Motorists in Sammamish and Issaquah will need to make alternate travel plans from today until Monday, Aug. 17, with the closure of the intersection at Inglewood Hill Road and East Lake Sammamish Parkway.

The intersection was closed at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, and will remain completely closed until 5 a.m. on Monday.

During this closure, contractors will be making significant grade adjustments to the intersection, part of the City of Sammamish’s Parkway improvement project.

Alternative routes will be required, and a signed detour route will be in place.

A likely scenario for a driver wanting to travel from Issaquah to Redmond, for example, along the parkway, would mean taking Southeast 43rd Way up to 228th Avenue along the Plateau, before joining the Redmond Fall City Road via Sahalee Way Northeast.

The closure of the intersection will cause a serious disruption to regular travel plans.

The city’s decision to spend more than $6 million on changes to the parkway has been a point of contention, with some residents claiming that traffic flow will not be significantly improved.

Phase 1A of the parkway project includes works from Northeast Inglewood Hill Road to Northeast 18th Place.

Phase 1B will continue the widening improvements from Northeast 18th Place to the 2200 block.

The limits for 1B were revised, to allow the entire construction cost be funded by a $3.5 million Federal stimulus grant.

Consequently the northern limit has been reduced from the 2600 block to the 2200 block.

Construction on 1B is expected to begin in spring 2010.

For updates on the Parkway project and associated traffic disruptions, go to www.ci.sammamish.wa.us/ELSP www.ci.sammamish.wa.us/ELSP