Wilburton Tunnel demolished ahead of schedule; third weekend closure not needed on I-405 in Bellevue

Crews finished demolishing the Wilburton Tunnel over southbound I-405 in Bellevue this weekend, one week ahead of schedule, according to the Washington state Department of Transportation.

All that remains of the tunnel is the debris, and it should be removed so southbound lanes can open by 5 a.m., Monday. The third weekend closure is no longer needed.

“A combination of careful planning, hard work, great weather and cooperation from the public gave us the perfect environment to complete this work a week ahead of schedule,” said I-405 Deputy Director, Stacy Trussler in a news release. “I’d like to thank drivers who planned ahead for the closures and used alternate routes. They were as big a part of making this a success as the operator on the excavator crunching away the tunnel.”

In addition to the tunnel demolition work, crews used the total closure of southbound lanes to repair several sections of I-405 and complete preparation work to connect a new I-405 southbound bridge over I-90. This weekend’s work is part of the South Bellevue Widening Project, funded by the 2003 and 2005 transportation revenue increases.

Atkinson Construction is the lead contractor on the South Bellevue Widening Project. The subcontractors include: R.W. Rhine Demolition, Inc., Novito Construction, KLB Constrution, Salinas Construction, Acme Concrete, INCA, Apply-A-Line, Totem Electric, Lakeside Industries, Peterson Brothers Construction, and Jacobs Engineering.

When southbound I-405 lanes open at 5 a.m. Monday morning, drivers will be traveling through new conditions. WSDOT advises drivers to slow down, use caution and pay close attention to signage while familiarizing themselves with the changes on the highway.

For project information on the I-405, South Bellevue Widening Project please visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/i405/112thAvetoSE8th.

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