This weekend, Interstate 90 detours return again with an eastbound closure, allowing the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to undertake light rail preparations inside the Mt Baker and Mercer Island tunnels.

Starting at 11 p.m. Friday, March 11, WSDOT will funnel eastbound traffic from Seattle to the center express lanes for construction purposes. This particular detour will end earlier than usual, at 5 a.m. Sunday, instead of Monday.

Click here for other scheduled closures.

Islanders can exit the eastbound express lanes at Island Crest Way or 77th Avenue Southeast. Drivers wishing to reach Bellevue from Mercer Island can enter the mainline eastbound I-90 roadway at Island Crest Way or East Mercer Way.

Several more weekend directional closures of I-90 are planned between now and mid-2017 while the state builds all-day bus and carpool lanes next to the regular lanes. This work will allow the center I-90 roadway to be dedicated to Sound Transit light rail construction, currently scheduled to begin in June 2017.