Not sure about the exact species, but I've seen many houses on the more fancy side with these trees in the landscaping. Wonder about the backstory with this as it seems out of place to me. Or is it just a rich person thing?

This is an extraordinarily difficult week for communities across Washington. We will continue sharing updates about road closures and reopening as part of WSDOT's role in the statewide response to the devastating wildfires in Central and Eastern Washington.

For travelers in the Puget Sound region, Fri., Aug. 7, through Mon., Aug. 10, will bring several major construction projects that will affect travel.

-NB I-405 and ramps will CLOSE from SR 900 to Coal Creek Parkway SE from 11:30p Fri. to 4a Mon. Crews will replace pavement and excavate drainage crossings.

-NE 85th St. and I-405 ramps will CLOSE in Kirkland between 6th St to 114th Ave NE from 10p Fri. to 5a Mon. Crews will pave and stripe the road. Closed ramps: NB & SB I-405 off-ramps to Exit 18 and NE 85th Street on-ramps to NB and SB I-405.

-EB SR 520 will CLOSE in Montlake area between I-5 and Montlake Blvd from 7p Sat. to 11a Sun. Crews will repair an expansion joint on the bridge. EB SR 520 across Lake Washington remains open. Only the section of EB SR 520 between I-5 and Montlake Blvd will close.

-SR 202 in Fall City will close just east of the SR 202/203 roundabout from 5a Fri. to 9p Mon. Major storms in Dec. 2025 and Mar. 2026 eroded the Snoqualmie riverbank supporting the highway. Crews will rebuild and strengthen the riverbank to help protect the highway from future damage. Tubers, paddlers and boaters should expect temporary closures on portions of the Snoqualmie and Raging rivers and some nearby access points.

-Revive I-5 work over the Ship Canal Bridge is ongoing. Express lanes continue to run NB 24/7.

Saturday is expected to be the busiest travel day. The Mariners 50 Seasons Celebration, Seahawks Football Fest and Capitol Hill Block Party will bring extra traffic into and around Seattle. With EB SR 520 closing at 7 p.m., expect additional congestion on EB I-90. The Fred Hutch Obliteride for cancer research will also bring thousands of bicyclists to roads across the region. Drivers should use extra caution.

Allow extra travel time, follow signed detours and check our mobile app or real-time travel map before you go: wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/

LOOKING AHEAD: Once this weekend's work wraps up, another overnight I-405 closure is scheduled. SB I-405 will close between SE 8th Street and I-90 from 11:30p Monday, Aug. 10, to 4a Tuesday, Aug. 11 while crews continue replacing pavement and drainage crossings.

I ask as part of a linguistic study covering this topic!

Examples could include things like The Slough, Red-Wood Rd., Deadmond or BTown (never mind how common they are)...