Seattle weekend traffic: More SR 99 closures

Another weekend, another whole list of things that could disrupt getting around—like State Route 99 viaduct closures in both directions!

We’ve combed through the alerts and advisories from both the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to deliver transit-friendly solutions for your weekend outings.

Some of this weekend’s advisories—and transit-oriented alternate routes to events—are listed below.

Weekend events: The Home Show and fundraiser walks

Friday through Sunday, the Seattle Home Show is at Centurylink Field Event Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Link Light Rail goes there (get off at the stadium or ID stop) or one of a myriad bus routes.

Saturday, we have a couple of fundraising walks: Making Strides of Seattle, which raises money for breast cancer research through the American Cancer Society, is a three-mile walk starting and finishing at Gas Works Park—so be extra careful around that area and on the Burke-Gilman. That runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Meanwhile, the A21 Walk for Freedom aims to bring awareness around human trafficking and goes from First and Clay to First and Pike and back between 10:45 and 12:30 p.m.

There’s a big post-Burning Man party at Seattle Design Center on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. The 131 and 132 go about there.

Sports: UW Homecoming

Saturday, the Washington Huskies play the Colorado Buffalos at Husky Stadium. Homecoming game at Husky Stadium. Take Link Light Rail straight there, or ride Metro routes 44, 45, 71, or 73. Metro also offers game day shuttles from the ‘burbs.

Road work and bus service changes

Once again, we’re dealing with a State Route 99 closure—and this time it’s in both directions from Spokane Street to the Battery Street Tunnel for its last regular safety inspection! Think of it as a test run for the three weeks of apocalyptic traffic coming up in January.

Southbound SR 99 will be completely closed all weekend from 9 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday, while northbound SR 99 will just be closed Saturday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Second Avenue will be reduced to one lane between Pike and Pine for work on the State Hotel. The bike lane will stay open. Meanwhile, eastbound Pike Street will be totally closed between First and Second Friday through Sunday for the same project.

The 31, 32, 44, 45, 48, 65, 67, 71, and 75 all get rerouted on Husky game days—which includes this Saturday’s game. And we have construction reroutes a-plenty this weekend:

• If you take the ferries, there’s a little wrench in the works this weekend: Saturday and Sunday, ferries to Bainbridge Island and Bremerton are sharing one slip at Colman Dock to make room for a massive barge that will help with dock construction. Both routes are on a temporary weekend schedule. Show up early.
• Thanks to the Viaduct closure, the 120, 125, and C Line are all getting rerouted, missing their Third and Seneca stop northbound (but no stops southbound). Plan for delays in both directions regardless.
• Friday from 9 a.m. until the end of service, the 29 is skipping a stop in both directions at Nickerson and Emerson.
• Friday through Sunday, the 31 is missing its Nickerson and Emerson stop eastbound.
• Also Friday through Sunday, the 32 is getting rerouted around 15th and Ruffner, but not missing any stops.
• The eastbound route 2 is missing its 11th and Madison stop Saturday and Sunday, but there’s a temporary stop at 10th.
• Buses that stop at Bay 2 of the Mount Baker Transit Center—the 8, 48, and Trailhead Direct shuttle—will be rerouted to temporary stops around the transit center Friday through Sunday (in the case of Trailhead Direct, that’s Saturday and Sunday, since it doesn’t operate on Fridays).
• The 62 is missing a couple of stops around 65th and Sand Point in both directions all day Saturday and Sunday.
• The 70 is also missing stops in both directions on Saturday and Sundayaround the Denny and Fairview area.
• The 71 is missing three stops southbound around 55th Avenue NE all day Saturday.

Note: We put immediate and new closures in this section, but not every single planned street closure appears here. Explore all 94 active SDOT projects, many of which involve street and lane closures, here, and the city’s construction lookahead. Here are Sound Transit rider alerts; here are King County Metro rider alerts.