Crews will close lanes on eastbound US 2

Drivers can look forward to more congestion relief across the eastbound US 2 trestle by Monday, April 6, if the weather cooperates this weekend.

Crews will close lanes on eastbound US 2 between I-5 and SR 204 on Saturday and Sunday, April 4-5, to install new signs and striping. On Monday afternoon, WSDOT will open the right shoulder of the eastbound trestle to traffic.

Opening the shoulder to drivers during the afternoon commute will provide additional capacity when its most needed, said Mark Leth, WSDOT regional traffic engineer. Drivers will see benefits not only on the trestle but also on I-5 through Everett.

Once crews complete the work, the right shoulder will be open to traffic from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. The shoulder will provide a third lane for drivers and will help improve traffic flow across the trestle. Currently, drivers coming from northbound I-5 must merge with equally heavy traffic as they move on to the trestle. The congestion leads to backups on the west end of the trestle and on I-5.

But drivers will see one more weekend of potential traffic delays while crews finish this project. Crews will reduce eastbound US 2 to one lane between I-5 and SR 204 from 6 a.m. to noon on Saturday and Sunday. Drivers should choose alternate routes or expect short delays. Crews will also close the exit to Homeacres Road during those hours. Drivers exiting to Homeacres Road will follow a signed detour around the closure.

This work is weather dependent. If crews are unable to complete the work this weekend they will reschedule for the following weekend. Drivers will not be able to use the shoulder until all of the work is completed.

About 28,000 vehicles travel the eastbound trestle each day. During the afternoon commute, up to 3,900 vehicles cross the trestle each hour. When traffic is moving freely, drivers can travel from the 41^st on-ramp across the trestle in four to six minutes. During the afternoon rush hour, the same trip can take up to 18 minutes under current conditions.

This is a chance for us to provide significant benefits with a relatively low-cost fix, said Leth. With traffic flowing more smoothly, we also expect to see fewer congestion-related rear-end and sideswipe collisions.

The improvements are expected to cost about $100,000 and are funded by WSDOTs low cost enhancement budget. This work is part of our Moving Washington strategy to reduce traffic congestion in our state. Opening the shoulder to traffic during the afternoon commute will help improve traffic flow by making the trestle operate more efficiently. For more information on Moving Washington, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/movingwashington.

For more information, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/US2/TrafficManagement/.