Construction work on State Route 99 is on schedule and nearing completion, but drivers will need to plan ahead to avoid the congestion experienced during Monday evening’s commute. With SR 99 closed between the Battery Street Tunnel and Valley Street and an evening Mariners game, WSDOT and SDOT traffic engineers expect another afternoon of heavy traffic.

On Monday, travel times on Interstate 5 from Lynwood to Seattle reached 82 minutes between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., 25 minutes longer than usual. The commute on city streets was also difficult, especially near the closure area in South Lake Union. WSDOT strongly encourages drivers to pay attention to current traffic conditions before hitting the road, use WSDOT’s travel tools and SDOT’s travelers information page, leave the city early or stay late, or avoid the roads if possible. Metro bus commuters should prepare for potentially significant afternoon delays and check Metro’s website for traffic conditions before heading to the bus stop.

SR 99 between the Battery Street Tunnel and Valley Street is expected to reopen at 5 a.m. Wednesday.