The Aurora Borealis geomagnetic storm wasn’t the only unusual event on this past weekend.
Traffic woes began with President Biden flying into Seattle on Air Force One Friday, causing Flight restrictions at SeaTac and Paine Field plus highway and street closures during Friday rush hour for his motorcade to a private fundraising events. He also travelled to Medina on Saturday to visit Bill Gates at his home, then back to the airport, leading to further closures.
Construction projects also added to the chaos. I-5 North was down to one lane in Everett combined with several ramp closures, adding 45-minutes to northbound drives plus traffic flooding the streets of Everett from those seeking alternative routes. The 520 bridge was closed in both directions for the weekend and both I-90 and 405 had lane reductions at different times.
With the weather being so nice, we saw more motorcyles and RVs on the road, plus trucks making runs to the hardware store for spring projects and lawncare. Heck, it seemed like everyone and their mother was out on the roads… wait, that’s right, it was also Mother’s Day Weekend!
The good news is future weekend traffic shouldn’t suffer the same perfect storm, but Everett is heading into a period of 529 bridge being down to a single lane and then a full 529 Northbound Snohomish River Bridge closure starting May 28th (where it will remain closed for four months).
May 13, 2024
Downtown Everett