The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has announced a weekend-long closure of the Snoqualmie Parkway/SR 18 on-ramp to westbound Interstate 90. Starting from 9 pm tomorrow, until 5 am on Monday, Oct. 6, the ramp will be shut down to traffic, potentially causing significant delays for drivers in the area. According to an update from the City of Snoqualmie, motorists are advised to allot extra time for their travels over the weekend.
The closure is part of the ongoing I-90/SR 18 Interchange Improvements project, aimed to better the flow of traffic and enhance safety on the critical interchange. During the closure, crews will be working to grind and grade the ramp. They will also finish to install permanent ramp metering, in addition to the installation of guardrail improvements, the replacement of temporary barriers with lasting structures, and soil sampling efforts. Because the work does not include paving or striping, weather conditions are less likely to affect the schedule.
For those needing to travel westbound, a signed detour will be in place to guide Snoqualmie residents via eastbound I-90, looping around at SE North Bend Way (exit 27). SR 202 is also available for accessing the westbound I-90 on-ramps at Preston (exit 22) or SE North Bend Way. Additionally, installations of guardrail and landscaping will also result in the nightly closure of the same on-ramp to eastbound I-90, from 9 pm to 5 am starting yesterday up until Friday morning, Oct. 3. The prescribed detour for these nightly shutdowns will involve a loop around at Preston-Fall City (exit 22), as detailed by the city's release.
Further work on SR 18 involves widening the road to two lanes each direction between I-90 and Deep Creek, which is expected to be completed later this autumn. To stay informed with real-time travel situations, WSDOT encourages drivers to use resources such as the WSDOT mobile app, the WSDOT Travel Center Map, or sign up for WSDOT's email updates to keep abreast of the latest traffic conditions.
