At 10 p.m. tomorrow, January 11, the Alaskan Way Viaduct will permanently close—kicking off the Seattle Squeeze as SR 99 temporarily closes for three weeks. The closure allows WSDOT to connect the highway to the new two-mile tunnel that runs under downtown. The new SR 99 tunnel is scheduled to reopen on Monday, February 4.
As Seattle enters the longest highway closure in its history, it is expected to move 90,000 vehicles onto other routes. Drivers heading north or south are encouraged to use I-5 or Western Avenue. Meanwhile downtown, vehicle activity is expected to increase on 2nd, 4th and 5th avenues; 3rd Avenue will remain transit-only every day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Here are some resources to help get you around during the Seattle Squeeze:
- SeattleTraffic.org includes projected travel times inbound to/outbound from downtown via its current traffic data.
- Seattle.gov/travelers features a real-time traffic map
- Download the WSDOT app to view traffic cameras and travel alerts.
- Follow @wsdot_traffic, @kcmetrobus, @soundtransit, and @SDOTtraffic on Twitter.
- Utilize bike shares such as Lime and JUMP