Just received two traffic alerts – one involving downtown effects of tomorrow’s Seattle visit by President Obama (who made big news today by saying he supports marriage equality), another an update on the Beach Drive road repairs reported here yesterday – read on for both (2:02 PM UPDATE – Metro has changed some of its info – so we’ve updated too):
PRESIDENTIAL VISIT: President Obama will be in Seattle (flying into and out of Boeing Field) for much of the day on Thursday, including a downtown stop, and that means increased security, as announced by Metro (note a downtown road closure is mentioned too) **note, this is the text of a revised announcement received AFTER the original one we published**:
Thursday’s presidential visit will affect bus service
Convention Place Station in downtown transit tunnel will be closed to pedestrians
President Barack Obama will visit Seattle on Thursday, May 10, and increased security in the downtown area will affect bus service for both King County Metro Transit and Sound Transit.
From about 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Convention Place Station (CPS) in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel will be closed to all pedestrian access. Buses will continue to travel through CPS, but will not stop there. No passengers will be allowed to board or exit buses in the station, or access the tunnel from the CPS entrance at 9th Avenue and Pine Street.
During this time please board or exit all tunnel buses at the other four tunnel stations, or at their regularly posted surface street stops before they enter or after they leave CPS. Sound Transit Link light rail service is expected to operate normally in the tunnel during this time.
Additionally, from about 9 a.m. to about 4 p.m. on Thursday, Pine Street will be closed west of I-5. During this closure there will be no bus service on Pine Street between I-5 and 3rd Avenue.
Because of street closures and traffic congestion, bus passengers should expect delays throughout the day on Thursday. This could affect bus service in other parts of the county as well. Please allow extra travel time on Thursday and to be prepared for traffic conditions to change..
BEACH DRIVE ROAD REPAIRS: We reported on Tuesday that SDOT is fixing the rutted road surface south of the disputed slide zone, which is NOT part of the project, as it remains the subject of lawsuits and is going to mediation. Today, SDOT sent a news release with more details on the repair work set for next week:
A portion of Beach Drive SW will get much-needed repairs next week, weather permitting. SDOT crews will resurface a segment about 800 feet long in the blocks with addresses from 6200 to 6600.
Tomorrow, May 10, a contractor will prune overhanging trees in this area to provide adequate space for equipment to operate and to meet the city’s clearance requirement.
The paving crews plan to work from May 15 to May 18, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. They will grind off the old surface and lay new asphalt from curb to curb.
One lane will remain open for each direction of traffic and a Police Officer will assist drivers through the area.
This work is a part of SDOT’s annual paving program and is funded by the Bridging the Gap transportation initiative approved by Seattle voters.
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