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Earthquake Closes Washington Highways

(1:15 p.m. CST) The Washington State Transportation Department has updated the latest road closure information due to Wednesday's earthquake.

by Staff
March 2, 2001
2 min to read


(1:15 p.m. CST) The Washington State Transportation Department has updated the latest road closure information due to Wednesday's earthquake.

The on-ramp from 4th Ave. South in downtown Seattle to eastbound Interstate 90 and north- and southbound Interstate 5 is closed to all traffic. Because of a damaged area approximately 60 to 80 feet above ground, the westbound exit to 4th Avenue South, which is aligned under the eastbound ramp, is reduced to one lane to keep westbound traffic away from the damaged area. Bridge engineers estimate that the eastbound ramp will remain closed for at least a few more days to provide time to design and execute a temporary fix. Motorists traveling on eastbound I-90 may prefer to take Rainier Avenue South to access downtown Seattle.
State Route 202 (Fall City-Snoqualmie Road) is closed to all north- and southbound traffic between SE Fish Hatchery Road and Snoqualmie Falls. Inspectors found extensive damage to a 1,000-foot section of roadway near the falls that includes a longitudinal crack in the center of the road that extends over 900 feet. In addition, the roadway shoulder separated from the lane adjacent to the Snoqualmie River and fell away approximately 6 inches. This area was already under close scrutiny by maintenance crews because of an ongoing landslide slowly encroaching on the roadway. Current estimates are that the road will be closed to all traffic for up to 12 months or longer.
SR 302 is closed to traffic in Mason County, due to a landslide. Access will be provided for local traffic only.
For State Route 509/State Route 99 First Ave., damage was found on both the northbound and southbound spans of the 1st Avenue South bridge spanning the Duwamish Waterway in south Seattle. Although they are currently open to vehicle traffic, night closures of SR 509 across both northbound and southbound bridge structures will occur over an upcoming weekend. Sometime within the next three months, more extensive lane closures will occur to repair the northbound structure.
The Fourth Avenue Bridge in Olympia remains closed.
For updated reports, call 206-DOT-HIWY (206-368-4499) or toll-free statewide: 1-800-695-ROAD (1-800-695-7623).

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