During the next six days, King County Metro Transit service in the south downtown Seattle area (SODO) will be affected by the start of a big state freeway project, other construction work, the Seattle Mariners baseball schedule, and the upcoming Memorial Day holiday.

Transit passengers should pay close attention to routing changes by visiting Metro Online, and be prepared for traffic congestion in the SODO area.

The Washington State Department of Transportation begins work this week to improve freeway access in SODO. It includes a complete reconfiguration of the freeway ramps at Fourth Avenue South near Safeco Field. During the next five months, traffic will be detoured using city streets to other freeway access locations. This could cause congestion, which may cause delays for transit passengers.

The State Route 519 project begins with the permanent closure of the outbound ramp to Interstate 5 and Interstate 90 at Fourth Avenue South beginning at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, May 21. That ramp will eventually be demolished. A new outbound freeway connection will be completed by November.

The ramp inbound to downtown Seattle will remain open to traffic coming into the city; however there will be brief, intermittent closures during non-peak times. On Mariner game days, construction will be planned to minimize the impacts to traffic.

Here is a brief overview of some of the traffic and transportation concerns in the next few days:

Wednesday, May 21 - The Mariners game has a 7:05 p.m. start, and Metro’s special park-and-ride shuttles will operate from their normal Safeco Field locations after the game. Regular 1st Avenue South and 4th Avenue South transit service will be rerouted between Lander Street and Royal Brougham Way just after the baseball game as it has been since the beginning of the season. Traffic may be congested since Wednesday is the first day of the permanent closure of the outbound ramp to I-5 and I-90 from 4th Avenue South. Outbound freeway traffic in the SODO area will be diverted to surface streets.

Thursday, May 22 – The Mariners have an afternoon game with a 1:35 p.m. start, so there will be no special shuttles between Safeco Field and Metro park-and-ride lots either before or after the game. Expect delays downtown due to construction and baseball traffic. Transit service on 1^st Avenue South and 4^th Avenue South will not be rerouted between Lander Street and Royal Brougham Way. But, transit service that normally travels on 4^th Avenue South between Royal Brougham Way and Holgate Street will be diverted to the Metro Busway (5^th Avenue South) in both directions;

Friday, May 23 – Metro’s special park-and-ride shuttles will operate from their normal Safeco Field locations after the 7:05 p.m. Mariners game. The usual post-game reroutes of Metro service on 1^st and 4^th Avenues in the SODO area will not be in effect due to the SR 519 construction. Regular post-game bus service returns to 4^th Avenue South – stops are northbound just north of Holgate Street and southbound just south of Massachusetts Street. This service resumption on 4^th Avenue will be permanent;

Saturday, May 24 – Special park-and-ride shuttles will be available both before and after the 7:05 p.m. baseball game at the normal locations. The usual post-game reroutes in SODO will not be in effect due to the SR 519 construction. The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel will be closed all day Saturday, May 24. Buses that usually run in the tunnel on Saturdays will operate on their regular surface routes;

Sunday, May 25 - Special park-and-ride shuttles will serve normal locations both before and after the baseball game, which starts at 5:05 p.m. There will be no Sounder train service for this game. The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel is closed on Sundays;

Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day) – There is no Mariners game. Most Metro routes systemwide will operate on a Sunday schedule. The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and Metro offices are closed.

Work on the SR 519 project will have ongoing – and changing – impacts on Metro Transit service, and transit passengers should visit Metro Online at  for the most up-to-date transit information.