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Plan now for getting around I-5 closures
Help take 50 percent of the cars off the road during an unprecedented period of freeway construction, lane closures and traffic congestion
Photo by Lillian Furlong
It may be smooth going now, but prepare for 19 continuous days of intensive construction and traffic congestion starting Friday, Aug.10, as the Washington State Department of Transportation begins major repairs to I-5 between the Spokane Street/West Seattle Bridge and I-90.
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In Seattle, traffic happens. But perhaps nothing on the scale of the 19 days of freeway-rehabilitation work, scheduled to intensify Friday, Aug. 10.
Repairs to Interstate 5 between the Spokane Street/West Seattle Bridge and Interstate 90 near downtown will require some of the most extensive lane and ramp closures Seattle-area drivers have ever seen. The Washington State Department of Transportation expects back-ups on I-5, I-90, I-405, State Route 99, the West Seattle Bridge and on surface streets south of downtown Seattle. The department reports that nothing less than a 50 percent reduction in the number of daily car commuters will make a dent in the severe congestion expected on I-5 from 4 a.m. to midnight through Aug. 29.
To keep us all moving, the WSDOT asks drivers to implement alternative modes of transportation now — such as riding the bus or train, vanpooling or carpooling, bicycling, walking or telecommuting.
To ease the transition, the Center's Transportation Department will provide free bus passes for employees who normally drive to work. The temporary Hutch Pass — now available in the Transportation Office — will be valid on Metro, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and the Sounder.
To obtain the pass, employees must fill out a payroll-deduction form, also available at the Transportation Office. If the pass is returned at the end of the construction, there will be no charge to the employee. If you do not return the pass, monthly payroll deduction for the standard bus-pass fee will start for the month of September.
Transportation staff will also hand out daily Metro tickets Thursday, Aug. 9 in the cafeterias and in the Transportation Office.
Transportations alternatives to consider during construction:
- Ride the bus or train. Use Metro's easy-to-use regional trip planner at http://tripplanner.metrokc.gov to see how bus and Sounder train schedules could work for you. All of the bus reroutes can be found on the Web at http://transit.metrokc.gov/up/rr/reroutes.html.
- Join a vanpool or carpool at www.rideshareonline.com. Check out special vanpool promotion incentives at www.rideshareonline.com/ ridesharerewards/king.htm.
- Ride the Elliott Bay Water Taxi from West Seattle to downtown. For information, visit http://transit.metrokc.gov/tops/oto/water_taxi.html.
- Talk to your supervisor about teleworking one or more days a week.
- Ride your bicycle or walk whenever possible.
- Plan to arrive early and go out for breakfast or stay late and enjoy dinner in the city.
For additional information about the I-5 Spokane Street Bridge Repair Project go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/SpokaneStreetBridgeRepair.
Drivers can now get real time traffic and weather information by dialing 5-1-1 from most phones. Callers can also use 5-1-1 to get statewide construction, mountain pass condition, and state ferry system information, as well as toll free numbers for passenger rail and airlines. TTY users can call (800) 833-6388.
Additional Resources
For help with ride matching or for information about alternate commute modes contact the Transportation Office at (206) 667-5099.
- Department of Transportation I-5 project Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/SpokaneStreetBridgeRepair/default.htm
- Center's Transportation Department Web site at centernet.fhcrc.org/CN/depts/transportation
- Center Personnel Policies and Procedures at centernet.fhcrc.org/CN/depts/hr/policies.
For Human Resources policy questions, call Employee Services at (206) 667-4700.
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