South Puget Drive in Renton to close early Saturday as part of I-405 project

By Dean Radford • September 23, 2010 8:01 pm

South Puget Drive will close early Saturday morning for paving, part of the state project to widen I-405 and add a freeway offramp and onramp at Talbot Road.

The closure is weather dependent.

The state Department of Transportation will close Puget Drive at 6 a.m. Saturday and reopen just after midnight on Sunday morning. Those times could shift somewhat, said Steve Peer, a spokesman for the state transportation department.

The Puget Drive closure will occur between Talbot Road and Benson Road. The state will pave part of Puget Drive as part of the Talbot Road widening.

The state has been paving Talbot Road for several days, causing slow traffic through the area. Work on Benson Road near Renton City Hall also continues to require lane closures, slowing traffic.

Lane closures are necessary because crews need to move construction equipment in and out of the construction zones, according to the transportation department.

The state suggests motorists should plan for extra travel time through these areas.

The major part of work on Benson Road was completed with the removal of the old Benson freeway overpass and the opening of the new one. Now, the state is installing curbs, gutters, sidewalks and retaining walls near the road. Finally, the state will do a final paving and stripe the roadway.

The state is estimating that much of the Stage 2 I-405 project will be finished by year’s end. That schedule is dependent on the weather, too.

Other I-405 construction impacts:

• Sunday, Sept. 26 – The offramp from southbound I-405 to northbound SR 167 will be closed from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

• Monday, Sept. 27 – the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 29 – The offramp from southbound I-405 to northbound SR 167 will be closed from 11 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.

• Monday, Sept. 27 – the morning of Friday, Oct. 1 – Up to two lanes of northbound I-405 from SR 167 to SR 169 will close nightly from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. for construction.

• Monday, Sept. 27 – the morning of Friday, Oct. 1 – Up to two lanes of southbound I-405 from SR 169 to SR 167 will close nightly from 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. for construction.

• Tuesday, Sept. 28 and Wednesday, Sept. 29 – A rolling slowdown will be conducted on southbound I-405 between SR 169 and SR 167 for approximately 15 minutes between 12:01 a.m. and 4 a.m.