Q: I have a question regarding the southbound I-5 express lanes beginning at Northgate in Seattle: Why aren’t they open southbound on weekends for traffic heading into Seattle?
The main line backs up at Northgate and struggles to move into downtown yet you see these wide-open express lanes going north with little traffic. With all that’s happening in Seattle every weekend, you would think this would better handle the flow of traffic.
Pat Stockman, Lynnwood
A: Matt Beaulieu, Northwest Region Freeway Operations with the state department of transportation, said the question is a common one and is not limited to users from the north end.
"Similar to weekday operation, we run the I-5 express lanes southbound in the morning and northbound in the afternoon on weekends," Beaulieu said. "The trouble arises because the congestion relief they provide is needed in both the northbound and southbound directions."
Travelers heading south when the express lanes are northbound see extensive backups from Northgate and see free-flowing traffic headed out of the city, he said.
"Travelers heading north when the express lanes are southbound see extensive backups from Boeing field and see free-flowing traffic headed south," he said. "In short, one direction or the other is going to be congested.
"We’ve modeled our weekend operations on the weekday schedule to provide consistency and help people plan their trips. The operation southbound in the morning provides access to Seattle’s business core and delays the onset of southbound congestion. We then reverse the express lanes to provide congestion relief for northbound traffic entering or leaving the city, as northbound I-5 necks down to two lanes at the convention center."
Have a question about traffic or street rules around Snohomish and Island counties? We can help find an answer. Send questions by fax to 425-339-3435; e-mail to newstips@heraldnet.com; or address to Street Smarts, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA, 98206. Include your name and phone number.
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