Date:  Friday, October 23, 2009

Contact: Mike Murphy, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4699

REDMOND – WSDOT contractor crews closed the eastbound SR 520 off-ramp to West Lake Sammamish Parkway around the clock Friday night through Monday morning to rebuild the upper half of the off-ramp. This ramp is used by Marymoor Park visitors and shoppers at Redmond Town Center.

The work is part of a $89 million project to add a carpool lane and merge lane in each direction of SR 520 between SR 202 and West Lake Sammamish Parkway. The SR 520 widening project is expected to reduce peak morning and evening commute congestion by more than 50 percent.

This weekend’s work is considered a small milestone in this two-year project because it marks the point where work begins to shift to the west end of the 1.2-mile project over sensitive waterways. Drivers who commute from Redmond have been watching as PCL Construction workers set girders to widen the freeway over SR 202 and NE 76th Street and prepare to add concrete to build the lanes.

WSDOT is rebuilding the ramps at SR 520/West Lake Sammamish Parkway to improve safety and traffic flow. The work this weekend removed a large curve in the eastbound SR 520 off-ramp.

“This project is going very well. We’re on schedule,” said Hien Trinh, WSDOT Project Engineer.

Closure details

Crews closed the eastbound SR 520 ramp to West Lake Sammamish Parkway from 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23 through 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26.

Drivers headed to Marymoor Park used the NE 51st Street exit in Redmond to West Lake Sammamish Parkway and turned left to get to Marymoor.

Drivers headed to Redmond Town Center used the designated detour route, which directed them to the SR 202 off-ramp, right on SR 202, left on 180th Avenue NE, left onto NE 76th Street to westbound SR 520. Daytime delays were expected to be similar to that of a typical weekday afternoon commute, with congestion on eastbound SR 520 between West Lake Sammamish Parkway and SR 202.

In addition to the ramp closure crews closed one lane of eastbound SR 520 at West Lake Sammamish Parkway at night for pavement repair. The lane was closed Friday from 10:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. and Saturday from 10:30 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. 

For more information on this project please visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR520/WLakeSamPk_SR202/.

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