Two State Route 99 ramps in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood are closed as of Friday night, a week ahead of the full viaduct shutdown. The early closure will allow crews to get a jump-start on construction work that’s necessary to open the tunnel in early February.
“There’s a fair amount of work we need to do in the coming week before the big closure starts on the 11th, and tackling some of that work this weekend and next week is paramount to getting ahead of and dealing with some of the work that then starts on the 11th,” said David Sowers, deputy program administrator of the viaduct replacement program.
Drivers can no longer access the SR 99 off-ramp to Atlantic Street or the on-ramp from South Royal Brougham Way during the closure. About 23,000 people use those ramps daily, according to Sowers.
During the week in between the ramp and viaduct closures, crews will remove geofoam, which is a fill soil substitute that’s underneath the Royal Brougham Way ramp, and begin permanent barrier and wall work for the new tunnel ramps at the south portal.
The additional week also builds in more contingency for unexpected weather. Sowers said the contractor was already prepared to deal with rain and some snow, but if Seattle were to have a weeklong snowstorm that could delay the tunnel’s opening date.
To get to SODO during the closure, the Washington State Department of Transportation recommends that southbound SR 99 drivers use Interstate 5 or get off SR 99 at Western Avenue and continue south on Alaskan Way.
“We don’t want folks to suddenly find themselves in West Seattle when they were trying to get to the stadium district,” Sowers said.
If drivers coming from the north typically take SR 99 to SODO and cut across to get to I-5, WSDOT recommends either getting on I-5 north of downtown or getting off SR 99 at Western Avenue and navigating through downtown to get to the Interstate.
I-5 drivers should also prepare for potentially more congestion as people who usually take those SODO ramps transition to I-5 instead.
“You’re just going to have to pack some patience and be ready for a longer commute,” Sowers said.
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