This is SDOT’s hilariously small detour map, perhaps trying to mask the miles involved.
This is a different viaduct, but its repair is also going to cause significant traffic disruption. The North 45th Street Viaduct is a bridge extending east of the University of Washington, down the hill to the University Village. It’s a major thoroughfare, giving communities to the east I-5 access, and of course channeling shoppers right to the U Village.
SDOT is closing the bridge entirely from June 14 (after UW commencement) to September 10. They’ll be working as fast as possible, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and perhaps later, because they need to get this project done before the 15th Avenue NE repaving project, running from Pacific Avenue NE to NE 55th Street, starts up in 2011. (15th Avenue NE is a major element in the Viaduct detour plan.)
Constructed in 1938, the Viaduct carries over 20,000 cars each day, on average. SDOT has determined that the 468-foot west approach has reached the end of its safe lifespan (the east approach has already been retrofitted). They’re replacing the wooden timbers with a different support to make the bridge significantly stronger, but otherwise, the $30-million repair won’t change the current traffic flow: two westbound lanes, one eastbound lane, a pedestrian walkway.
SDOT’s FAQ (updated last in March) says traffic will be detoured to Pacific Avenue to the south and 65th to the north (see map). There is no easy way around this: “SDOT is still considering how to direct regional traffic on Interstate‐5 trying to reach specific destinations such as Seattle Children’s Hospital, the University of Washington, or University Village.” Metro’s bus #25 and Seattle Children’s Hospital and UWMC shuttles will have to be rerouted. As of March, SDOT did not anticipate any closures to the Burke-Gilman Trail.
There is only one thing to say about the detour routes: Yikes! The south detour especially, taking Pacific to Montlake (or vice versa) will take years off your life during commute times. Essentially, just one more reason why I don’t travel north of the Montlake Cut. My condolences if you live there.