I-90 Lane Closures Planned For Next 2 Weekends On Mercer Island

MERCER ISLAND, WA — State transportation officials expect more work scheduled on Interstate 90 will significantly impact traffic this month on the west side of Mercer Island, where lane and ramp closures will begin after the Friday morning commute. The upcoming closures will allow contractors to replace expansion joints, similar to the "Revive I-5" work in Seattle.

The Washington State Department of Transportation plans to close the West Mercer Way on-ramp to westbound I-90 and the right westbound lane by 10 a.m. Friday, along with the bike path over the Homer Hadley bridge. Mercer Island residents will be able to access the freeway from East Mercer Way and North Mercer Way. That closure will remain in place until Monday morning.

More significant impacts for Eastside commuters will arrive late next week.

WSDOT plans to close all but one westbound lane on Thursday, Sept. 22, starting at 2 p.m. The remaining westbound lane will close at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 23. All westbound lanes will remain closed until the Monday morning commute, meaning Eastside drivers trying to get to the Seattle Seahawks game that Sunday will need to take another route.

“We have been trying to schedule this work for several months, but supply chain issues have pushed us back into September, and we need to finish the project this fall while there is still good weather to allow the concrete to cure,” said Shawn Wendt, a WSDOT project engineer. “This expansion joint is old and needs to be replaced. If it were to break, that would require an emergency repair that could affect peak traffic periods. By scheduling the work and announcing it ahead of time, people have an opportunity to plan around it.”

Drivers can follow updates on the closures via WSDOT's Twitter feeds and traffic app.