Closure of SR 520 bridge, highway affecting region’s traffic this weekend

Published 12:01 pm Saturday, September 17, 2011

Traffic delays are expected throughout the region this weekend as construction crews close the State Route 520 floating bridge and highway from Montlake Boulevard to Interstate 405.

Transportation officials will brief the media at noon Saturday on work progress, as crews demolish the western half of Bellevue Way to make room for a new interchange and overpass.

Drivers heading to Seattle for Mariners and Sounders games and the St. Demetrios Greek Festival in the Montlake area should plan alternate routes and prepare for heavy traffic. To help ease congestion, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will shift express lane schedules on I-5 and I-90.

SR 520 closure details at a glance

·  SR 520 mainline and floating bridge: All lanes in both directions between Montlake Boulevard and I-405 close from 11 p.m. Friday, Sept.  16, to 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 19.

· SR 520 ramps: Closed between Montlake Boulevard in Seattle and I-405 11 p.m. Friday,  Sept. 16. All SR 520 ramps in the construction zone closed through the weekend, except the 108th Avenue Northeast ramp to eastbound SR 520 remains open.

· Bellevue Way Northeast overpass: closed across SR 520 11 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday.

· Still open: SR 520 remains open to traffic from I-5 to Montlake Boulevard, and east of I-405.

Special I-90 and I-5 express lane operations

Saturday, Sept. 17

·  I-90 express lanes westbound from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, and eastbound after 8:30 p.m.

· I-5 express lanes southbound from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, and then switch to northbound from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 18

· I-90 express lanes CLOSED 5-10:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, for the Trek Triathlon. They reopen westbound 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and switch to eastbound by 3 p.m.

· I-5 express lanes open southbound 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and northbound 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.

·  Normal express lane schedule is posted online, as well as this weekend’s altered schedule. Key alternate routes for drivers heading to Seattle and the sports stadiums from the south end include SR 509, SR 599, East Marginal Way South, Airport Way South and Fourth Avenue South.

SR 520 Eastside project overview

The Eastside Transit and HOV Project will widen SR 520 to six lanes from Medina to Bellevue. The project includes adding lanes for buses and carpools, rebuilding interchanges, building highway lids and transit stops in the center of the highway and installing fish-passable culverts. WSDOT awarded the $306 million design-build contract to Eastside Corridor Constructors (ECC), a joint venture of Granite Construction Company and PCL Construction Services.