SEATTLE, Wash. – As the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) prepared drivers for a weekend filled with road closures across the Puget Sound region, its latest press release sparked more laughter and confusion than clarity.
Instead of its usual straightforward traffic alerts, WSDOT rolled out “Conechella”—a Coachella-themed announcement filled with music festival-style wordplay to describe upcoming highway closures. While clever in concept, not everyone found it useful.
WSDOT Turns Road Closures Into a “Festival Lineup”
The agency’s announcement transformed the list of construction projects into a parody of a music festival poster. Among the headliners:
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“The BridgeStreet Boys” – representing lane closures on northbound SR 99 at the First Avenue Bridge.
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“Megan Thee Lane Reductions” – a nod to Megan Thee Stallion, highlighting lane reductions.
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“Florence + the Paving Machine” – inspired by Florence + the Machine.
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“SR 99 Inch Nails” – referencing industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails.
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“Maroon 405” – joking about closures on I-405.
The tongue-in-cheek lineup was designed to catch the attention of drivers scrolling through social media and headlines. WSDOT hoped humor would encourage more people to read about the closures and plan ahead.
Chris Sullivan: “I Don’t Even Understand It”
But KIRO Newsradio’s longtime traffic reporter Chris Sullivan, known as “Sully” on The Jake and Spike Show, wasn’t impressed.
“Normally it’s just like, here’s what is happening here, here, and here,” Sullivan said. “Today’s press release was a little, let’s say, I didn’t even understand what was going on because it was so confusing. It was meant for Gen X or Gen, whatever.”
He read aloud the headline of the release during the broadcast: “Announcing Conechella, multiple highway closures across greater Puget Sound.”
“Not Coachella, Conechella, like there are going to be a bunch of traffic cones,” he explained. “I’d just prefer the information straight. What’s closed, where, and when.”
Closures Updated and Postponed
To add to the confusion, WSDOT updated the release on Thursday afternoon with changes. The planned closures for State Route 18 westbound were postponed, and work on the SR 99 First Avenue Bridge was canceled altogether.
Even with adjustments, drivers can still expect major disruptions across Kirkland, Renton, Seattle, Tukwila, Fife, and Auburn this weekend, with at least nine closures of roads, on-ramps, and tunnels.
“It’s going to be another really, really busy weekend for construction,” Sullivan said, noting that WSDOT was right to get out ahead of the traffic crunch—just not with festival branding.
Debate Over Messaging
Sullivan’s co-host Spike O’Neill joined in on the critique, arguing that the creative approach underscored the short attention spans of modern audiences.
“The story here is that people’s attention span is so diminished that we can’t issue a press release saying, ‘Hey, there’ll be multiple closures, it’s a difficult weekend for traffic,’” Spike said. “No, we’ve got to bait these people in with flash and bang.”
The hosts poked fun at some of the puns WSDOT used, with Spike quipping that “Maroon 405” should have been “Marooned on 405.” Other names, like “The Aurora Tones”, left even Sullivan scratching his head.
“I don’t even know what that means,” he said. “SR 99 Inch Nails, okay, I understand that one.”
Humor or Headache?
While Sullivan admitted the wordplay did its job—“lo and behold, we’re talking about it”—he maintained that he’d prefer simplicity. For commuters who rely on fast, clear updates, the playfulness may be a distraction from the practical information they need.
Still, WSDOT’s experiment highlights the ongoing challenge of public communication in the digital age. With more drivers getting updates from quick glances at headlines or social media feeds, officials are experimenting with creative ways to stand out.
What Drivers Need to Know
Despite the joking and frustration, the core message remains the same: expect heavy traffic delays across Puget Sound this weekend. Key closures will impact several major highways, tunnels, and ramps, with ripple effects expected throughout the region.
Officials recommend checking real-time traffic updates on WSDOT’s website or mobile app before heading out, especially for drivers navigating Seattle and surrounding cities.
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