive Way (northbound) or Stewart St. (southbound) and Denny Way to Westlake Ave. N. More information on routes to the Fremont Fair can be found at the fair website.

Travelers are encouraged to carpool and use alternate modes of transportation. Transit information can be found at:

• King County Metro at www.kingcounty.gov/metro, or by calling 206-553-3000
• Sound Transit at www.soundtransit.org
• Community Transit at www.commtrans.org

Starting next week the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will begin lengthening the left-turn lanes on Elliott Ave W at W Mercer Place, as part of Phase II of the Mercer Corridor Project.

In preparation for the project, SDOT will be working on adjusting the rim of a utility access hole along Elliot Ave W this week. All construction will take place on weekdays only, during non-peak travel times. Crews will complete the work over the next three to six weeks. From SDOT:

Starting next week, SDOT crews will first remove the current asphalt island, traffic post, overhead sign and concrete curb. Next, they will pave and restripe the roadway which requires fair weather. Finally, they will adjust the traffic signal timing and install a new overhead sign.

The left-turn from Elliott Ave W onto W Mercer Place will remain open during construction, and signage will guide through traffic, according to SDOT. Drivers should expect congestion and added traffic due to the work and lane restrictions. The work will not interfere with access to nearby businesses, and all closed lanes will be re-opened to traffic during the morning and evening peak commuting periods. For more information, visit the project website.

It might be slow going next week on Emerson Street going in and out of Queen Anne. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be making  repairs to the deck of the Emerson Street Viaduct Bridge to Nickerson Street from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, June 13 through Friday, June 17. One lane will be closed at a time going east and west while traffic flaggers direct traffic through the area. SDOT says drivers should expect delays and plan accordingly.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is hosting an open house on the Mercer West Project from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8 at Seattle Center’s Rainier Room, located within the Northwest Rooms Plaza.

At the meeting representatives from SDOT will discuss the preliminary designs for the project, including information on the underpass at Aurora Ave and the two-way conversion of Roy and Mercer streets between 5th Ave N and Queen Anne Ave N. SDOT will also present recommendations for West Mercer Place and West Mercer Street, based on evaluation of the alternatives and input from stakeholders.

The SDOT project team will be available to solicit ideas from the public and answer questions attendees may have about current preliminary design concepts for the following:

• A wider Mercer Underpass at Aurora Avenue North;
• Converting Mercer and Roy Streets from one‐way to two‐way operation;
• And improving intersections, street connections and bike access.

From SDOT:

The Mercer West Project would complete the City’s vision for a direct, two‐way connection between I‐5 and Elliott Avenue West, continuing where the Mercer East Project leaves off. The proposed improvements include:

• Widening Mercer between Dexter Avenue N and Fifth Avenue N, including the underpass at Aurora to provide three lanes in each direction, left‐turn lanes, wider sidewalks, and a bicycle path;
• Converting Mercer Street to two‐way operation with two lanes in each direction and turn pockets between Fifth Avenue N and Queen Anne Avenue N;
• Converting Roy Street to a two‐way street with one lane in each direction and bicycle lanes between Fifth Avenue N and Queen Anne Avenue N;
• Creating a new Sixth Avenue N connection between Mercer and Harrison Streets; and;
• Closing Broad Street to re‐connect the street grid between Ninth Ave N and Fifth Ave N.

Read more about the Mercer West Project on the project website, and in our ongoing coverage.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be closing down the I-5 on and off ramps at Mercer Street this weekend, the final construction closure at this site scheduled for May, an area in the midst of ongoing construction work needed as part of the Mercer Corridor Project.

The closure will begin at 11 p.m. tonight, Friday, May 20, and continue through 5 a.m. on Monday, May 23. After this weekend the Mercer Street on and off ramps will not be closed again until the weekend of Friday, June 17 to Monday, June 20 (also from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. on those days respectively). From SDOT:

During these upcoming closures, please note that Mercer Street will be fully closed to through traffic between Westlake Avenue N and Fairview Avenue N, including access from Mercer Street to southbound Fairview Avenue N that had been maintained during previous closures. The I-5 on-ramp at University Street will be concurrently closed to provide more efficient traffic flow around the closed Mercer Street exit lane. Fairview Avenue N will also be closed between Mercer Street and Valley Street.

Updated detour route maps are available SDOT’s project website. Signs indicating detour routes will also be visible around the closure. SDOT advises commuters to be prepared for heavy congestion along these detour routes, particularly on east- and westbound Denny Way, and to use alternate routes when available.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) completed the repaving of Dexter Ave N between Fremont and 4th Ave N and McGraw Street on Friday, but construction along the thoroughfare is not quite over yet. A contractor working with SDOT will be continuing construction on bus islands and installing new traffic markers, including buffered bike lanes, along Dexter over the next two weeks in order to stay on track with completing this phase of the project by the end of May.

The second phase of the project, which stretches from McGraw Street to Garfield Street, is scheduled to begin next week and to be completed in early August. From SDOT:

Crews will start with installing an underground storm water detention pipe near Garfield Street and a bio-retention / “rain garden” near Crockett Street. Other work includes repaving the roadway, installing bus islands, adding a buffered bike lane, and making pedestrian improvements.  During this second phase of the project, Garfield Street will be closed for seven days between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.

SDOT says drivers should expect lane closures and on-street parking restrictions along Dexter Ave N during this period, though some of the work is weather dependent and may be rescheduled or adjusted as the project progresses. To learn more about the Dexter repaving project, check out SDOT’s project website.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has rescheduled road work to lay new asphalt along Dexter Ave N for this week, on Tuesday, May 10 and Wednesday, May 11, weather permitting. From SDOT:

Traffic will be limited to one travel lane in each direction from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. On-street parking will be restricted. Drivers should expect additional traffic congestion and delays and are advised to consider using alternate routes. Uniformed police officers will be present to keep traffic moving at the intersection of Westlake Avenue N and Dexter Avenue N. Bicyclists will merge and share the lanes with vehicles on Dexter or they may use the sidewalks or alternate routes.

After repaving, SDOT will install new bus islands, a buffered bike lane, and new traffic markings and street channelization, as part of an ongoing effort to improve traffic congestion caused by car, bus and bicyclist overlaps along Dexter Ave N.

The repaving phase of the project is expected to be completed in early May. The entire project, which will extend from Fremont Avenue North to Roy Street, will be completed in September of this year. Read more about the project at the Dexter Paving website.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has canceled repaving work planned along Dexter Ave N on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week due to unfavorable weather conditions.

The road work would have decreased traffic down to one lane in each direction between the hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and tomorrow, as well as limited on-street parking.

SDOT has not yet set a new time for the paving to take place, but we’ll keep you posted when those dates are scheduled. SDOT plans to complete the paving portion of the project by the beginning of May.

To read more about the Dexter repaving project, which will stretch from Fremont Ave N to Roy Street and will be completed in September of this year, check SDOT’s Dexter Paving project page.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) began pulling up the pavement along Dexter Ave N between Fremont Ave N and McGraw Street last week, and now it’s time to repave. SDOT crews are planning to lay new asphalt along the stretch of Dexter that marks the eastern edge of Queen Anne hill on Monday, April 25 and Tuesday, April 26, weather permitting. Traffic will be limited to one lane in each direction from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on those days, and on-street parking will be limited in the construction zone. From SDOT:

Drivers should expect additional traffic congestion and delays and are advised to consider using alternate routes. Uniformed police officers will be present to keep traffic moving at the intersection of Westlake Avenue N and Dexter Avenue N. Bicyclists will merge and share the lanes with vehicles on Dexter or they may use the sidewalks or alternate routes.

The repaving of Dexter is one piece of a multi-part plan intended to help ease traffic congestion caused by car, bus and bicyclist overlaps along the thoroughfare. After the paving is completed, crews will install bus islands, a buffered bike lane, and apply new traffic markings and street channelization along the road. This phase of the work  is expected to be complete by early May. The entire project, which will extend from Fremont Ave N to Roy Street, will be completed in September of this year.

For more information on this project, check SDOT’s Dexter Paving project page.

Last month Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn finished a walking tour of our sister neighborhood blog Maple Leaf by saying he had new information about the proposed deep-bore tunnel replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

“The deep-bore tunnel, with tolls, causes more congestion and delay on city streets than any other option,” McGinn told the March 19th meeting at Aljoya Thornton Place, 450 N.E. 100th St.

Apparently he repeated the claim on KUOW public radio last week, according to Sunday’s Seattle Times “Truth Meter:”

The claim: Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said last week on a radio appearance that the state’s data show the planned Highway 99 tolled tunnel would cause the worst downtown congestion of all options to replace the 58-year-old Alaskan Way Viaduct.

What we found: half true

We took a look at the same numbers, and the state does predict its tunnel plan would mean more car traffic in the area, which the anti-tunnel McGinn points to as more congestion. But the state’s research also says drivers would reach their destinations sooner compared with the surface-transit option McGinn favors. Because of that, we find McGinn’s statement half true.

You can read the full story here in The Seattle Times.

Queen Anne-ers used to taking the Mercer Street on ramp and exit will have to find another way to and from I-5 this weekend. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be closing down the I-5 on and off ramps at Mercer Street in the first of four upcoming weekend closures due to utility improvements and ramp re-alignment work needed as part of the Mercer Corridor Project.

The closure will begin at 1 a.m. on Saturday, April 16, and run until 1 a.m. on Monday, April 18. There will also be a concurrent closure of the northbound I-5 on-ramp at University Street to improve safety and provide more efficient traffic flow around the closed Mercer Street exit lane.

Detour routes will be clearly market during the closure, though you can download the official detour maps here for access to I-5 and from I-5. From SDOT:

Three additional full weekend closures are tentatively scheduled and closure hours are anticipated to be Friday at 11:00 p.m. to Monday at 5:00 a.m.; further notification will be provided as the dates are finalized:

• May 6 – May 9
• May 13 – May 16
• May 20 – May 23

Travelers are encouraged to carpool and use alternate modes of transportation. Transit information can be found at:

• King County Metro at www.kingcounty.gov/metro, or by calling 206-553-3000
• Sound Transit at www.soundtransit.org
• Community Transit at www.commtrans.org

During weekend closures, Metro Transit plans to reroute its bus service on routes 70, 71, 72, 73 and 83 off of Fairview Avenue starting at 11:00 p.m. Friday night and lasting up to 5:00 a.m. Monday. The buses will be rerouted via Eastlake Avenue East: northbound between Mercer Street and Galer Street; and southbound from Galer Street to Thomas Street. Rerouted buses will serve posted stops on Eastlake Avenue, but will not make any stops on the cross streets between Eastlake and Fairview.

For more information on the closure and the Mercer Corridor Project, check out the project website.