Chris Sullivan is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. He cares deeply about the amount of time you spend sitting in Seattle traffic. Email Chris at csullivan@kiroradio.com
This is a question that I have pondered since last summer. It is a question that drivers asked me then. It’s a question drivers continue to ask me today. Why won’t the Washington Department of Transportation open the I-5 express lanes for a few hours each morning to prevent the 45-50 minute delays out of Lynnwood? If you haven’t made this trip recently, WSDOT just closed two left lanes on northbound I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge.
To help with potential backups, WSDOT has decided to keep the express lanes open in the northbound direction 24/7. Here is the impact of this configuration. Northbound I-5 has been running 15-20 minutes faster from Federal Way to Seattle. Most of it is because there is no forced merge at the express lanes entrance. The northbound backup to the actual closure on the Ship Canal Bridge during the morning commute has been about 15 minutes, from the Convention Center. With the express lanes unavailable southbound during the morning commute, drivers have experienced massive delays from Mountlake Terrace to the U-District., I don’t know why they don’t still switch the express lanes,” Tom said. “Right now it’s 8:10 in the morning, and the express lanes going northbound in the virtually empty.” I reached out to WSDOT again, asking whether it might consider testing the idea for a day. Here is its response.WSDOT is not considering any changes at this time,” the department stated. “We’re constantly evaluating and re-evaluating the entire system, but we also know that during the work last summer with this traffic configuration, we had much greater volume in the express lanes after four weeks than we had during the first few days. Part of that may be that people traveling north of downtown are not used to having the option to use the express in the morning.” Also, there is a safety component – with only two lanes open on the northbound I-5 mainline, a single collision could block a significant portion of the roadway, or even both lanes, with no way to go north through the city. We need to maintain some northbound capacity at all times. We will continue with the traffic control strategy we have in place at this time. We understand people’s frustrations and wanting us to do something different, but today, two days into this work, we are not going to flip the express lanes.” Keep the questions coming. Keep looking for alternate ways to get around this. We have five months of this to go.Why won't WSDOT open the I-5 express lanes for a few hours each morning to prevent the 45-50 minute delays out of Lynnwood?As expected, southbound I-5 drivers were greeted with massive backups out of Snohomish County because of the loss of the express lanes.Ferguson wants to add $3 billion to the state transportation budget in this short 60-day session. How he wants to do it isn't popular on either side of the aisle.It’s back! Revive I-5 in Seattle returns this weekend Join the revitalization of Seattle's Ship Canal Bridge this weekend with engaging events and updates from WSDOT on preservation efforts.WSECU Community Champion: Chrystal Ortega’s mission to feed Spokane Chrystal Ortega's tireless dedication recently earned her the WSECU Community Champions Award and a $1,000 grant to further the mission.When Shawn Tibbitts opened Tibbitts FernHill, he was just trying to survive. The small Tacoma restaurant has since earned culinary awards and praise.Wilcox Family Farms is continuing its cherished holiday tradition of giving back by donating nearly one million eggs to food banks across the South Sound region this season.Matthew Ballantyne has transformed that early awareness into action, embodying the organization's mission:"No Kid Sleeps On The Floor In Our Town."Discover Kitsap County’s creative soul: Where Nordic charm meets gothic gardens and ancient traditions thrive Kitsap County is full of wonderfully weird, authentically artsy, and unexpectedly magical corners that make visitors become locals and locals never want to leave.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
WSDOT plans for Carbon River Bridge expected to take two more years to completeTom Brock is a weekend content editor for KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM and MyNorthwest.com.
Read more »
Mary Peltola, barrier-breaking ex-Alaska congresswoman, is challenging Dan Sullivan in Senate raceDemocratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola said Monday that she would challenge Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in this year’s midterm elections, vowing to shake up the establishment to make life more affordable for Alaskans.
Read more »
Murkowski backs Sullivan hours after Peltola announces Senate challengeSen. Lisa Murkowski moved quickly Monday to back Republican Dan Sullivan over former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, who just hours earlier announced she will challenge Sullivan for his Senate seat in what could become one of Alaska’s most competitive races in years.
Read more »
Peltola Senate challenge draws national battle lines as Murkowski backs SullivanSen. Lisa Murkowski moved quickly Monday to back Republican Dan Sullivan over former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, who just hours earlier announced she will challenge Sullivan for his Senate seat in what could become one of Alaska’s most competitive races in years.
Read more »
Rangers' Mike Sullivan demotes inconsistent Alexis Lafreniere: 'We need more'In Monday’s 4-2 loss to Seattle, he was ineffective again skating alongside Noah Laba and Brennan Othmann — although Othmann provided a brief early spark after being recalled from AHL Hartford.
Read more »
Why Autopsies Are in Decline and Why it MattersA doctor and a novelist on the life-changing power of post-mortem investigations.
Read more »