The city told residents and the council it will open its Emergency Operations Center and run a major communications campaign when Washington State Department of Transportation replaces expansion joints on the eastbound I‑90 East Channel Bridge, a project scheduled for 16 days beginning Sept. 18 that will close two eastbound on‑ramps at peak times. City staff said the closures, rolling slowdowns and rerouting will produce major eastbound delays and asked Islanders to plan ahead.

Why it matters: The on‑ramp reductions will narrow access to a single eastbound on‑ramp at Island Crestway for at least eight days, increasing traffic pressure in town center and on local arterials. City staff said public safety and emergency access planning is in place and that WSDOT and the Washington State Patrol will assist with traffic direction.

City Manager Jesse Bond and Emergency Manager Amanda Kieberkamp said they have been coordinating with WSDOT and county and state partners. Kieberkamp described the city’s emergency management program—planning, training, response and public outreach—and said the city is required by state law to keep its comprehensive emergency management plan current. She said the city will staff the Emergency Operations Center for the I‑90 repair period and scale response according to incident severity, calling in operations, planning and logistics sections as needed.

Kieberkamp reviewed recent emergency responses, including a six‑month local emergency tied to a 2024 SP water transmission leak, a November bomb‑cyclone response that included opening two shelters and two debris collection sites, and the city’s assistance during recent South End water‑main failures. She said volunteers—175 trained Community Emergency Response Team members, 60 of whom are badge volunteers—are a principal resource. The city’s public education push asks residents to be self‑sufficient for seven to 14 days in a major incident and lists upcoming “Stop the Bleed” and CERT trainings.

Traffic mitigation steps: Kieberkamp said the city has paused or rescheduled other town‑center projects to reduce construction conflicts, placed electronic reader boards and signage on arterials, will post park signage to reach non‑resident visitors, and urged drivers to fill gas tanks, charge vehicles and carry water and snacks. WSDOT will work in phases—south side then north side of the bridge—to enable partial ramp openings during the sequence. The city also said it will deploy the EOC during weekdays while key ramps remain closed.

Kieberkamp also noted regional contingency planning the city is undertaking for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Seattle and recapped a schedule of upcoming community events and parks projects, including reopening of Roanoke Playground and Island Crestway crosswalk work finished before school started.

Next steps: Staff will maintain weekly public communications about the repair, operate the EOC during the closure, and report back to council on any emergent issues. Kieberkamp encouraged residents to sign up for alerts and participate in the city’s preparedness programs.