Date:  Sunday, August 17, 2008

Contact: Steve Peer, WSDOT Communications, 425-301-2023 ( Bellevue)

Stacy Trussler, I-405 Deputy Project Director, 206-437-4870 (Bellevue)

WSDOT eliminates last weekend of I-405 southbound lane closures

BELLEVUE – Crews finished demolishing the Wilburton Tunnel over southbound I-405 in Bellevue this weekend, one week ahead of schedule. 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. “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.

Pictures and video of the tunnel demolition work are available on the Web through our Flickr and YouTube accounts.

Across the state, WSDOT has delivered 152 of the 391 projects funded by the revenue increases. In addition to the South Bellevue Widening Project, 70 other projects are under construction, and 33 will start in the next six months.

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. We are asking drivers to “Give ‘em a Brake” in active work zones or when they see maintenance workers.

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

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