State Route 18 will be closed in both directions under the Interstate 90 overpasses from 9 p.m. July 17 to 5 a.m. July 25 as crews complete the construction of the new diverging diamond interchange.
The closure will be around the clock, and drivers should look for detour signage, as well as expect traffic delays, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Traffic on the eastbound and westbound I-90 off-ramps will only be able to turn right. Eastbound SR 18 traffic and southbound Snoqualmie Parkway must follow detours using I-90.
Drivers can avoid the closure by looping around at the Preston-Fall City interchange and the SE North Bend Way interchange.
During the closure, crews will place new drainage and electrical crossings; build concrete islands and curbing; position and set timing for new traffic signals; complete the new I-90 on-ramps; install temporary lane striping and new signs to guide people through the interchange; and switch SR 18 traffic into the diverging diamond traffic pattern, according to a news release.
Some of this work requires dry conditions; if it rains, WSDOT may have to reschedule the closure.
WSDOT says this second extended closure should be the final step before the project is complete. Construction on the interchange began nearly 20 months ago.
A diverging diamond interchange, where both directions of traffic temporarily cross onto the left side of the road “eliminates vehicles turning left in front of on-coming traffic, allowing for fewer traffic signal phases and improving traffic flow,” the release says.
“It also reduces the number of places where vehicles could possibly collide in the interchange from 26 to 14, improving safety.”
For real-time traffic information, download the WSDOT app or visit WSDOT’s statewide travel map.
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