The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) reminds travelers of the May 11-14 full weekend closure of the I-5 on- and off-ramps at Mercer Street as part of the Mercer Corridor Project.

The closure is scheduled to begin Friday at 11:00 p.m. and end Monday at 5:00 a.m. During the closure, crews will be installing storm drainage infrastructure, completing electrical work to accommodate future lighting and signals, and laying concrete and asphalt in preparation for the widened on- and off-ramps at Mercer Street. This work is dependent on weather and the availability of materials, and is subject to cancelation.

On May 10-11, crews will conduct preliminary work including pavement saw cutting and demolition on Fairview Avenue N and Mercer Street in preparation for the weekend closure. In order to accommodate this work prior to noise-restricted hours, the following traffic restrictions will be implemented:

• Southbound Fairview Avenue N will be closed between Mercer Street and Republican Street from 7:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on May 10 and from 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on May 11. This closure will restrict southbound Fairview Avenue N access from the I-5 off-ramps at Mercer Street. All traffic using the I-5 off-ramps at Mercer Street will be directed north via Valley Street.
• Mercer Street will have two lanes closed between Terry Avenue N and Fairview Avenue N from 7:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on May 10 and from 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on May 11. One lane of traffic will remain open.

Please note that all South Lake Union businesses will remain open and be accessible via alternative routes. 

Detour route maps are available on the project website at: www.seattle.gov/Transportation/ppmp_mercer.htm. Detour routes shown will be signed on roadways and may be heavily used, particularly Denny Way both eastbound and westbound.

During the ramps closure, the I-5 on-ramp at University Street will be concurrently closed to provide more efficient traffic flow around the closed Mercer Street exit lane. Fairview Avenue N will also be closed between Mercer Street and Valley Street, and Mercer Street will be closed to through traffic between Westlake Avenue N and Fairview Avenue N.

Travelers are encouraged to carpool and use alternate modes of transportation. Transit information can be found at:

• King County Metro at www.kingcounty.gov/metro or by calling 206-553-3000
• Sound Transit at www.soundtransit.org
• Seattle Streetcar at http://www.seattlestreetcar.org
• Community Transit at www.commtrans.org

More information on the Mercer Corridor Project is available at: www.seattle.gov/Transportation/ppmp_mercer.htm.