City news in Mercer Island.

City posts FAQ for future I-90 access

Recent developments in the city of Mercer Island’s ongoing negotiations with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) have led to questions over future access for residents to new HOV lanes on the Interstate 90 floating bridge (known as the R8A project). As part of the conversion of the center roadway floating bridge to a light rail corridor, the express lanes between Mercer Island and Seattle will be permanently closed in mid-2017.

SOV access to the new HOV lanes for Mercer Island traffic was previously agreed to by the state, county and Sound Transit, but the federal government (Federal Highway Administration) recently objected to that agreement. The city responded with a letter sent Aug. 18.

Based on citizen input, the city posted a preliminary Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document on the R8A webpage. It can be found at www.mercergov.org/files/FAQ_on_R8A_16Aug2016.pdf.

For additional background, including historic agreements and other materials, visit the city’s R8A webpages. More information will be shared when it becomes available.

Save the date for next Chamber meeting, Sept. 8

Port Commissioner Courtney Gregoire is the featured speaker at the September Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

The Port of Seattle is now called the North Harbor and the Port of Tacoma is the South Harbor. The Northwest Seaport Alliance is more than just renaming the ports — it is the joint operations of the two ports. Join Chamber members for a presentation by Gregoire about the merger after one year, and ask questions about anything else related to the Port that you might like to know.

The luncheon is at noon on Sept. 8 at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center. For more information and to RSVP, call the Chamber office at 206-232-3404 or email info@mercerislandchamberofcommerce.org. Luncheon cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members and members without reservations.