kristen.russell's blog

Another weekend, another 520 bridge closure, but this time there will be a concrete rain the likes of which we haven't seen since...well...a few months ago when the Viaduct came down.

The old Evergreen Point Road overpass in Medina (the skinny road in the foreground, left) will be torn apart and hauled away. But what's really cool is what's going on just east of the old overpass; the huge new lidded overpass is under construction; when it's finished (in about 18 months), it will include transit access, a park-and-ride lot, foot paths and open space. Read more »

There's a lot of discussion today about the fate of tolling on the soon-to-exist SR 99 tunnel, on the heels of yesterday's "tunnel tolling committee" meeting. Seems something interesting is happening around here since the 520 tolls went into effect: People are surprisingly willing to sit in terrible traffic to avoid paying tolls. Tell me about it. Traffic just hasn't been the same on my beloved I90. Read more »

With snow in the mountains and sun in the forecast, we're poised on the brink of a perfect snowshoeing weekend.

No slam on skiing, but sometimes I tire of the schlep of it. Lift lines, snarled parking lots, car packed to the hilt with thousands of dollars worth of gear...every now and then, I want a winter sport that doesn’t require a strategy. Read more »

Hikers (snow hikers?) take note: The state is waiving the day-use fee to use state parks for all three days this long MLK Day weekend. If you scamper off to Mount Si, Little Si, Twin Falls, West Tiger or Rattlesnake—or any other DNR trail—you won't need a Discover Pass ($10/day).

So it's a great weekend to try out one of these local trails, which are especially glorious in the snow (or rain) because: #1) wonderfully scenic and #2) wonderfully deserted! Read more »

Things are settling down a bit for us cross-lake commuters, but it's hard to say if next week will be better or worse.

On the one hand, according to WSDOT, people are still deciding what their commute will be as tolling continues for the next 45 years. Some who tried to outwit the toll monsters by crapping up my commute are rethinking. That $7 a day is starting to look pretty tasty right about now. I say this with love at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon. Read more »

If you're an east-west driver, you've already grappled with this one: Is it worth the price of two lattes to breeze across the lake? With peak tolls running $3.50 each way ($5 if you don't have a "Good to Go" pass; $200 a month, people!), that 520 bridge is now a serious budget item for some folks. And it shows; people are diverting by the hundreds to cross the I90 bridge instead, and who can blame 'em? Read more »

A sad day for us blue-eyed blondes: The 2012 color of the year, according to the experts at Pantone, is "tangerine tango." Tonight when I go home I have to toss out all of my "honeysuckle" clothing–the acrylic sweaters, the bobbly ponchos–and update my Santa list. Honeysuckle is so last year. Read more »

Seattle mag's editors just got a private hard-hat tour of the new Chihuly Garden and Glass museum at the Seattle Center, and a peek into the nondescript warehouse in Ballard where a huge fiery glass installation is being assembled. Read more »

Got questions about the massive deep-bore tunnel project? Do you like your tranpo info delivered in the form of cool animation, touch-screen simulations, and adorable soundbites with children? WSDOT's ambitious new "project info center" opened today in Pioneer Square with all that and more, clearly the labor of love of a handful of dedicated WSDOT employees. Read more »

An excellent contribution today to the city-wide ponder over the future of Seattle's waterfront: Knute Berger's "Mossback" blog today on Crosscut. Read more »