Brace for weekend road closures before the 'Big Dark' hits

Several road closures this weekend in King County

Drivers are being warned with about several road closures throughout King County.

SEATTLE - The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) says it's 'crunch time' for crews to finish major construction projects before the Big Dark arrives. For drivers, this means there will be some major road closures this weekend.

Photo: Washington State Department of Transportation

Before we get into the road closures, let's take a moment to appreciate this week's version of WSDOT's hand-drawn traffic maps. Typically, these maps are drawn digitally in a colorful manner, which one might assume involves Microsoft Paint. However, this week's version elevates fine art to a new level, using college-ruled lined notebook paper as the canvas, and mixed media consisting of black and red markers, and a No. 2 pencil.

Keep reading to learn more about road closures on I-5, the SR-99 tunnel, SR-520, US-2, I-405 and Seattle’s Ballard Bridge.

Weekend closures on I-5

Two closures are happening on I-5; one will impact drivers in Federal Way and Fife; the other will impact the commute between Seattle and Tukwila.

Weekend closures on I-5 in Federal Way, Fife

According to WSDOT, both directions of I-5 will be closed between SR-18 in Federal Way and 54th Ave. Crews will be setting up girders for a new overpass that crosses I-5. The northbound lanes will close by 10:30 p.m., and the southbound lanes will close by 11 p.m. Friday. On Saturday, lanes will begin reopening at 7 a.m., with all lanes fully opening by 11 a.m. Overnight closures will continue Saturday night, and lanes will begin reopening at 7 a.m., with all lanes fully opening by noon.

Weekend closures on I-5 between Seattle and Tukwila

According to WSDOT, there will be lane closures on both directions on I-5 between Boeing Field in Seattle and Interurban Avenue South in Tukwila, so crews can safely restripe the lanes and multiple ramps. These closures are happening overnight only, from 9 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday. Closures will resume at 9 p.m. on Sunday until 5 a.m. on Monday.

SR-99 tunnel closures this weekend in Seattle

According to WSDOT, the SR-99 tunnel will be closed in both directions between Alaskan Way and Harrison Street for a six-year, federally mandated inspection. The tunnel will close at 10 p.m. Friday, and remain closed until 6 a.m. on Sunday.

Weekend closures on SR-520

According to WSDOT, the SR-520 highway and trail will be closed all weekend long between I-5 in Seattle and 92nd Avenue N.E. in Clyde Hill. The closure will last from 11 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday. Crews will be working on lighting and the fire suppression system under the new Montlake lid over SR-520.

Weekend closures on US-2

According to WSDOT. US-2 will be closed between SR-9 and 88th Street S.E. for highway cleaning and sweeping, and bridge drain clearing. This closure will only happen overnight from 10:30 p.m. on Friday to 2 a.m. on Saturday.

Weekend closures on I-405

According to WSDOT, there will be lane reductions on southbound I-405 in Bothell starting Friday. The closure will be between SR-522 and NE 160th St., and last from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Weekend closures on Seattle's Ballard Bridge

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) said the Ballard Bridge will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. There is one more scheduled closure expected next weekend as well: Friday, Oct. 18, through Monday, Oct. 21.