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Get ready: Major road closures this weekend in Seattle region

nateOne
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Flickr Creative Commons

If you have to drive this weekend, you should plan on leaving a lot of extra time, as several major roads will be completely closed.

"Everybody is going to be touched by this weekend’s construction, whether you live in Renton or Seattle or Bellevue or Lake Stevens or Snohomish," says Jamie Holter with the State Department of Transportation.

The 520 bridge and all connecting ramps will close late Friday night and reopen early Monday morning. State routes 167 and 9 will also shut down, along with the intersection of Routes 9 and 92.

Also, Seattle is closing the southbound I-5 off-ramp at 85th Street.

The Department of Transportation will be re-paving some areas, and also installing drain pipes known as “culverts.”       

"Culverts are these large drain pipes that need to go under all lanes of the highway to channel water from one side of the highway to the other," says Holter, "and it all has to be done in August, because it’s the driest time of year."

With all the closures this weekend, alternative routes will be much busier. Expect delays on I-90, the West Valley Highway and Route 527 in Snohomish County.

If you’re going to the Seahawks game on Saturday, officials recommend leaving by 4 p.m (the game starts at 7 p.m.)

Here are some maps of the road closures from the Washington State Department of Transportation's website:

Lindsay Lowe is an intern at KNKX. She attends the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in New York, and plans to pursue a career in public radio after graduation.