Heed heavy traffic, office closures, this holiday

With the rainy season underway, the pile of leavings growing in the yard and the early holiday advertisements, there is no need to be reminded that Thanksgiving is this week, Nov. 22.

But as a friendly reminder, the following offices will be closed for the holiday;

• The Town of Eatonville offices will be closed Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday. Office hours will resume on Monday.
• Pierce County District offices and courts will be closed Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday. Hours will resume on Monday.
• South Pierce County Fire and Rescue offices will be closed Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday. Offices will reopen on Monday. For emergencies call 911.
• Eatonville Police Department offices will be closed Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday. Office hours will resume on Monday. In the event of an emergency call 911. For non-emergency situations call (360)832-6111.
• The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department offices will be closed Thanksgiving Day. In the case of an emergency call 911. For non-emergencies call (253)798-4722.
• Pierce County Library branches will be closed Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday. The Eatonville branch will reopen on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• There is no school and offices in the Eatonville School District will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday. Regular office hours and classes resume the following Monday.
• The United States Post Office will close early on Wednesday and offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Office reopen on Friday.

WSDOT WARNS DRIVERS OF HOLIDAY TRAFFIC

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has worked to make it easier than ever to avoid and plan for holiday traffic, according to a WSDOT press release.

“State highways across Washington will see typical heavy holiday weekend traffic, especially on Interstate 90 where lengthy delays are expected,” the WSDOT website states. “Longer than typical wait times at ferry docks and Canadian border crossings are also expected most of the holiday weekend.”

According to WSDOT’s historical data, their will be moderate to heavy traffic northbound on Interstate 5 (I-5) between Olympia and Tacoma from 5 – 9 a.m., heavy congestion and stop and go traffic from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and moderate to heavy traffic from 5 – 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21.

WSDOT expect moderate to heavy traffic on I-5 southbound between Tacoma and Olympia from 5 – 7 a.m., heavy congestion and stop and go traffic from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and heavy traffic from 7 – 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21.

Traffic should clear up on Thanksgiving a bit. WSDOT expect heavy traffic all day northbound on I-5 between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with stop and go traffic from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Heavy traffic southbound on I-5 is expected from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. with heavy congestion between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 23, traffic mirrors Wednesday with heavy traffic expected on I-5 northbound rom 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a high level of congestion expected between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. WSDOT expects heavy traffic from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on southbound I-5 with heavy congestion between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

For Interstate 90 (I-90), heavy traffic is expected all weekend. Eastbound traffic on I-90 is expected to be heavy from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. with congestion from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21. There is less traffic expected westbound on I-90 with heavy traffic from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and heavy congestion from 1 – 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 21.

WSDOT expects hardly any traffic on westbound or eastbound I-90 with some heavy traffic between 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving day.

Less traffic is expected on eastbound and westbound I-90 with heavy traffic expected between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. headed eat and heavy traffic from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. headed west.

For more holiday traffic advisories or road information, including traffic cameras, visit https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/travel/times/holidays/thanksgiving/2018/driver-tips.