Plan ahead for congestion across Puget Sound during July 17-20 weekend

SEATTLE - Travelers across the greater Puget Sound region should prepare for a weekend of overlapping construction closures, particularly in Seattle and Issaquah from Friday, July 17 to Monday, July 20.

Washington State Department of Transportation contractor crews will work on several major routes including Interstate 5, State Route 520, I-90 and SR 99.

The work will reduce capacity, leading to longer, less predictable travel times across the eastside and Seattle. Closures on these major routes are necessary to keep projects on schedule following a temporary pause in major construction during world championship soccer matches in Seattle.

What travelers should expect

• Increased congestion on westbound I-90 in Issaquah and I-90 bridge heading eastbound.
• Constrained travel in Seattle with work happening on both I-5 and SR 99.
• Increased congestion in Seattle's Montlake neighborhood.

Eastbound I-90 closure July 17-18

Eastbound I-90 will close overnight from 11:30 p.m. July 17, to 7:30 a.m. July 18 for tunnel maintenance. People should use alternate routes.

Crews will perform regularly scheduled maintenance in the Mount Baker and Mercer Island Lid tunnels during the closure. The work includes fire suppression and emergency systems testing, drain cleaning, light replacements and road sweeping.

Westbound I-90 lane reductions July 17-19

Two right lanes on westbound I-90 near Issaquah will close from 8 p.m. July 17 to 2 p.m. July 19 for paving. The Front Street ramp will also close. This work is part of a paving and expansion joint project that will rehabilitate approximately two and a half miles of westbound I-90 near Issaquah.

SR 99 Northbound/First Avenue South bridge lane reductions July 18-19

Northbound SR 99 will be reduced to two lanes compared to the normal four on the First Avenue South Bridge from 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19 for bridge and structure preservation.

Montlake Boulevard and SR 520 ramp closures July 17-20

Montlake Boulevard will close in both directions between East Hamlin Street and East Louisa Street from 10 p.m. Friday, July 17, to 6 a.m. Monday, July 20. The following streets and ramps will also close:

• The Montlake Boulevard on-ramps to eastbound and westbound SR 520.
• The eastbound SR 520 off-ramp to Montlake Boulevard.
• A 300-foot-long section of East Roanoke Street west of Montlake Boulevard.
• Lake Washington Boulevard between Montlake Boulevard and 24th Avenue East.

The westbound SR 520 off-ramp to northbound Montlake Boulevard will remain open. Crews also will maintain a path for people walking, biking and rolling to cross SR 520 on Montlake Boulevard, with a limited detour south of SR 520.

During the weekend closure, crews will start to remove an existing sign structure on Montlake Boulevard and install new, smaller structures. This work is based on community recommendations developed in 2024 (PDF 2.4MB) following concerns about the size and appearance of the current structures.

Plan ahead

When several major corridors are limited simultaneously, congestion can extend well beyond the construction areas as drivers shift to alternate routes.

Travelers may encounter congestion in areas they typically do not associate with freeway construction, including local roads and parallel routes. Using transit and park-and-ride options, being flexible about travel times and accessing real-time traffic information can make a meaningful difference during closures.

Much of this work requires good weather and may be rescheduled due to rain. Schedule updates will be available on WSDOT's online Travel Center map, the WSDOT mobile app and by signing up for King County email updates.