President Joseph Biden will fly to Seattle on Friday, May 10, after a two-day visit to San Francisco.
He will fly out on Friday, after attending two campaign receptions in the Bay Area on the same day, and then fly to Seattle.
The White House confirmed that Biden will attend campaign receptions on Friday and Saturday.
Update – 4:49 pm
The leaders of Seattle and Washington state appeared on the tarmac, hoping to meet President Biden upon his arrival. KIRO 7’s cameras saw Governor Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal.
Update – 4:36 p.m.
ROAD CLOSURES HAPPENING NOW IN #SEATAC #SEATTLE
EB SR518 from the Airport Expressway to the I-5 interchange and NB I-5 to DT Seattle is now COMPLETELY CLOSED, including all entrance and exit ramps.
There is no ETA for reopening. Consider using alternative routes and expect heavy congestion.
– WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 10, 2024
Update – 4:25 pm
President Biden and Air Force One crossed the Columbia River and entered Washington state.
Traffic is expected throughout the Seattle area as Biden heads into the city from Sea-Tac. The Washington State Patrol, Seattle Police Department and Washington State Department of Transportation were seen throughout the city.
The Seattle Police Department also blocked travel near the Lotte Hotel on 5th Avenue in Seattle.
It is currently unknown how Biden will get to Seattle, but travelers heading north on Interstate 5 heading to the Mariners game on Friday night should plan to slow down.
Update – 3:20pm on Friday
President Biden left San Francisco on Air Force One around 3:15 p.m., en route to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Biden left San Francisco almost an hour ahead of schedule, arriving at approximately 5pm in Seattle.
The president is expected to be in downtown Seattle and traffic will be extremely congested during his visit.
There will likely be intermittent highway and street closures, affecting the flow of buses and cars in downtown Seattle and the region, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation.
“Although the exact route and timing of the President’s travel will not be published in advance, travelers can still plan ahead in anticipation of delays and temporary road closures,” SDOT said in a statement. blog post.
SDOT said its engineers can adjust the timing of traffic lights in Seattle based on expected closures and any necessary rerouting.
To complicate matters, there is a Mariners game at 6:40 pm on Friday and Saturday at T-Mobile Park, as well as a 7 pm concert at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday. Additionally, the State Route 520 bridge will be closed this weekend, along with I-5 lane reductions. You can find this information here.
One way to keep tabs on potential traffic issues is to sign up for King County Metro Traffic Alerts and observe X posts from King County Subway, SDOT TrafficIt is WSDOT Traffic.
A King County representative also confirmed that Biden would fly to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport rather than Boeing Field, so drivers should expect delays from SeaTac to downtown Seattle.
Those flying from Sea-Tac around the time of Biden’s arrival and departure will also be affected.
Alaska Airlines sent KIRO 7 News a statement about Biden’s visit:
“Air Force One is scheduled to arrive at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday. Security protocol requires all air traffic in SEA to stop at least 30 minutes before the arrival of the presidential aircraft. All airlines may experience potential delays during this time, including Alaska and Horizon flights. Additional flight impacts could also happen when Air Force One departs on Saturday. We appreciate our guests’ understanding and patience during these high security events.”
A representative from the Seattle Police Department said:
“We have been working with our federal, state, county and local partners to coordinate the public safety response to the visit. While we cannot speak to specific resource allocation, SPD will provide additional personnel during the visit.”
President Biden was last in Seattle in April 2022 as part of a trip to Seattle and Portland marking Earth Day.
