Expect 'a more challenging commute' Monday with viaduct closure, WSDOT warns

SEATTLE -- The Washington State Department of Transportation said Sunday that drivers should "expect a more challenging commute Monday" since the closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct last Friday.

While the traffic backups on Interstate 5 were not as bad as feared Friday, WSDOT warned that "Mondays are a traditionally heavier traffic day than Fridays."

The viaduct will be closed for two weeks while the Bertha boring machine tunnels under the infrastructure.

WSDOT said crews picked up speed in accordance with their plan for tunneling under the viaduct. As of 2 p.m. Sunday, Bertha, the SR 99 tunneling machine, had mined 39 feet of the approximately 385 feet of tunnel that must be completed before the viaduct reopens to traffic, it said.

WSDOT advices that commuters go to their maps and resources page or see their travel alternatives handout to explore options other than driving. WSDOT continues to run a 24-hour-per-day command center with constant, real-time communication taking place with other agencies. And WSDOT’s Transportation Management Center also has extended hours with up to 12 additional Incident Response Teams ready to clear state roads of incidents as quickly as possible.