Traffic & Transit

That I-90 Closure Is Happening This Weekend

I-90 will be closed westbound for work related to the construction of a light rail line across Lake Washington.

MERCER ISLAND, WA - In case you forgot, I-90 westbound will be closed over the weekend for construction work.

The closures will happen overnight Saturday to Sunday (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.) and overnight Sunday into Monday (10:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.). The closure affects a stretch of I-90 between I-5 in Seattle and Island Crest Way on Mercer Island.

Why the closure? Construction crews will be performing "post-tensioning."

Find out what's happening in Mercer Islandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

"During the East Link design process, engineers determined through wind and wave analyses that the pontoons of the Homer M. Hadley Bridge are susceptible to damage during strong north wind events. Post-tensioning, a method of reinforcing concrete with high-strength tensioned steel strands, will enable the bridge to withstand stronger winds and higher waves, as well as strengthen it to carry light rail tracks and vehicles," Sound Transit wrote in a bulletin about this weekend's closure.

Find out more about the project from Sound Transit.

Find out what's happening in Mercer Islandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

File photo by Neal McNamara/Patch

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