Weekend closure ahead for SR 99 in Seattle

Drivers in for a smoother ride when road reopens Monday

SEATTLE – A brand new stretch of State Route 99/Aurora Avenue North in Seattle is just one weekend away from completion. 

Starting Friday night, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will close SR 99/Aurora Avenue North between the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel and Valley Street. This closure will give contractor crews the space they need to shift traffic onto roughly 750 feet of new roadway in time for Monday morning’s commute. 

“This traffic shift is an important step forward as we work to build the future roads to and from the new SR 99 tunnel,” said David Sowers, deputy administrator of the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program. “Drivers will also have a smoother ride when they commute on Aurora come Monday morning.”

The new roadway is actually a bridge. Once the traffic shift is complete, Atkinson Construction crews will work underneath the bridge to complete construction on the northbound ramps and roadways that will connect to the SR 99 tunnel. Learn more about why this traffic shift plays a pivotal role for drivers in the future by watching this video. 

Drivers should plan and prepare for additional congestion on nearby streets during this time by using WSDOT’s travel tools or SDOT’s traveler’s information web page. 

Closure details:

• Both directions of SR 99 between the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel and Valley Street will close from Friday night, Aug. 21, to Monday morning, Aug. 24. 
• Southbound lanes close at 10 p.m. 
• Northbound lanes close two hours after the Mariners game, to help fans get home from the game. 
• All lanes reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, in time for the morning commute

Additional work on the Aurora Bridge:

• On Saturday, Aug. 22, WSDOT bridge crews will close up to two right lanes of northbound SR 99 across the Aurora Bridge for maintenance work from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
• On Sunday, Aug. 23, WSDOT Bridge crews will close two southbound lanes of the Aurora Bridge from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. to continue maintenance work on the other side of the bridge.

Changes to Harrison Street at SR 99 starting Aug. 24 

• Drivers will no longer be able to enter northbound SR 99 via westbound Harrison Street after SR 99 reopens Monday, Aug. 24. This closure is for additional construction in the area. Access to northbound SR 99 from Thomas and John streets will remain open. 
• Northbound drivers on SR 99 will be able to exit at Harrison Street as they do today.