Don’t forget that the median lanes will be closed in each direction along a one-mile stretch of Aurora Avenue North between the Aurora Bridge and just north of Mercer Street beginning Monday. The closures will last about a month. Construction crews will build four large sign foundations for the future SR 99 tunnel. During the closure, buses and vehicles will share the southbound bus-only lane.
An additional lane will close at night and during several weekends, including Jan. 23-24.
WSDOT encourages drivers and bus riders to plan ahead as additional congestion is expected on Aurora Avenue North. Consider alternative travel modes such as ride-sharing or carpooling, or traveling in off-peak times. Keep informed by using King County Metro’s rider alerts or trip planning tools as well as WSDOT’s travel tools and SDOT’s travelers information page.
Also remember that cyclists and pedestrians will be routed off the Aurora Avenue Bridge northbound sidewalk beginning Monday as crews attach a containment system to the sidewalk as part of the bridge’s preservation project. Signed detours will be in place. That sidewalk detour will remain in place through September.
Drivers may also notice the containment system which is a large tarp that will stretch up and over the bridge’s safety fence. The system is designed to keep paint and debris falling into the water below while crews repaint portions of the bridge.
A contact number and emergency phone for a vehicle pickup will be available at either end of the bridge to assist ADA users who are unable to use the cyclist and pedestrian detour.
