Wilburton Goes, Causes Wedding Woes | News | Q13.com | KCPQ TV

Wilburton Goes, Causes Wedding Woes

Local couple's big day falls during summer's biggest construction event

Roxeanne Vainuku, Q13 FOX News Reporter

August 7, 2008

BELLEVUE — A weekend closure of the southbound lanes of I-405 from Se 8th Street to I-90 in Bellevue is very bad timing for one local couple. Just as their wedding bells are ringing, the jack hammers start hammering.

The couple planned their big day during the biggest construction event of the summer.

Rena Shin and Mark Han put a lot of thought into their wedding. "We've been planning since we got engaged in January," explains Rena.

They have the dress, they have the church--but the couple had no idea their big day would be the big day for one of the biggest construction undertakings of the summer. "I didn't believe it," says Mark. "There are only two highways, I-5 and I-405, you can't close one during the weekend!"

They can and they will.

While Rena and Mark worry about something borrowed and something blue, the Washington State Department of Transportation is about to get rid of something old to make way for something new.

Crews will knock down the Wilburton Tunnel and add more lanes to southbound I-405.

That means a full southbound shut down over the the next three weekends in a row. Rena and Mark's wedding is in Bellevue and falls on the final weekend. They worry about their guests from out of the country--even those from out of state whose English isn't the best. "When you transport them to a place where the roads are not familiar, they can seem like they're from a different country too," jokes Mark. So along with the beautifully engraved invitations, Rena and Mark's 200 guests will get an email--maybe a phone call--definitely a warning about potential 13 mile back-ups. The couple even put a link to the WA-DOT web site on their own wedding web site. What ever it takes to help their guests make it down the road to see the couple march down the aisle. And if delays do get in the way... "I guess we'll expect it," says Rena. "We'll check what kind of gift they brought. That will give them extra leeway," laughs Mark. If your plans take you through the area allow lots of extra time--the DOT recommends two extra hours to get around. Also, make sure you have a full tank of gas and a whole lot of patience. The closures run for three weekends starting August 8th. Each weekend, all southbound lanes of I-405 between South 8th Street and I-90 will close at 11 on Friday night and will re-open at 5 o'clock Monday morning. Southbound travelers can skip that section of 405 by taking the 520 bridge, to I-5 south, then taking the I-90 bridge back to connect in with southbound 405. For a map of the detour visit this web site: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/BF70D8A3-0306-432D-9CDB-EB0F0E516366/0/405_tip_rackcard_071008.pdf)