As you plan your summer travels, remember that the first of five weekends of #SouthKingSlowdown is July 8-11. The Department of Transportation plans to reduce southbound I-5 to two lanes in SeaTac starting at 8 p.m. Friday, July 8.

The DOT plans to wrap up the first weekend’s work by 5 a.m. Monday, July 11.

There will be backups and delays. The DOT asks drivers to:

– Use alternate routes like I-405 and state routes 99, 167 and 509.

– Use transit, carpool or vanpool.

– Travel at off-peak hours, before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m.

– Consider postponing travel on southbound I-5 in SeaTac.

The DOT will also have southbound I-5 reduced to two lanes the weekends of July 15-18 and 22-25, andAug. 12-15 and 19-22.

Eastbound I-90 down to one lane next weekend, July 8-11

If you’re celebrating the Summer at Mercer Island Summer Celebration, heading to CenturyLink Field to see the Sounders take on the LA Galaxy Saturday afternoon, or watching the Storm take on Indiana at Key Arena Sunday afternoon be sure to add some extra travel time to your plans.

Contractor crews with the I-90 Two-Way Transit and HOV Operations project will reduce eastbound I-90 traffic to one lane near Rainier Avenue beginning at 11 p.m. Friday, July 8.

Drivers will then be detoured into the express lanes to cross Lake Washington until 5 a.m. Monday, July 11.

During the weekend contractor crews working for WSDOT and Sound Transit will complete work in the Mount Baker and Mercer Island tunnels that was suspended during a windstorm in March, when crews reopened I-90 early after the State Route 520 bridge was closed due to storm damage.