MY EDMONDS NEWS Posted: May 22, 2021 24
With Memorial Day serving as the unofficial kick-off for summer travel, anyone hitting the roads during the holiday weekend should plan ahead and prepare for additional traffic – especially during peak travel times.
For those who are traveling, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) suggests consulting its Memorial Day weekend traffic volume charts to help determine best times to travel on key routes. Due to the closure of the U.S.-Canadian border to non-essential travel, there will not be travel charts for the border crossing. Travelers should also check ahead for any COVID-19 safety requirements at their destinations or stops along the way.
Expect occasional closures as SB Revive I-5 in Seattle starts this week mynorthwest.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mynorthwest.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Long backups on I-5 highlight traffic concerns as more drivers hit the roads
Overall, Puget Sound traffic is still running about 6% below pre-pandemic levels, but data shows the number of big delays are higher than they were in 2019. Author: Glenn Farley Updated: 8:50 PM PDT May 20, 2021
FIFE, Wash. A serious crash on Interstate 5 near Kent Thursday morning closed multiple lanes and caused hours of backups during the morning commute. The crash is highlighting the amount of delays on Puget Sound roadways as more people get behind the wheel post-pandemic.
Overall, Puget Sound traffic is still running about 6% below pre-pandemic levels. But data from the Washington State Department of Transportation s (WSDOT) Northwest Region shows the number of big delays, of 90 minutes or more, are about 15 cases higher than they were between the start of January through May 18, 2021, when compared to the same period baseline year of 2019.
‘Oh no, another one?’: Seattle driver one of several targeted with objects dropped from I-5 overpass
Rebar through the windshield of a Seattle driver. (KIRO 7)
Rachel Brophy said until a 5-foot iron rebar rod exploded through her windshield and plunged deep into her dashboard, causing her face to be cut by flying glass, her commute home from work using the ramps from Interstate 90 to merge onto Northbound Interstate 5 was just a forgettable part of her daily routine.
She could only tell a heavy object appeared to fall from the sky and slam right through her dashboard. “And then I saw the rebar drilled into my dashboard,” she said. “I couldn’t stop shaking.”
A serious crash closed multiple lanes of northbound Interstate 5 just south of State Route 516 in Kent Thursday morning. The rollover crash caused major backups and delays during the morning commute. According to Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson, a box truck hit a disabled vehicle that was on the side of the road just before 5:30 a.m. The vehicle that was hit rolled over and came to a stop in a ditch. A woman inside the disabled.