Morning Buzz: Monster traffic weekend

🚧 If you're hitting the road this weekend, check WSDOT's website first, as it's the biggest weekend of construction closures in the Seattle area this year.

• Closures will affect State Route 520; northbound Interstate-405 in Renton; southbound State Route 167; both directions of I-5 in Federal Way; and the Mercer Street on-ramps to I-5 in Seattle. (FOX 13)

⚾ The Mariners are officially no longer in the running to make the playoffs. (And, our grudge against the Houston Astros grows ever deeper.) (Seattle Sports)

🚗 To address an ongoing license plate shortage, Washington will temporarily start issuing flat, non-embossed license plates, which require less labor to produce.

• By eliminating the raised letters and numbers, the state believes it may be able to resolve the license plate shortage in six to eight weeks. (Seattle Times)