It’s been a very long winter on Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass, but now it’s time for drivers to switch gears from driving in winter conditions, to driving through construction work zones. Drivers need to plan for delays, slow down and pay attention through work zones.

A number of road-improvement projects will cause delays for drivers this spring and summer while the Washington State Department of Transportation and contractor crews add lanes, build and repair bridges and fix cracked sections of pavement between North Bend and Ellensburg.

“This year there will be multiple projects along I-90, which means drivers need to be prepared for slow downs and plan for a longer trip,” said Todd Trepanier, WSDOT regional administrator. “Please stay attentive and be patient while driving between North Bend and Ellensburg.”

This week, crews will resume work on the I-90 Snoqulamie Pass East project to build a wider, safer and more reliable stretch of I-90 from Hyak to Keechelus Dam and from Keechelus Dam to the Stampede Pass interchange. Later this summer, crews will resume blasting along the rock slopes east of Snoqualmie Pass. Drivers need to plan for hour-long closures, during the week starting an hour before sunset.

Crews will also resume work this week to replace deteriorating sections of the westbound lanes between Cle Elum and the Elk Heights area. As part of the work, the westbound Indian John Rest Area will need to be closed periodically during the week starting in late May and continuing throughout the summer.

In May, crews will start replacing deteriorating sections of concrete pavement panels in the eastbound lanes and repairing bridge decks in the westbound lanes between North Bend and the Snoqualmie Pass summit. Drivers will experience delays as traffic is detoured around the work zone. Crews will also be making repairs to bridge decks between Easton and Ellensburg.

WSDOT has a wide variety of resources to help drivers plan their trips across I-90 this summer. Drivers can find information on multiple websites, including the What’s Happening on I-90, Snoqualmie Mountain Pass and Traffic Alerts pages. Drivers can also follow us on Twitter @snoqualmiepass and @wsdot_east or sign up for email updates or subscribe to our text message alerts by sending the phrase “WSDOT Snoqualmie” to the number 468311.