SEATTLE — Tuesday marks one month until Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct is shut down in preparation for the opening of the new SR-99 tunnel, planned for early February.
Because of the three-week wait for the opening, crews are preparing for what will likely be difficult travel in and around Seattle.
Here are some of the resources that will help commuters during the closure.
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Download bikeshare apps
In the Seattle city limits, download the Lime or Jump apps and access thousands of bikes throughout the city. Given the expected gridlock on the roads this may be an option to consider.
Water taxi
The King County Water Taxi may be an option for your commute – it’s just a 10 minute ride from Seacrest Park to downtown and a 22 minute ride from Vashon Island. During the closure the service will add a second Water Taxi from West Seattle to assist with what will likely be more riders.
Download carpooling and rideshare apps
King County Metro is partnering with Waze and Scoop to offer discounts for riders affected by the 99 closure. Many of the rides Metro offers through vanshare and vanpool programs will be offering free options for commuters.
North end and south end commuters
Accessing downtown Seattle from the north and the south will be difficult, so it’s time to consider options. For those who normally drive it may be time to consider the light rail or Sounder train.
If you are farther north the Sounder train runs from Everett to Seattle with stops in Mukilteo and Edmonds. There are four trips offered in the morning and four back north in the evening.
On the south end the Sounder train starts in Lakewood and stops in multiple cities including Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, Auburn, Kent, Tukwila, and Seattle. On the south end the light rail starts at Angle Lake with many stops along the way in SeaTac, Tukwila, the Rainier Valley, and SODO. It continues into downtown and all the way to the University of Washington.
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KING 5 is looking for commuters to share your 99 closure experiences with us. We are hoping our viewers share their stories to help others along the way. If you are interested in joining our 99 closure commuter team please e-mail Alex Rozier at arozier@king5.com.
Join KING 5's Seattle Tunnel Traffic Facebook group to stay up-to-date on the latest Seattle tunnel and Viaduct news and get tips to battle traffic during the three-week Viaduct closure in January.