Downtown traffic warnings for this weekend

shaneh — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 20:39:28 +0000

shaneh Fri, 12/06/2013 - 12:39pm

Holiday events and Mercer Corridor Project

Shane Harms

This weekend there is a deluge of activity happening downtown that will affect many routes.

SDOT released a traffic advisory report that lists all the events and closures, and advises motorists to be aware and anticipate traffic delays in the downtown area.

Here are a few that will be drawing crowds:

Friday, Dec. 6 the annual Great Figgy Pudding Street Corner Caroling Competition will take place at Westlake Plaza area in downtown Seattle and according to SDOT, draws at least 9,000 people. Also, Seattle Center is hosting Pearl Jam’s Nails Concert, which should pull 10,000 fans to the Key Arena. Moreover, the Northwest Ballet’s Nutcracker performances and the Urban Craft Uprising, as well as numerous Winterfest events will be happening at the Armory Stage and South Court of the Seattle Center.

Sunday Dec. 8, the Annual Jingle Bell Run and Walk for Arthritis will close I-5 Express Lanes and streets in downtown Seattle. The event starts and ends on Pine Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues and 12,000 participants will be in attendance. SDOT forecasted the event's two routes:

Kids route: Starts at Fifth Avenue and Pine Street; heads south on Fifth to Spring Street; makes a u-turn and goes north on Fifth to Pike Street; east on Pike to Sixth Avenue; north on Sixth to finish at Pine Street.

5K route: Starts at fifth Avenue and Pine Street; moves south on Fifth to the Columbia Street on-ramp to the I-5 Express Lanes; goes north on the Express Lanes to approximately Mercer Street; makes a u-turn and heads south on the Express Lanes; exits I-5 at Ninth and Pike Street; then north on Ninth to Pine Street; west on Pine to finish at Sixth Avenue.

On top of all the events, late Friday evening (midnight) the Mercer Corridor Project will close streets between I-5 and Aurora until early Monday morning. This includes, SR 99( between Valley Street and the southern end of the Battery Street Tunnel) and eastbound Mercer Street. Motorists traveling through Seattle on SR-99 will be redirected to I-5 at two points: 85th Street (North) and E Marginal Way and Spokane Street (South). More info is available at http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/mercercorridor.htm.

SDOT has provided a concise schedule/guide below:

Friday, December 6
Pacific Northwest Ballet –Nutcracker: 12 noon – 2 p.m.; 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
McCaw Hall, Seattle Center

2,000 attending in afternoon and 2,900 attending in evening
Expect heavier traffic than usual on Mercer Street as students arrive and depart.

27th Annual Great Figgy Pudding Street Corner Caroling Competition: 5:45 – 9 p.m.
Westlake Center Plaza and surrounding sidewalks
9,000 expected
Streets closed from 5:45 – 9 p.m.: Pine Street between Third and Seventh avenues, and Fifth Avenue between Olive Way and Pike Street.
Expect heavy traffic and pedestrian congestion in the area. http://www.pikemarketseniorcenter.org/figgy-pudding

Magnolia Village Winterfest: 6 – 9 p.m.
Magnolia Village
500 expected
Streets closed from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.: W McGraw Street between 34th Avenue W and 32nd Avenue W.
http://magnoliachamber.org/events/2013-12-06/

Pearl Jam Nails Concert: 7:30 – 10:30 p.m.
Key Arena, Seattle Center
12,000 attending
Expect heavy traffic on west side of the center grounds before and after the concert.

Saturday, December 7
Urban Craft Uprising: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Exhibition Hall, Seattle Center
4,000 attending
Expect heavier traffic on Mercer Street and Fifth Avenue adjacent to the center grounds.

Pacific Northwest Ballet –Nutcracker: 2 – 4 p.m.; 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
McCaw Hall, Seattle Center
2,900 attending each performance
Expect heavy traffic on Mercer Street before and after each show.

Sunday, December 8
Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis: Kids Run - 8 a.m.; 5K Run/Walk in waves - 8:20, 8:25, 8:35 a.m.
The staging area on Pine at Fifth Avenue will be closed from 5:30 – 11 a.m. The streets on the course will be closed from 7:30 – 11 a.m. The Express Lanes will close at 11 p.m. Saturday night and then will reopen by 11 a.m. Sunday to southbound traffic. http://seattlejinglebellrun.org/

Our Lady of the Americas (Guadalupe) Procession: 10:30 a.m. -
St Mary’s Church – 20th Avenue S and S Weller Street
960 participants
Procession will starts at 20th Avenue S and S Weller Street; moves north on 20th to E Fir Street; west on
-More-
Fir to 12th Avenue; north on 12th to E Cherry Street; west on Cherry to E James Street; west on James to
Ninth Avenue; north on Ninth to Columbia Street and the St. James Cathedral; Seattle Police will escort the procession.
Expect a rolling slow-down in traffic as the procession moves along.

Urban Craft Uprising: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Exhibition Hall, Seattle Center
4,000 attending
Expect heavier traffic on Mercer Street and Fifth Avenue adjacent to the center grounds.

Pacific Northwest Ballet –Nutcracker: 1 – 3 p.m.; 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
McCaw Hall, Seattle Center
2,900 attending each performance
Expect heavy traffic on Mercer Street before and after each show.

Great Figgy Pudding Street Corner Caroling Competition

Pearl Jam’s Nails Concert

Northwest Ballet’s Nutcracker

Winter fest

Jingle Bell Run and Walk for Arthritis

Our Lady of the Americas

All of Seatle

Ballard News Tribune