The Mercer Corridor Project met a major milestone on Sunday, January 29th as the “Mercer Switch” began and eastbound traffic on Mercer Street shifted to the new lanes north of the existing lanes. The old Mercer Street has now been shut down and the project team is working diligently to replace ageing utilities and rebuild the old roadway in preparation for two-way Mercer Street in late 2012.
The first car to drive on the new Mercer Street!
As drivers adjust to the new look of Mercer Street, the project team is onsite monitoring traffic flow and adjusting signal timing as needed. Pedestrians and bicyclists are encouraged to stay safe and follow the signed detour routes through the project area. To help with this, crews are installing fencing around pedestrian detours and are re-painting crosswalks. Detour maps for pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles can be found at: www.seattle.gov/transportation/ppmp_mercer.htm.
Mercer Street at Fairview Ave. N
SDOT encourages travelers to use alternate routes during Stage 2 of Mercer East to avoid backups–Dexter Avenue N, 9th Avenue N and 8th Avenue N are great ways to reach Mercer Street from the south. Alternately, the Seattle Streetcar is open during Mercer Street construction and can help you get to your South Lake Union destination!
For more information about project – the purpose, benefits, and other information, visit our website at: www.seattle.gov/Transportation/ppmp_mercer.htm