President Biden departs Seattle after attending fundraising events

SEATTLE — President Joseph Biden flew into Seattle on Friday after a two-day visit to San Francisco, where he participated in two campaign receptions in the Bay Area.

The White House confirmed that Biden participated in campaign receptions in the Seattle area on Friday and Saturday.

He left Seattle for Delaware on Saturday afternoon.

Update - 2 p.m. Saturday

President Joe Biden has taken off from SeaTac airport on Air Force One due for Delaware.

Update - 1 p.m. Saturday

SB I-405 from Bellevue to Tukwila & WB SR 518 to SEA Airport have reopened as President Biden arrives at SeaTac airport to head to Delaware.

Update - 1 p.m. Saturday

WSDOT posted that Eastbound SR 520 from 92nd Ave NE to I-405 is closed.

SB I-405 from SR 520 to Tukwila and Westbound SR 518 to SEA Airport are also closed.

This includes all on and off-ramps along this route. There is no estimated time for reopening. Use alternate routes and expect heavy congestion.

Update - 11:20 a.m. Saturday

WSDOT posted that the NB I-5 from Downtown Seattle to SR 520 is fully closed including all on and off-ramps.

There is no estimated time for reopening. Consider using alternate routes and expect heavy congestion.

President Biden at a

Update - 6 p.m. Friday

The protesters outside the Lotte Hotel left the area.

Update - 5:45 p.m. Friday

Protesters have taken to the streets outside the Lotte Hotel, where Biden and his motorcade arrived about 20 minutes ago. The pro-Palestine group is chanting and banging drums at 5th Avenue and Columbia.

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Protesters block area near Biden's motorcade

Update - 5:25 p.m. Friday

President Biden and his entourage arrived at the Lotte Hotel on 5th Avenue, flanked by Seattle police and Secret Service. All lanes and ramps previously closed along SR 518 and northbound I-5 have reopened, per WSDOT.

Update - 5 p.m. Friday

Air Force One has touched down at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Biden exited the plane and met with and took pictures with several Washington State and Seattle leaders before getting into a limousine.

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President Biden departs Seattle

Update - 4:49 p.m. Friday

Seattle and Washington State leaders have appeared on the tarmac, expected to meet with President Biden on his arrival, including Gov. Jay Inslee, Trudi Inslee, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Suzan DelBene, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, Joanne Harrell, King County Executive Dow Constantine and his daughter Sabrina, and Port of Seattle Commission Vice President Toshiko Grace Hasegawa.

Update - 4:36 p.m. Friday

Update - 4:25 p.m. Friday

President Biden and Air Force One have crossed the Columbia River and into Washington State.

Traffic is expected throughout the Seattle area as Biden makes his way from Sea-Tac into the city. The Washington State Patrol, Seattle Police Department and Washington State Department of Transportation have been spotted throughout town.

The Seattle Police Department has also blocked travel near the Lotte Hotel on 5th Avenue in Seattle.

It is currently unknown how Biden will make his way to Seattle, but northbound travelers on Interstate 5 heading to Friday nights Mariners game should plan for a slowdown.

Update - 3:20 p.m. Friday

President Biden left San Francisco on Air Force One at about 3:15 p.m., on his way to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Biden left San Francisco nearly an hour earlier than scheduled, making his approximate time to land in Seattle around 5 p.m.

The President is expected to stay in Downtown Seattle, and traffic is expected to be extremely congested during his visit.

There will likely be intermittent closures of freeways and streets, affecting the flow of buses and cars in both Downtown Seattle and around the region, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation.

“While the President’s exact travel route and timing are not published in advance, travelers can still plan ahead by anticipating delays and temporary road closures,” SDOT said in a blog post.

SDOT said its engineers can adjust the timing of traffic signals within Seattle based on expected closures and any needed re-routing.

To complicate matters, there’s a Mariners game at 6:40 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at T-Mobile Park as well as a 7 p.m. concert at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday. In addition, the State Route 520 Bridge will be closed this weekend, along with I-5 lane reductions. You can find that information here.

One way you can keep tabs on potential traffic concerns is to sign up for King County Metro Transit alerts and watch for X posts from King County Metro, SDOT Traffic, and WSDOT Traffic.

A representative for King County also confirmed Biden would be flying in to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and not Boeing Field, so drivers should expect delays from SeaTac to Downtown Seattle.

Those taking flights from Sea-Tac around the time of Biden’s arrival and departure will also be affected.

Alaska Airlines sent a statement to KIRO 7 News about Biden’s visit:

“Air Force One is scheduled to arrive at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday. Security protocol requires all air traffic at SEA to stop at least 30 minutes before the arrival of the presidential aircraft. All airlines could experience potential delays during this time including Alaska and Horizon flights. Additional flight impacts could also happen when Air Force One departs on Saturday. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our guests during these high-security events.”

A representative for the Seattle Police Department said:

“We have been working with our federal, state, county, and local partners to coordinate the public safety response to the visit. Though we can’t speak to specific allocation of resources, SPD will be providing additional staffing during the visit.”

President Biden was last in Seattle in April 2022, as part of a trip to Seattle and Portland, marking Earth Day.

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