Weekend Road Closures: Not Quite Carmageddon, but Close

If your weekend plans might include the State Route 520 across Lake Washington, you'd better chart another route: The 520 Bridge will be closed all weekend, says the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

In addition, I-90 through Mercer Island and Bellevue will be busy with Seattle Seahawks traffic for their preseason game against Tennessee at CenturyLink Field Saturday at 7 p.m. On top of all that, major closures are planned planned for State Route 9 in Snohomish County, in the Clearview and the Lake Stevens areas, as well as for State Route 167 south of Renton.

WSDOT is advising motorists in these areas to leave an hour early, expect to add an hour to normal travel times, and carefully plan their routes (see the attached detours map).

SR 520 will be closed from 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10 to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 13, 2012 between between Montlake Boulevard in Seattle and Interstate 405 in Bellevue.

In addition, Bellevue Way will also be closed from 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10 to 5 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 12 between Northup Way (at the Kirkland/Bellevue boundary to Northeast 32nd Place in Bellevue. Crews with Eastside Corridor Constructors are scheduled to demolish the east half of the old Bellevue Way bridge over 520 during the closure, in preparation for building a new one.

WSDOT advises Seattle-area motorists to avoid discretionary trips, to expect heavy congestion on alternate routes, such as I-405, I-5 and I-90 and to use the I-90 and I-5 express lanes, which are adjusted to help ease congestion.

The 520 closures are part of the on-going SR 520 reconstruction project.

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How will you find your way through these construction messes? Or will you just head east of the mountains for some R&R? Please tell us in the comments field!