Date:  Monday, April 27, 2009

Contact: Contact: Kris Olsen, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4475 (Seattle)
Quick info link: www.wsdot.wa.gov/construction/2009/today

SEATTLE - WSDOT contractor crews worked swiftly this weekend to wrap up concrete repairs on SR 520 in Bellevue and chip away and repair more of the worst pavement on I-5 in Seattle.

Crews marked the sixth and final weekend of concrete repair work at Bellevue overpasses on SR 520. Construction shifts to nighttime paving for the next few months. Meanwhile, just five more weekends remain for concrete repair work on I-5 in Seattle, though crews will continue to close lanes at night to grind down uneven pavement through the summer.
 
I-5 in the University District 
www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/i5/seattlepavementrepair/

This weekend, drivers on southbound I-5 traveled smoothly through the construction zone despite having just two open lanes on I-5. WSDOT opened the express lanes southbound all day Saturday as a way for drivers to avoid construction congestion. Crews replaced cracked and broken concrete panels on southbound I-5 between NE 45th and NE 70th streets and repaved the southbound on-ramp at NE 50th Street. By Sunday morning, all lanes and the on-ramp were reopened to traffic. Crews also worked grinding down bad pavement on northbound I-5 from Lakeview Boulevard to NE 85th Street. Together, the concrete panel and grinding work tackles the worst areas on I-5 between south Seattle and Shoreline.
 
This $21 million project supports more than 200 jobs and provides work for nearly 20 Washington state companies.
 
SR 520 in Bellevue: Only nighttime paving remains 
www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr520/i405towlakesampaving/

On SR 520 in Bellevue, drivers made their way through the construction zone with only brief delays of fewer than 10 minutes this past weekend. Crews poured new concrete bridge approach panels for a sixth and final weekend. They focused on westbound SR 520 east of I-405 at the Northup Way overpass and the railroad overcrossing near 116th Avenue NE.

The project's not over yet. Drivers should be prepared for weeknight closures and nighttime paving work in both directions of SR 520 between Bellevue and Redmond between now and August.

Since work started in March, crews removed and replaced the approach panels to five concrete overpasses on SR 520. The replacement work went smoothly and crews were able to reopen lanes ahead of schedule most weekends.

Sixteen Washington companies are working on this $9 million project, which helps support an estimated 94 jobs.
 
One week away: I-90 floating bridge repair to cause three weeks of congestion 
www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I90/HomerHadleyBridgeRepair/
We're just one week away from major closures on the I-90 floating bridge. Eastside drivers and bus riders should begin planning now for when the I-90 express lanes close for three straight weeks. The lanes will be closed around-the-clock from May 4 -23 and congestion is expected westbound in the morning and eastbound in the evening. Contractor crews will replace massive steel expansion joints that help the bridge to flex with wind, water and weather.

Crews shift to the westbound mainline lanes July 5-28, funneling all westbound traffic into the express lanes. It could take an hour or more to cross the lake and drivers should plan for longer commutes or find ways to telecommute or find other ways to avoid crossing the lake.

This $8.3 million project supports an estimated 80 jobs.
 
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WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/or by dialing 5-1-1.

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