Reminder: Eastbound SR 520 Closed this Weekend (11/8-11/10) for Traffic Shift

In this update:

• Reminder: Eastbound SR 520 closed this weekend for traffic shift
• Online open houses and public comment opportunities open through Nov. 13

Reminder: Eastbound SR 520 closed this weekend for traffic shift

Whether you’re headed to Sunday’s MLS Cup championship game in Seattle or making plans for travel elsewhere in the region, please remember that eastbound SR 520 will be closed this weekend. Crews will use this time to complete the second step of a two-part traffic shift that began last month and will last for the next three to four years. This new traffic alignment will allow crews to safely rebuild the eastbound lanes between Montlake and the floating bridge. Here are the details: 

• Where: Eastbound SR 520 between Montlake Boulevard in Seattle and 92nd Avenue Northeast on the Eastside
• When: Between 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, and 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 11
• Why: Crews will shift traffic lanes, pave and restripe this portion of the eastbound roadway. On Monday morning, Nov. 11, eastbound SR 520 traffic will be reduced to two lanes between Montlake and the floating bridge. 

WSDOT contractor crews will work around the clock this weekend to compress a number of necessary tasks into a single weekend, resulting in fewer noisy nights for neighbors, fewer nightly lane closures for the traveling public, and increased safety for drivers and our workers. We do expect some noisy work to happen at night this weekend, which will be performed under a temporary noise variance (TNV).  The TNV allows work between the hours of 10 p.m. and 9 a.m. to exceed the noise limits granted under the project’s Major Public Projects Construction Noise Variance.

Residents should expect noise and vibration throughout the weekend, but the noisiest work will start Friday night and last through Saturday evening. Crews will be breaking concrete with hoe rams near the Montlake Boulevard overpass and installing barriers with impact hammers east of Montlake on the highway’s westbound mainline. To limit noise, crews will reduce nighttime hauling and use sound-dampening techniques on equipment.

After this weekend of work is complete and eastbound SR 520 opens Monday morning, travelers may experience increased traffic delays in the new, two-lane configuration. We appreciate the public’s patience. This traffic shift will be in place for the next three to four years to allow crews to safely remove the old eastbound bridge and build a replacement to modern seismic standards. The future eastbound bridge will carry traffic on two general-purpose lanes and one transit/HOV lane from Montlake to the floating bridge.

We’re also reducing the speed limit in the work zone to 40 miles per hour for the three- to four-year duration of the Montlake Project. We work hard to ensure the safety of our crews and the traveling public, and we need your help to keep everyone safe. Please drive carefully and observe the newly posted speed limit.

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Online open houses and public comment opportunities open through Nov. 13

Missed our Oct. 29 open house? Good news – we have a number of online opportunities to learn about and comment on SR 520 project updates.

• Visit our “Rest of the West” online open house to comment on:
  • Refined design concepts for the Portage Bay Bridge and Roanoke Lid Project, including the bridge design, Roanoke lid, and bicycle/pedestrian connections in the area.
  • Key topics or issues WSDOT should consider to help inform our future public engagement on the Montlake Cut crossing.
• Look through our Montlake Project online open house to:
  • View the latest design renderings.
  • Learn how the project’s design evolved in collaboration with WSDOT, the Seattle Department of Transportation, and the Seattle Design Commission.
• Take a public survey on a temporary market or food service in Montlake after the current Montlake Market closes by year’s end.

The two online open houses and survey will run through Nov. 13. We look forward to hearing your thoughts!

 

 

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