Traffic Payout

As crews work to replace deteriorating concrete panels  on eastbound I-90, traffic will be detoured around the workzone.

By guest blogger Meagan McFadden

Spring is in the air and summer is right around the corner. It’s time to start dusting off the camping, hiking, or boating equipment and switch gears from winter to summer travel – and construction is back on I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass.

Early this month, crews resumed work on a $19.3 million project to replace deteriorating sections of concrete roadway and asphalt shoulders in both directions of I-90 between Easton and Cle Elum. During construction drivers can expect daytime lane restrictions before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. To reduce delays for summer travelers, crews will only close lanes at night from June to early September. Work should be complete this fall.

Starting later this spring, crews will also resume work on the $551 million project that builds a wider and more reliable stretch of I-90 from Hyak to Keechelus Dam. As part of this five-mile project, crews will continue rock blasting along the slopes east of Snoqualmie Pass. Drivers should plan for hour-long closures that will start an hour before sunset. Ultimately, the work will allow crews to widen the highway from four to six lanes. This project is funded by the 2005 gas tax and will be complete in 2017.

Over the next six years, crews will build a new six-lane highway, replace the snowshed just east of Snoqualmie Pass with a new structure to reduce avalanche closures, replace and add bridges and culverts, stabilize rock slopes, and extend chain-up/off areas.

Now that you have an idea of what to expect this spring and summer, make sure to utilize our communications tools to help you plan ahead to avoid delays:

• Visit the Snoqualimie Mountain Pass Web Page to view the traffic-flow map for real-time travel information.
• Check the What’s Happening on I-90 Web page or Traffic Web page for region-wide updates.
• Tune into the Highway Advisory Radio at 1610 AM and 530 AM while on the road.
• Follow WSDOT on Twitter @SnoqualmiePass.
• Add the WSDOT app to your smartphone.