Westbound I-90 reduced to one lane across Lake Washington this weekend, May 19-22

This news release was issued jointly by the Washington State Department of Transportation, Sound Transit.

BELLEVUE – Beginning at 11 p.m. tomorrow, May 19, westbound Interstate 90 will be reduced to one lane near Bellevue Way then rerouted to the express lanes until 5 a.m. Monday, May 22.

Contractor crews working for Washington State Department of Transportation and Sound Transit will be restriping the roadway and shifting the existing three general-purpose lanes to the right and make room for the new HOV lane. They will also be putting the finishing touches on upgrade work inside the Mount Baker and Mercer Island Tunnels.

Drivers traveling from the eastside of Lake Washington should plan for lengthy delays along Interstate 405, westbound State Route 520, and westbound I-90. 

Closure details

11 p.m. Friday, May 19, until 5 a.m. Monday, May 22

• All westbound I-90 traffic between Bellevue Way and Rainier Avenue South will shift to the express lanes.
• Drivers heading to Mercer Island must exit westbound I-90 at East Mercer Way. There are no westbound exits to Mercer Island from the express lanes.
• Those wishing to travel from Mercer Island to Seattle should enter the express lanes at 77th Avenue Southeast or Island Crest Way.
• The westbound I-90 exit to Rainier Avenue South will be closed. Drivers will need to use the Fourth Avenue South exit and follow a signed detour via eastbound I-90.
• Flammable materials are currently prohibited on I-90. Drivers hauling flammable cargo must use alternate routes such as I-405 or state routes 520 or 522.
• The I-90 Trail will remain open.

Special events

Saturday, May 20

• U-District Street Fair, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake: CenturyLink Field, 2 p.m.
• Seattle Mariners vs. Chicago White Sox: Safeco Field, 7:10 p.m.
• Stars on Ice: KeyArena, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 21

• Beat the Bridge: Husky Stadium, 7:30 a.m.
• U-District Street Fair 10 a.m. – 7 p.m
• Seattle Mariners vs. Chicago White Sox, Safeco Field, 1:10 p.m.
• Seattle Storm vs. Washington Mystics, KeyArena, 4 p.m.

Tools for drivers

• Visit WSDOT's construction closures page for a 24-hour highway construction look-ahead. 
• Get traveler information on your mobile device at www.wsdot.com/Inform/mobile.htm. 
• Find information on Seattle area traffic at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle. 
• View traffic cameras at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic. 
• Find travel alerts at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts. 
• Call 511 for traffic updates. 
• Tune to highway advisory radio and watch electronic highway signs for information. 

This work is part of the Washington State Department of Transportation and Sound Transit's I-90 Two-Way Transit and HOV Operations project which preserves the three general purpose lanes while adding all-day carpool lanes to I-90 and direct access ramps for transit, carpools, and vanpools. In June, Sound Transit contractors will begin work on the I-90 express lanes to operate exclusively for light rail as part of the East Link light rail project. The 14-mile East Link project, set to open in 2023, includes 10 new stations connecting Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Overlake.