Last updated 5/14/2012

I-5 on- and off-ramps at Mercer St. are now open
The I-5 on- and off-ramps at Mercer St. are now open following a weekend closure. During the closure, crews installed storm drainage infrastructure, continued electrical work to accommodate future lighting and signals and laid concrete and asphalt in preparation for the for new, widened on- and off-ramps at Mercer St.

Additional Fairview Ave. N Restrictions Postponed Until Summer/Fall 2012
SDOT is postponing the previously announced restrictions on Fairview Ave. N due to current reduced street capacity as part of Stage 2 of Mercer East. In lieu of beginning full-time restrictions on Fairview Ave. N, the contractor will close Fairview Ave. N on select weekends to perform necessary Stage 2 work needed to open Mercer St. to two-way traffic later this summer or early fall. Once two-way Mercer St. is open to traffic, access to Mercer St. from the south via Westlake, Terry, and Boren avenues will be re-opened and the contractor will begin implementing severe Fairview Ave. N restrictions. Postponing this work will result in improved alternate routing options during construction along Fairview Ave. N.

Mercer Stage 2 traffic switch complete
Stage 2 of Mercer East has begun and eastbound traffic on Mercer St. has been re-routed onto the new Mercer St. lanes north of the existing lanes. Three lanes of traffic are continuing eastbound on Mercer St. with access to the I-5 on-ramps and southbound Fairview Ave. N. 

• The far-right lane of eastbound Mercer St. is right-turn only at Dexter Ave. N.
• Access to Mercer St. from the south via Boren, Terry, and Westlake Avenues is concurrently closed at Republican St. 
• Right turns from Mercer St. onto Fairview Ave. N southbound are allowed; however, alternate routes should be used to reach Eastlake Ave. E and Capitol Hill (i.e. Dexter Ave. N to Republican St.) due to increased congestion on Mercer St.
• Left turns from Mercer St. onto Fairview Ave. N northbound are not being permitted during Stage 2.

Access to Northbound I-5 and SR 99 Detour Map
Access to Southbound I-5 and SR 99 Detour Map
Pedestrian Detour Map
Bicycle Detour Map

Mercer St. East of Fairview Ave. N Closure through Stage 2
Mercer St. will remain closed between Fairview Ave. N and Minor Ave. N, except to local access from Minor Ave. N until two-way traffic is opened on Mercer St. in the Fall of 2012. Due to the new northerly alignment of eastbound Mercer St. lanes, access to Mercer St. east of Fairview Ave. N cannot be provided. SDOT recommends that drivers headed to Capitol Hill use an alternate route during Stage 2, such as Republican St. to Eastlake Ave. N.

Seattle area construction closures and traffic impacts

Previous construction updates