But I don't have a boat...

Getting across Lake Washington is hard enough when all the lanes on the highway are open. It sometimes makes you wish you had a boat. And in July we’re completely shutting down the westbound mainline lanes for a while.

“What?! You guys are shutting down the westbound I-90 lanes on the floating bridge for two weeks in July?!?”

Yup. Starting July 6, work starts on the westbound I-90 floating bridge. By July 6, all westbound traffic will be funneled into the two express lanes for two weeks while crews replace cracked expansion joints.

This work improves safety on I-90 it will temporarily snarl traffic from Issaquah to Seattle all day long unless drivers change their habits.

We don’t want you to sit in traffic any longer than is necessary.

Our traffic-fighting experts have been working day and night creating new tools to help you avoid congestion and stay moving:

Keep an eye on I-90 traffic with new traffic cameras
WSDOT traffic engineers welcomed five more cameras to the traffic flow map family. Now Eastside drivers can check the backups before they leave home. The cameras are located at Front Street, 161st Avenue SE, East Mercer Way, Shorewood Drive and Island Crest Way.



See into the future with travel time graphs
We’ve pushed pencils, studied trends and travel time data for months so you won’t have to. Go here to see the best and worst times to travel I-90 during this construction work. (Hint: leave early, before 6 a.m.)


Read a book, drink coffee, share the ride
Sharing the ride has never been easier. Visit WSDOT’s commute options Web site for a (van)pool full of time-saving commute option ideas. Who knows? After trying out transit and a few new ways to get there, you may never return to driving alone. You might even score a gift card for carpooling.


Sometimes two wheels are faster then four – give the bike a try
I know some of you already are thinking about reasons why biking to work is not for you. Well, what if biking to work meant you could skip gridlock, and try out two cool new temporary bike and pedestrian bridges on the I-90 floating bridge? If that doesn’t sway you, maybe WSDOT’s Web site with resources for bicycle commuters will.




If the island life is for you, get the skinny on Mercer Island detour routes
These detour routes will help Mercer Islanders fight gridlock and safely navigate their way to I-90. Note: Only two westbound I-90 on-ramps will be available for Mercer Island drivers in July – 77th Avenue SE and Island Crest Way.


Did someone say Twitter?
During construction WSDOT will send real-time traffic conditions via Twitter. Passengers in carpools or vanpools can then help the driver choose the best route. Solo drivers also can receive the information, just not when they're driving. Remember, it is illegal in Washington state to use a handheld cell phone while driving.


If tweets make you twinge - no problem. We’re going to send real-time traffic conditions to your favorite news radio station around-the-clock. Feel free to tune in during your commute.



The work on westbound I-90 begins July 6 for two weeks. For more information, please visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I90/HomerHadleyBridgeRepair/.