Mercer Street reopens to 2-way traffic for first time in 44 years
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SEATTLE - Mercer Street opened to two-lane traffic for the first time since 1968 at 9 p.m. Sunday, transportation officials confirmed.
It's expected to be a major step towards solving the decades-long "Mercer Mess" that has plagued the area near Interstate 5.
The new roadway will accommodate three lanes of westbound traffic that will travel straight off the I-5 off-ramps.
Eastbound Mercer Street will maintain three lanes onto the I-5 on-ramps, in addition to a left turn lane onto northbound Fairview Avenue North and travel across Fairview Avenue North that allows eastbound access to Eastlake and Capitol Hill.
Drivers told KOMO News they are happy this project is now halfway complete.
This begins the third of four construction stages on the Mercer project. The third stage is expected to last through early 2013.
Traffic restrictions will be in effect during State 3, including the following:
• One northbound travel lane on Fairview Ave. N between Harrison and Valley streets
• No access to Fairview Ave. N via Republican St. and no southbound access at the I-5 off-ramps at Mercer St.
• One southbound lane on Fairview Ave. N from Aloha St. that connects to westbound Valley St.
• Valley St. closed to eastbound traffic east of Terry Ave. N
• Access maintained to Lake Union Park and businesses in Chandler’s Cove
Work to be completed during the third stage of construction includes undergrounding of electrical distribution, transmission and communication lines; replacement or relocation of water, sewer, and storm drainage systems; relocation of gas lines; widening Fairview Ave. N between Republican St. and Valley St.; and the installation of new pavement, sidewalks, signals, lighting, signage, intelligent transportation systems, landscaping and urban design features.
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For more information about the Mercer Street construction project, visit the Seattle DOT website »
It's expected to be a major step towards solving the decades-long "Mercer Mess" that has plagued the area near Interstate 5.
The new roadway will accommodate three lanes of westbound traffic that will travel straight off the I-5 off-ramps.
Eastbound Mercer Street will maintain three lanes onto the I-5 on-ramps, in addition to a left turn lane onto northbound Fairview Avenue North and travel across Fairview Avenue North that allows eastbound access to Eastlake and Capitol Hill.
Drivers told KOMO News they are happy this project is now halfway complete.
This begins the third of four construction stages on the Mercer project. The third stage is expected to last through early 2013.
Traffic restrictions will be in effect during State 3, including the following:
• One northbound travel lane on Fairview Ave. N between Harrison and Valley streets
• No access to Fairview Ave. N via Republican St. and no southbound access at the I-5 off-ramps at Mercer St.
• One southbound lane on Fairview Ave. N from Aloha St. that connects to westbound Valley St.
• Valley St. closed to eastbound traffic east of Terry Ave. N
• Access maintained to Lake Union Park and businesses in Chandler’s Cove
Work to be completed during the third stage of construction includes undergrounding of electrical distribution, transmission and communication lines; replacement or relocation of water, sewer, and storm drainage systems; relocation of gas lines; widening Fairview Ave. N between Republican St. and Valley St.; and the installation of new pavement, sidewalks, signals, lighting, signage, intelligent transportation systems, landscaping and urban design features.
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For more information about the Mercer Street construction project, visit the Seattle DOT website »
I feel sorry for all the commuters from I-5 who turned right at Fairview. Did you enjoy your tour of Fred Hutchinson? Hope you tourists figure out how to get back to Seattle Center now that you're on Eastlake.
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Don't take a right at Fairview unless you are going to those businesses over there, or know where you're going. Go straight. You're welcome.
Mercer maybe fixed but now Dexter and Westlake are backed up for miles this morning. As Hardy would say to Laurel "This is another fine mess you've gotten us into!"
Hey commenters,
The Mercer project is NOT a WSDOT project. It is an SDOT project. A little confusion is not uncommon when there's new construction and drivers have to do something new. It takes about two weeks to get back to normal. Please help other drivers out and know how to navigate the ramps when you use them.
Remember:
No left on Fairview.
Get to Valley and Westlake by going straight.
More changes to come so go to SDOT's web site.
Thanks,
WSDOT Jamie
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The Mercer mess is now fixed. All the traffic backs up onto I-5. Nothing like Seattle and Washington state spending lots of money to make a street look "beautiful" but not help the traffic nightmare.
 @hi61izq It's almost like the design was to appeal to developers who own huge blocks of land in that area, and not to solve the traffic issues at all. Oh, wait...
Maybe we could all work for WA DOT......... You gotta admit they have job security.
so wa dot is at it again 168 million on a mess that will b a mess this is after the 405 mess improvement mess and the 520 tolling mess next up the 99 tunnel improvement mess so instead of calling it wa dot lets call it mess dot
Your punctuation is absolutely terrible and just made me that much more stupid reading your comment.
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@ulquiorra Mr Cynic, no there was not
To the folks who will benefit from this, I hope it makes all your commutes easier!
And 44 years from now (or less) we will be fixing the tunnel fiasco we have been force fed against our will and our votes. An expensive calamity that will consist of only four underground north and south lanes compared to taday's eight above ground lanes. Now there is intelligent thinking at work! Fire the mayor, fire the city council, and lien their personal property to herlp pay for this fiasco! Â
Going to/ from Fremont has been a nightmare with the construction. I can hardly wait for this insanity t come to an end.
In Seattle every problem is talked about/argued about for decades before anything is actually undertaken.Â
It took 44 years to fix that problem? WOW! WDOT is REALLY behind schedule </sarcasm>