Forum Discussion

Paul_Clancy's avatar
Paul_Clancy
Explorer
Jul 08, 2013

I5 seattle alternate help

Hi Folks,
We recently towed our 34 foot 5ver through Seattle I5 north to south headed to Oregon and hit the express lane approx 10 am saturday and it was a breeze, no backup at all. Coming back a week later on a saturday I tried to hit the express lane just after noon , BIG MISTAKE - not open south to north untill 1:45pm (what??) and encountered huge backups near seatac and all the way past Seattle and very scarry traffic. We will be making essentially the same trip in a month and are hoping for some advice to avoid a repeat. Waiting untill the south north express lanes open at 1:45 is an option but puts us way behind. Wondering if the i405 might be better south to north from Tukwilla 11 am saturday to Lynnwood or am I dreaming? Many thanks and safe Journeys,

Paul
Roads and Routes
  • donn0128's avatar
    donn0128
    Explorer II
    Jul 08, 2013
    405 in my experiences is just as bad. At least on I5 you have a chance of getting through traffic. The only saving grace for 405 is it is a bit amoother through south Seattle. Used to teavel this route quite often. Wirat was one Friday left an hour north of Seattly at 1:30 and is not get to Portland until 9:30. 10-15 MPH for a hundred miles does that to you.
  • paulj's avatar
    paulj
    Explorer II
    Jul 08, 2013
    http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Northwest/King/ExpressLanes/Weekend.htm

    This is study that WSDOT did several years ago into Saturday congestion on I5, and the effect of a later change of the express lane direction. Lots of graphs on traffic volumes through out the day.

    Apart from the fact that afternoon traffic is heavier than morning, I wonder if there was some event that affected your north bound trip, such as construction or ball game. The fact that there were backups as far south as Seatac and north as Lynnwood suggest that more than the express lane direction was involved.

    Look around the WSDOT site. There may be other information on historic travel times. Google Maps also presents travel time estimates, though I don't know if it makes a distinction between weekday and weekend.
  • Pauljdav's avatar
    Pauljdav
    Explorer
    Jul 08, 2013
    I always check the traffic on the WSDOT ap to determine which way to go. This is the best way to determine 5 or 405.

    Paul
  • Islandman's avatar
    Islandman
    Explorer
    Jul 08, 2013
    Listen to your radio for traffic info on I-5 when you come back through the Seattle area; KOMO at AM 1000. Also recommend that you stay on I-5 and use the express lanes northbound if they're open. I-405 can be worse especially in the Renton/Tukwila area and Kirkland area isn't too great either. Suggest that you contact WSDOT to see when the express lanes open for northbound as they are the best way to get through Seattle.
  • grandpalarry's avatar
    grandpalarry
    Explorer
    Jul 08, 2013
    We go through Seattle quite abit, or should I say we go around Seattle, I-5 is pretty much a mess all day, and right now there is so much construction around the 520, it really gets nasty, the surface of I-5 from the Dome north and south it will shake the fillings out of your teeth.
    We much prefer the I-405 it's newer and hasen't fallen apart yet, great and fast ride.
  • paulj's avatar
    paulj
    Explorer II
    Jul 08, 2013
    grandpalarry wrote:
    ... the surface of I-5 from the Dome north and south it will shake the fillings out of your teeth.....


    Dome? Tacoma Dome or the defunct King?
  • jamesu's avatar
    jamesu
    Explorer
    Jul 08, 2013
    Best time to go through Seattle on I-5 is in the middle of the night. It's getting to be a******shoot any other time - sometimes it's okay, sometimes it's very bad. Often there is no rhyme or reason, so I avoid Seattle now. Same on the east side (I-405). If you have 2 or more in your vehicle then use the "diamond" lane.

    Suggestion: check the Mariner schedule if heading up or down I-5. If there's a game at Safeco stay away from I-5. Especially this weekend: the Red Sox are in town.

    I used to give cogent advice about alternate routes, but not anymore. Too many people, too much traffic, the same amount of roads, and plenty of construction.

    Good luck.
  • MaverickBBD's avatar
    MaverickBBD
    Explorer
    Jul 10, 2013
    If it is a weekend we take exit 127 off I 5 and take 512 to Puyallup and then 167 north to I 405 then north. It seems to slow around the "S" curves and I 90 merge. Then we brace for Bellevue and hope for the best. On a weekday straight through I 5 only between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. window. Have been doing for years until we went full time two years ago. Now we do not go north of Olympia with our rig on 5.

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