On June 3, the Interstate 90 center roadway express lanes are scheduled to be closed permanently so Sound Transit can begin construction of East Link light rail.

The city of Mercer Island’s negotiating team is progressing in its discussions with representatives of the Sound Transit Board over long-term mitigation for the impacts of altered traffic flow, and other loss of mobility issues, according to the city website.

Meanwhile, the city noted in its weekly newsletter that it’s a “good time for Island residents to explore the alternative transportation options that may be available for their daily commute.” For a summary of available commuter resources, visit the JustOneTrip website, hosted by King County Metro.

The South Bellevue Park and Ride is slated to close May 30, due to light rail construction. The loss of the these 519 stalls will put more pressure on the Mercer Island Park and Ride, and it is likely to fill up before the usual time of 7:30 a.m. on weekday mornings. Carpooling, or shared TripPool vans, will be a good alternative. A new Metro pay-per-month off-site parking program, or the city’s own on-street parking permits (for residents only) may be helpful. Islanders who work in downtown Seattle may want to ride the city’s popular direct shuttle (Route 630).

As soon as next week, Mercer Island drivers will begin to see temporary traffic improvement measures (see map below or here) near I-90 in various locations. These are overseen by Sound Transit to help control the flow of vehicles once light rail construction begins; permit applications were just recently submitted in final form to the city.

• Most notable will be the addition of temporary traffic signals along North Mercer Way at the intersections of 76th Avenue Southeast and 77th Avenue Southeast.

• Three additional WSDOT traffic cameras will be installed to help adjust traffic flows.

• More left-turn queueing space will be striped onto Island Crest Way at North Mercer Way.

• A bus-only bypass will be striped at the 76th Avenue Southeast westbound on-ramp.

• WSDOT will also do some preparation work for a possible future alternating, two-lane metered entrance at the West Mercer Way on-ramp (i.e. removing today’s HOV bypass).

Learn more about the light rail process in general at www.mercergov.org/Rail-FAQ.