News briefs | Next WB I-90 closure is May 15

Published 1:53 pm Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Next WB I-90 closure is May 15

The third of 30 directional I-90 closures happened over the weekend of April 17-19, complicating the Bellevue-Mercer Island commute.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) made some changes for this closure, channeling Mercer Island traffic to the right-most lanes and toward the East Mercer Way exit.

The next westbound closure will be May 15-18, but there will be an eastbound closure before then, on May 1-4.

After those two, there will be no more closures until October.

Go to http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I90/TwoWayTransit/weekendclosures.htm for more.

The I-90 project will add bus and carpool lanes next to the regular lanes, so the center roadway can be dedicated to Sound Transit light rail construction in 2017.

New South-end Fire station to open in July

Fire Station 92 will have its official opening ceremony the weekend after Summer Celebration!

The construction of the new station has been delayed due to issues with the contractor and the roof.

The old structure was deemed “seismically unsound,” so Mercer Island voters approved a bond for its replacement.

The project is still on budget due to legal damages the city may be entitled to, according to city staff. It is expected to be operational soon, though inspectors will need to use infrared technology to determine whether the structure of the roof is satisfactory.

Fewer in state die from house fires

The 2014 Washington State Fire Fatality Report is now available on the web at www.wsp.wa.gov/fire/firemars.htm.

Considering 89 percent of fire fatalities occurred in residential occupancies last year, knowing how to protect yourself in the event of a house fire can save your life.

“In as little as two minutes, a fire can become life-threatening. We want to raise awareness about the dangers and frequency of home fire deaths.  How we and our communities fare in a fire emergency depends heavily on the planning and preparation that we put into practice,” says State Fire Marshal Chuck Duffy.

For the third consecutive year, Washington State has continued to see a decrease in fire-related fatalities, with a total of 45 fatalities reported in 2014. Fire-related fatality figures in 2013 were 54 and in 2012 were 63.

To learn how you can prevent home fires, visit the U.S. Fire Administration website at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/index.html.