Nightmare Traffic Weekend? Events, Construction Will Create Headaches

SEATTLE, WA - This weekend might qualify as a Trafficpocalypse or Carmageddon around Puget Sound. A confluence of special events and summer road construction projects might make this weekend especially tough for driving around Puget Sound. There are big events this weekend in Tacoma and Seattle, which will likely only exacerbate notorious choke points. Add some construction slowdowns to the mix, and it's enough to make you want to stay home (or take light rail).

Here's a rundown of some of the major events and detours planned this weekend:

• All weekend, East Lake Sammamish Parkway in Issaquah north of I-90 will be closed for a culvert replacement project
• All weekend, Sound Transit construction in Bellevue will affect Bellevue Way and I-90 exit and on-ramps; read the full bulletin here
• Starting Friday at 7 p.m., South Meridian in downtown Puyallup will shut down all weekend for the Meeker Days festival
• Starting Friday at 8 p.m., WSDOT crews will be working on rehab of I-5 in the Southcenter area; the work will reduce northbound lanes down to two; the construction will be over by the end of the weekend
• Saturday at 7 a.m., the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon 5K Run will take place along East Marginal Way near Boeing Field in Seattle
• Saturday, 5:30 to 11:30 a.m., the inside lanes across the Montlake Bridge in Seattle will be closed for bridge deck work
• Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., 9th Avenue North in Seattle will be closed for the South Lake Union Saturday Market
• Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., the Fremont Solstice Celebration will have streets in lower Fremont in Seattle closed; the Fremont Solstice Parade kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday and will close streets between Northwest 36th Street and Gasworks Park
• Saturday at 1 p.m., City University of Seattle commencement kicks off at 1 p.m. at Key Arena with about 10,000 expected to attend
• Sunday beginning at 6:30 a.m. in front of Husky Stadium at the University of Washington is the Rock n' Roll half and full marathon; all affected streets will be reopened by 3 p.m., and streets will be reopened as runners proceed through the course; for a map of affected streets, click here
• Sunday all day, Front Street in Issaquah will be shut down for the Fenders on Front Street car show
• Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the Tacoma Festival of Sail runs between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. along the Tacoma waterfront
• All weekend, WSDOT will be doing road repairs and bridge work along I-90 between North Bend and Ellensburg

Image via WSDOT