Road Closures this weekend due to parades & other events

Plan ahead for weekend traffic due to parades and summer celebrations

Several gay pride celebrations will draw thousands of participants and spectators this weekend. In addition, Seattleites will enjoy the Greenwood Classic Cars and several other large events. Drivers should plan ahead for a few closed streets and heavier traffic volumes in some places.

Seattle Center will be a hub of activity Friday evening through Sunday with Seattle Pride 2006 festivities. In addition, there will be a Seattle Storm game at 7 p.m. Friday in Key Arena and a Kiss 106.1 BFD 2006 concert from 5 to 11 p.m. on Sunday, also at Key Arena. The Seattle Men’s Chorus will perform at McCaw Hall at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.



Saturday:

Greenwood Avenue North will be closed between N 72nd and N 90th streets all day Saturday for the Greenwood Classic Car Show. Drivers will be able to cross Greenwood Avenue at two locations: N 80th and N 85th streets.

The Queerstock Festival will take place Saturday from noon to dark in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill.

The Raise Your Voice March will be held Saturday at 6 p.m., starting at Pine Street, proceeding down Broadway, and ending at Volunteer Park. Pine Street will be closed from Broadway to 12th Avenue beginning at 4 p.m. for parade staging. The parade route itself will close at 5:30 p.m. and all of the streets should reopen by 8 p.m.

The Road and the Radio Tour 2006 concert at Qwest Field will draw an expected 45,000 country music fans. Arrival times will vary as different bands take to the stage starting at 4:30 p.m., but drivers should expect congestion when the concert lets out at 11:30 p.m. Occidental Avenue South next to Qwest field will be closed from 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.



Sunday:

The Seattle Pride Parade will take place downtown on Sunday. The parade staging area on Fourth Avenue between Union and Madison streets will close to traffic starting at 6:15 a.m., but traffic will be open on cross streets. The parade route itself, on Fourth Avenue from Union to Denny and on to the Seattle Center will close as the parade nears, starting at 11 a.m. with no cross traffic allowed except for Metro Transit.

Lake Washington Boulevard will be closed from Seward Park to Madison Street on Sunday from 7:45 a.m. to 11 a.m. for the Shore Run/Walk to raise funds for the fight against cancer.

Between 500 and 1,000 motorcyclists will participate in the Children’s Ride 11 to benefit Children’s Hospital. They will roll out from Qwest Field at 10 a.m. Sunday. Traffic at the south end of the field will be stopped for about 15 minutes to allow the participants to ride from Qwest Field to the I-90 Express Lanes on their way to Pacific Raceways in Kent.

The Seattle Department of Transportation builds, maintains and operates Seattle's $8 billion transportation infrastructure. To further Mayor Nickels’ goal to get Seattle moving, the department manages short- and long-term investments in streets, bridges, pavement and trees, that better connect the city with the region.