I-90 tunnel lanes closed Friday, Saturday nights for fire testing

By REPORTER STAFF
Mercer Island Reporter Staff
April 19, 2012 · 9:43 AM

The Washington State Department of Transportation is alerting drivers that on Friday and Saturday night this weekend several lanes of the eastbound Interstate 90 will be closed.

Drivers heading to the Island from Seattle after 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday will be diverted onto the I-90 express lanes, starting west of the Mount Baker Tunnel. Lanes will reopen at 7 a.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. on Sunday.

WSDOT is closing the lanes to test a new technology for improved fire detection and repines within the tunnels. Technicians will set small, controlled fires in the tunnels to test the new system.

The fires should not be visible to traffic, but smoke may be seen through ventilation shafts during the testing.

To learn more, visit the WSDOT website.

Contact Mercer Island Reporter Staff Reporter Staff at editor@mi-reporter.com.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.