SEATTLE — Get prepared for a difficult traffic weekend.
Multiple road closures are coinciding with major events in Seattle between July 21 and 24.
Taylor Swift will be making her highly anticipated Seattle stop of the Eras Tour at Lumen Field on July 22 and 23. Tens of thousands of fans will be navigating to the SODO neighborhood on both nights. The Capitol Hill Block Party is going on from Friday, July 21, through Sunday, July 23. Bite of Seattle will be going on at the Seattle Center during that same time period. These events also coincide with a week of Mariners home games, including games on July 21, 22 and 23 beginning at 7:10 p.m., 1:10 p.m. and 1:10 p.m. respectively.
Right now through Monday, July 24, Montlake Boulevard is closed so the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) can straighten out an awkward curve in the roadway that was used temporarily while crews built a new lid. After the road reopens on Monday, Montlake Boulevard will shift to its permanent home, making for a smoother north-south drive for people traveling through the neighborhood.
On a related note, the entire state Route 520 bridge will close in both directions from 10 p.m. on Friday, July 21 through 5 a.m. on Monday, July 24. The work is part of WSDOT's plan to complete the SR 520 Montlake project by early next year.
Drivers on the east side should also be aware of a closure of state Route 18 between Issaquah Hobart Road/267th Avenue Southeast and the I-90 interchange for annual maintenance from 9 p.m. on Friday, July 21 through noon on Sunday, July 23. During the closure, drivers can follow signed detours using state Route 169, I-405 and I-90 or vice versa.