EVERETT — Commuters heading to Seattle and other points south of Everett should expect heavier-than-normal traffic along I-5 Tuesday morning.
China President Xi Jinping is arriving at Paine Field for a three-day visit to Washington and will be taken to the Westin hotel in downtown Seattle for meetings with local leaders.
Xi’s plane is expected to land at 9:30 a.m., but aside from that, which route his motorcade will take to Seattle and other locations in the region is unknown, said Harmony Weinberg, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation.
Security for the visit is being coordinated by the U.S. Secret Service, with support from local police.
On Wednesday, Xi is expected to tour the Boeing factory in Everett and to visit to Microsoft in Redmond. On Thursday, he flies from Paine Field to Washington, D.C.
The transportation department is urging drivers to plan ahead and leave early, or to stay home if they can.
“Most of all, don’t be surprised,” Weinberg said. “Be prepared for anything.”
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