Viadoom Comes Early With SR 99 Ramp Closures

SEATTLE, WA - Puget Sound will get a preview of Viadoom this weekend. WSDOT is closing ramps near the stadiums Friday, one week before the official Jan. 11 Seattle Squeeze-Viadoom starts.

Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, the northbound ramp at South Royal Brougham Way will close, as will the South Atlantic Street southbound off-ramp. Those are the two main entry and exit points to SR 99 near the stadiums and Pioneer Square.

The Royal Brougham and Atlantic Street ramps will be gone for good once they close Friday. When the new tunnel opens in February, access to southbound SR 99 (and all points south and the West Seattle Bridge) from the stadiums will be via a left turn at the end of South Dearborn Street.

To head northbound on SR 99 from the stadiums, drivers will take a right at the end of Royal Brougham to a new on-ramp. There will also be a new southbound off-ramp that spits out onto Frontage Road at Royal Brougham.

Confusing? WSDOT has created some handy animated videos to show how traffic will flow in and out of the tunnel.

And don't forget: this weekend, WSDOT is closing several northbound lanes of I-5 in Tukwila to make emergency repairs.

Consider this Viadoom Lite - a test run before the real Seattle Squeeze begins.

Image courtesy WSDOT