CLOSURE ALERT: Highway 99 tunnel closing Friday night, and what’s happening while it’s closed

(Screenshot from Highway 99 traffic camera this afternoon)

Sent by WSDOT today – word of one of the Highway 99 downtown tunnel’s periodic maintenance closures, and info on the work that’ll be done:

Both directions of the State Route 99 tunnel in Seattle will close from 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, to 6 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, for maintenance.

The Washington State Department of Transportation will start closing northbound and southbound lanes at 9 p.m., with the tunnel fully closed by 10 p.m. Drivers going south on SR 99 will need to take the Harrison Street off-ramp, and northbound SR 99 drivers will need to take the Alaskan Way off-ramp. Also, the Sixth Avenue and Royal Brougham Way on-ramps will close at 9 p.m.

The closure will let crews do several important tasks, including:

-Cleaning drains.
-Lubing tunnel fans.
-Cleaning safety areas.
-Checking fire extinguishers.
-Testing data switches.
-Replacing coaxial cable connections.
-Troubleshooting dampers.
-Fixing lights.
-Repairing cameras.
-Fixing message signs.

People traveling through downtown Seattle Friday night should use alternate routes.

Kt December 3, 2024 (4:19 pm)

I love the tunnel. We use it all the time to head North and then jump on I-5 at 80th. Saves soooooo much time.

Clean graffiti December 3, 2024 (6:02 pm)

Can we get the graffiti clean/painted over too?

Skipalapondo December 3, 2024 (9:14 pm)

Cleaning graffiti ironically just provides fresh canvas to taggers. I like to joke to my friends that one of Seattle’s biggest direct contributions to the arts is the millions we spend painting over graffiti from the same spots over and over.
- Andrea December 3, 2024 (10:11 pm)
  
  Not with the graffiti proof paint they make now. I for one, am sick of seeing graffiti all over this city. There just is no reason for it! It makes the place look like a trash dump and civil behavior deteriorates in trashed out places. This city needs to invest in graffiti proof paint and make the perpetrators do the clean up. This city used to be a beautiful city.
  - Mark December 3, 2024 (11:38 pm)
    
    I wouldn’t hold my breath on WSDOT doing something as sensible as taking the opportunity to clean up the graffiti while the tunnel is closed. Let’s be honest, I-5 looks worse right now than it ever has. In addition to every retaining wall and on/off-ramp being tagged, there are large overhead directional signs that were vandalized years ago with zero action. The saddest thing is reading the response from WSDOT in the media where they lament that as soon as they paint over the graffiti, it gets tagged again. With that kind of rationale, why don’t we just stop picking up trash and cleaning our streets too? I mean, they’re going to get dirty again, so why bother, amirite? The whole organization is completely clueless.
    - SoLongDelridge December 4, 2024 (11:16 am)
      
      I-5 looks terrible because it is a disgusting car sewer. The graffiti is the only sign of life in that place.

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