SEATTLE -- All lanes of westbound I-90 reopened around 4:30 Friday morning.
WSDOT reduced traffic to one lane between Bellevue Way SE and the East Channel Bridge for a week so crews could replace two large bridge expansion joints.
Officials warned drivers ahead of time about the possibility for serious backups.
Many drivers changed their routines and the delays were not as bad as expected.
“We thank commuters for doing their part,” said Northwest Region Administrator Lorena Eng. “We asked them to do something different this past week by delaying trips, taking time off, telecommuting, carpooling or leaving early. We even heard that people were boating across the lake. The bottom line is every time we need commuters’ help during big projects like this, they step up and respond.”
The new expansion joints should last about 30 years.
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One of the brand new expansion joints on the westbound I-90 East Channel Bridge near Mercer Island. (Credit: WSDOT)