MERCER ISLAND – People who use eastbound Interstate 90 between Seattle and Bellevue should plan for delays beginning Thursday, Sept. 18, while crews begin bridge repair work as part of the I-90/East Channel Bridge project. The scheduled 18-day, round-the-clock lane reduction and ramp closures also will affect people accessing eastbound I-90 from Mercer Island.

From Thursday evening, Sept. 18, to Sunday morning, Oct. 5:

• Eastbound I-90 will narrow to three lanes between Island Crest Way and Bellevue Way.
• The eastbound I-90 on-ramp from East Mercer Way will close during the first half of the project while crews install a new bridge expansion joint on the south section of eastbound I-90. The ramp is expected to reopen six to eight days after Sept. 18, once crews move to the north side of the bridge.
• The eastbound I-90 HOV on-ramp from 80th Street will close through the duration of the project.
• Eastbound I-90 will see intermittent, short-term closures to allow for lane shifts, barrier installation and restriping. Times and dates of these closures will be announced closer to the start of construction.

About the project

The modular assembly joints on the eastbound I-90 East Channel Bridge are deteriorating and have reached the end of their service life. The joint, which is the original from when the bridge opened in 1988, failed in the right lane in January 2024. Replacing the existing expansion joints will preserve the bridge’s structural integrity and extend its service life.

Nearly 75,000 vehicles travel eastbound on the I-90 East Channel Bridge each day.