Seattle traffic: Expect delays on I-5 for construction, Pride Parade
SEATTLE - Heads up to drivers heading to and through Seattle this weekend: expect delays and backups, and use transit when possible as ‘Revive I-5’ construction work kicks off again.
Revive I-5 work
The latest portion of ‘Revive I-5’ will start at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 24 when southbound I-5 will be reduced to two lanes south of the exit lanes at Exit 164A, so drivers should use alternatives to the Spring Street or James Street on-ramps. The Dearborn Street exit lane will be open.
I-90 to southbound I-5 will also shut down this weekend.
Those lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. on Monday.
WSDOT
Getting to Pride
On top of interstate lane closures, Seattle Pride Parade is taking place on Sunday in downtown Seattle. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, there are estimates that 200,000 to 500,000 people will be in attendance.
With that many people expected, driving in and finding a parking spot could be a nightmare.
"If you do need to drive, consider carpooling and know that driving near the parade event could be challenging due to crowd sizes. In the interest of safety, please also remember to never drink and drive, and thank you for your help to keep this event safe for all travelers and participants!" Seattle Department of Transportation said on its blog.
The parade starts at 11 a.m. on Fourth Avenue at Pike Street and travels north to Second Avenue and Denny Way.
From about 7 a.m. until about 5 p.m., Fourth Avenue in downtown Seattle will be affected by street closures and traffic congestion associated with the parade-- expect congestion downtown.
Transit services will be rerouted off Fourth Avenue. King County Metro bus routes 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 24, 26, 28, 33, 36, 40, 43, 47 and 66 and Sound Transit bus routes ST 522, ST 545 and ST 554 will be affected by this event.
King County Metro also recommends taking the Light Rail-- the Westlake stop will be the closest walk to the Seattle Center, where after-parade celebrations are being held.
Other construction projects to look out for (from SDOT):
Rainier Ave S street resurfacing and I-90 westbound off-ramp to Rainier Ave S closure
- This weekend (June 25-26), we will also be resurfacing northbound lanes of Rainier Ave S, between S Norman St and the I-90 westbound off-ramp to northbound Rainer Ave S.
- To allow us to safely complete this work, we will need to reduce travel lanes along Rainier Ave S (northbound and southbound), and close the I-90 westbound off-ramp to northbound Rainier Ave S during daytime work hours.
Rainier Ave S and S Walden St construction
- We’re also continuing construction work at Rainier Ave S and S Walden St as part of the Route 7 Transit Plus Multimodal Corridor project. We will have partial lane closures in this area on Saturday, June 25, but will keep two travel lanes open during the work. Please visit the web for the latest information.