The Revive I-5 construction project is causing significant traffic disruptions in Seattle.
KIRO 7 has spoken to residents who say traffic has spilled over onto certain local roads, causing backups and congestion.
There is usually traffic outside Cascadia Elementary School and Eagle Staff Middle School on most weekday mornings during the school year.
Residents and parents report some increased congestion as drivers may be seeking alternate routes, impacting school drop-off and local travel.
The construction, which is expected to last for several months, has led to more vehicles diverting to local roads, creating bottlenecks near schools.
Cascadia Elementary School sits on a route that often serves as alternative to people who exit at Northgate from Southbound I-5.
Morning traffic that exits usually takes Northgate Way/105th Street but that roadway can often be congested during the weekday rush hours.
Drivers seeking an alternative will often be directed past North Seattle College as they head south and that route can take them towards the school.
Maud Elovitz, a neighborhood resident, noted the adverse effects of increased traffic.
“Definitely a lot of people, I don’t want to say running stop signs but definitely needing to get to places faster, it takes me longer to get places,” she said.
Elovitz mentioned that sometimes there are delays when parents drop off their kids, complicating the morning routine.
Arielle Davis, a parent dropping off her children, said that she has not necessarily noticed a solid uptick in traffic but can see the spillover causing some issues.
“I think it’s hard; it’s definitely nice to have little or no traffic so it’s a bummer when traffic increases,” she said.
Commuter and parent Andy Whitecar also shared his thoughts on the situation, emphasizing the need for patience amid the chaos.
“Leaving 10 mins earlier also being patient. Not a patient guy, but not really a whole lot of other options,” he said, highlighting how the construction has altered his daily commute.
The heavy influx of detoured drivers from Revive I-5 is probably going to strain the capacity of existing roadways, prompting community concerns.
The construction is expected to continue for several months, with ongoing disruptions to traffic patterns, and it’s not going to be isolated to the area surrounding schools like Cascadia Elementary School and other local schools.
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