The start of fall will bring several major closures on westbound I-90 during the second half of September, including two east of Issaquah.
During the closures, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will repave a rough section of the interstate where water is seeping onto the roadway.
According to WSDOT, water dribbling underneath I-90 from an old coal mine has led to cracked pavement about one mile west of the High Point interchange.
“This coal mine was sealed off before we built this section of I-90, but over the years water collected in it,” Wendt said. “Now that water is leaking out and seeping underneath the highway. That, combined with freezing in the winter and extreme heat in the summer, eventually cracked the concrete.”
To repair this, crews plan to close the freeway for four full days and five nights during the first week to remove the concrete, create a drainage system under the roadway, and repave it with asphalt. The second week will require three full days and four nights.
Crews are working during the week because this section of I-90 records high traffic use on weekends. About 29,000 vehicles a day use this portion of westbound I-90.
The closures east of Issaquah on westbound I-90 will take place:
- The interstate will be reduced to one right lane on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 9 p.m. It will reopen on Friday, Sept. 16, at 5 a.m.
- The road will be reduced to one left lane on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 9 p.m. It will reopen on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 5 a.m.
The lane reduction in Issaquah will limit the capacity on westbound I-90, which could cause delays at certain times of the day.
“We understand all of these closures are going to create a lot of challenges for people who rely on I-90,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Shawn Wendt. “However, we need to replace the worn-out pavement and expansion joint before we get to another winter. We are doing this now because it took time to get contractors and materials in place.”
People who are traveling can get real-time traffic information on mobile phones with the WSDOT traffic app and by following the WSDOT Twitter feed.
