News Summary
Traffic on eastbound I-90 between Seattle and Bellevue is severely delayed due to ongoing construction and a recent RV crash. Construction started on September 18 and will continue until October 5, leading to lane reductions and travel times of up to two hours. Specific on-ramps have also been closed, compounding the congestion. The fire in an RV near Mount Baker Tunnel earlier this week further added to the backups. WSDOT urges motorists to seek alternate routes or prepare for extended delays during this construction period.
Seattle — Traffic on eastbound Interstate 90 (I-90) is experiencing significant delays between Seattle and Bellevue due to ongoing construction and a recent crash. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) reports that construction work is scheduled from September 18 until October 5, significantly impacting traffic flow in the area.
Currently, I-90 is reduced to three lanes between Mercer Island and the Eastside, leading to extensive backups. As of 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, traffic is backed up from the Bellevue East Bridge to halfway across the I-90 Floating Bridge. Commuters are facing travel times of up to two hours from West Seattle to Bellevue. The ongoing construction involves repair work on the East Channel Bridge, requiring reduced speed limits in the construction zone.
Specific lane closures have also exacerbated traffic issues, including the closure of the 80th Street HOV on-ramp and the East Mercer Way on-ramp. The only open entrance to I-90 eastbound during the construction period is the Island Crest Way I-90 on-ramp.
Adding to the congestion, an accident on Monday afternoon involved an RV that caught fire in the Mount Baker Tunnel. This incident led to lane closures on I-90 near Rainier Avenue South and significant delays in the area. Firefighters managed to extinguish the RV fire by 12:50 p.m., but the aftermath required a full closure of all eastbound lanes for inspections. The RV was eventually towed away by 1:45 p.m., and all lanes reopened at 7:14 p.m. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported from the crash.
As the current construction period continues, WSDOT has implemented a flammable cargo restriction for both directions of the Mount Baker and Mercer Island Lid tunnels, contributing to heightened awareness and additional traffic management in the affected areas.
The expansion joint replacement project on I-90 makes traffic management even more critical, with additional closures planned throughout September. The East Mercer Way on-ramp to I-90 eastbound is closed for 6 to 8 days, while the HOV on-ramp at 80th Avenue Southeast is set to remain closed for 16 days. Motorists are encouraged to utilize alternate routes or expect delays.
WSDOT crews are working diligently to complete these repairs as efficiently as possible, but motorists are reminded to drive cautiously and adhere to the posted speed limits during this construction period. The continuous lane and speed limit reductions will remain in place until 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 5.
In summary, eastbound I-90 between Seattle and Bellevue is notably congested due to both ongoing construction and a recent crash involving an RV. Commuters should prepare for extended travel times and potential detours as construction efforts continue and as traffic management measures are enacted in response to accidents.
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HERE Resources
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Additional Resources
- Fox 13 Seattle: Eastbound I-90 Traffic Update
- Seattle Times: I-405 and I-90 Closures
- KIRO 7: WSDOT Reschedules 5-Day Closure
- KOMO News: I-90 Mount Baker Tunnel Incident
- My Northwest: I-90 Mercer Island Chokepoints
- Wikipedia: Interstate 90
- Google Search: Traffic Updates Seattle
- Google Scholar: Traffic Management Seattle
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Traffic
- Google News: Seattle Traffic News
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