SEATTLE -- Seattle drivers, brace yourself for more Mercer Street traffic hassles. A major switch takes place this weekend with ramp closures and big street changes in South Lake Union.
[See a map of the affected streets]
The Mercer Street Interstate 5 off-ramps will close at 11 p.m. Friday through 9 a.m. Saturday. The Mercer I-5 on-ramps will stay closed through most of the weekend, not reopening until 7 p.m. Sunday.
Fairview Avenue North will close to northbound traffic at Republican Street starting at 7 p.m. Friday, with the southbound side closing a few hours later. Both directions will remain closed until Sunday at 7 p.m.
"You're going to have to drive through downtown to get to those on-ramps to I-5," said Tracy Taylor with KING 5 First Alert Traffic.
People planning to attend the annual Seattle Boat Show should check out suggested detour routes.
The closures will allow workers to prepare for Stage 2 of the project by switching eastbound Mercer Street's traffic onto new lanes. Here's the Seattle Dept. of Transportation's detailed explanation of the Mercer St. project.
