Westbound I-90 down to one lane this weekend
Beginning at 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8, westbound I-90 will be down to one lane near Bellevue Way then detoured to the express lanes until 5 a.m. Monday, Jan. 11. Contractor crews continue their work to upgrade operations and safety systems in the eastbound Mount Baker and Mercer Island tunnels. Most of the work during these weekends is taking place inside the tunnels and out of the view of drivers.

Eastbound SR 18 full closure near Green River Bridge this weekend
Good news and bad news on SR 18! First, the good: Eastbound delays between Auburn and Covington should come to an end shortly! The right lane after the Green River (Neeley) Bridge has been closed since Dec. 8, when heavy rain severely damaged the roadway. Since then, contractor crews have been stabilizing the hillside and installing drains ahead of this weekend’s pavement repairs. And here’s the bad: This repair work requires a full closure of eastbound SR 18 at Southeast Auburn-Black Diamond Road beginning at 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8. If all goes well, both lanes will reopen at 5 a.m. Monday, Jan. 11.

SR 410 White River Bridge inspection before Sunday’s Seahawks game

Don’t want to miss the beginning of the Seahawks’ wildcard matchup against the Vikings? Well, plan ahead and leave early if you need to cross the SR 410 White River Bridge to get to the television you’ll be watching the game on. A single lane across the bridge will be closed from 7 to 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 10, for bridge inspection work. Flaggers will alternate traffic through the open lane.

New westbound SR 520 off-ramp to East Lake Washington Boulevard now open
Since September, SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program crews working on the West Approach Bridge North (WABN) project have been hard at work constructing a new westbound SR 520 off-ramp at 24th Avenue East in Montlake. The new off-ramp opened Jan. 6; here’s what to expect.

Don’t panic if you receive a Notice of Civil Penalty for unpaid toll bills.
It’s been three months since the first toll bills were mailed for the I-405 express toll lanes. If you still have a toll bill sitting in your to-do pile, please be sure to make your payment before it becomes a civil penalty of $40 per toll trip. Hopefully this doesn’t happen to you, but if it does, here are some tips to reduce your bill: 

• Know you have an unpaid toll? Don’t wait to receive a late fee, pay your bill at MyGoodToGo.com, by mail, or over the phone.
• Save money with a Good To Go! Open a Good To Go! account to pay a lower toll rate and avoid future bills in the mail. Call us to open an account, and be sure to ask the agent to add unpaid tolls to your account via Pay By Plate. You can save up to $1.75 per toll.
• Good news if you receive a late fee or civil penalty. This past summer we introduced a new customer service policy offering first-time forgiveness of penalties. If this is your first time receiving a civil penalty for unpaid tolls you can request a one-time waiver of all unpaid late fees and penalties as long as you pay the original tolls.

You can read more advice for dealing with civil penalties on the WSDOT Blog.

Shoreline Community College now has a formal policy prohibiting carrying weapons on campus that applies to everyone except commissioned police officers.

Creating the policy involved extensive input and discussion on campus starting more than a year ago through the College Council, the shared governance forum involving faculty, staff, students and administrators. Once drafted and recommended by the Council, it was reviewed by the state Attorney General’s office, which serves as legal counsel for the college. The policy was recommended by College Council on Oct. 20, 2015, it was presented to the Board of Trustees on Oct. 28 and it was approved by President Roberts on Oct. 30.

The policy says the college “strives to maintain a safe and productive learning and working environment for students, employees, and community members.” Weapons are described as, but not limited to:

• Any weapon or device from which a projectile or projectiles may be ejected by explosive, such as gunpowder
• Any simulated or actual firearm operated by any mechanism, gas, or compressed air
• Any knife with a blade exceeding three inches in length and/or which opens or is ejected open by an outward, downward thrust or movement, or spring
• Any device, instrument, or object that is used with intent to cause or negligently results in risk of injury or damage to any person or property

The policy states: “Possession, carrying, or display of any weapon by any person, except a commissioned law enforcement officer, is prohibited on College property, in academic buildings, administrative office buildings, recreational facilities, dining facilities, child care facilities, or at any athletic, entertainment, or educational event.”

People who may have a valid concealed weapons permit are not exempt. In these cases, those with such permits and carrying a weapon “may secure such weapon inside their vehicle … provided the vehicle is locked and the weapon is concealed from view.”

Personal protection spray devices as defined by state law are permitted on campus.

Procedures which have also been approved and adopted outline steps to be taken if a weapon is on campus. Reports of weapons should be made to Safety and Security on campus at 206-546-4499 or the 24-hour Safety and Security emergency line at 206-235-5860.

The procedures say that when a weapon is displayed on campus under any circumstance by an individual other than a commissioned law enforcement officer, local police shall be notified immediately by calling 9-1-1 and reporting the incident. After a report to 9-1-1 is completed, Safety and Security staff shall also be notified of the incident for any necessary investigation and action.

Weapons Policy and Procedures Links

• Policy
• Procedures