February 2010
Supplemental draft EIS available -
Comment period begins
Pontoon Construction Project
- We've announced that Kiewit-General Joint Venture has the apparent best value proposal for building the new SR 520 floating bridge pontoons. Read more about the news on our contractor page.
SR 520 Legislative Workgroup
Construction closing SR 520 lanes
- Feb. 8-12: Drivers in the Medina, Bellevue and Redmond areas should plan ahead for nighttime delays on SR 520 as construction and maintenance crews close lanes in each direction of the highway. Also, nighttime drilling is planned nightly for high-tech signs westbound near Hunts Point and eastbound near Bellevue Way. Check our Web page for details.
Video simulations
Overview
The SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program will enhance safety by replacing the aging floating bridge and keep the region moving with vital transit and roadway improvements throughout the corridor.
The 12.8-mile program area begins at I-5 in Seattle and extends to SR 202 in Redmond.
There are four projects in the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program:
Why is WSDOT
pursuing this program?
SR 520 is one of two east-west roadways across Lake Washington. Approximately 115,000 vehicles carrying 155,000 people travel the SR 520 Evergreen Point Bridge every day.
Built in the 1960s without the benefit of today's design standards, the Evergreen Point Bridge and the Portage Bay Bridge are vulnerable to windstorms and earthquakes and are at risk of collapse if they are not replaced.
A collapse of these bridges or their approach structures could cause serious injury or loss of life, and would overwhelm all major regional highways with re-routed traffic.
The End Result
WSDOT crews will replace the existing bridge with a new, safer bridge designed to withstand earthquakes and windstorms and the entire corridor with two general-purpose lanes and one HOV lane in each direction.
Project Benefits
The new SR 520 corridor will move more people across Lake Washington to and from work, school, home, and recreation.
Reliability and mobility will be improved with:
- Two general-purpose lanes and one continuous HOV lane in each direction.
- Rebuilt overpasses and on- and off-ramps throughout the program area will improve traffic flow.
- New, wider shoulders, allowing disabled vehicles a place to pull out of traffic.
- More commuting options with a bicycle/pedestrian path.
What is the project timeline?
- 2010 - Complete innovative pontoon construction testing effort.
- 2010 - Activate Smarter Highways traffic management features.
- 2010 - Begin new pontoon site construction in Grays Harbor.
- 2011 - Begin tolling the existing bridge.
- 2012 - Begin construction of new floating bridge.
- 2014 - Open new floating bridge to drivers.
The schedule for constructing the other segments of the corridor is pending additional funding.
More information is available on the Timeline
page.
Financial Information
The Washington State Legislature has secured a variety of state and federal funding sources, including tolling the existing floating bridge, to help pay for the SR 520 program:
|
|
|
| State funding |
|
$0.55 B |
| Transportation Partnership Account |
$0.50 B |
|
| Nickel Package |
$0.05 B |
|
| SR 520 Account (tolling and future federal funding) |
|
$1.20 B |
| Federal funds |
|
$0.24 B |
| Total funding |
|
$1.99 B |
|
|
|
| Program cost |
|
$4.65 B |
| Less sales tax deferral |
$0.30 B |
|
| Program cost after sales tax deferral |
|
$4.35 B |
|
|
|
| Total unfunded need |
|
$2.36 B |
|
|
|
Visit our
Costs, Funding and Tolling page for more information.
How can I get more information?
Contact:
E-mail: SR520bridge@wsdot.wa.gov
Phone: 206-770-3500
Infoline: 1-888-520-NEWS (6397)
Mail: SR 520 Bridge Replacement
and HOV Program
Plaza 600 Building
600 Stewart Street, Suite 520
Seattle, WA 98101
For comments and questions about the project, to schedule a community briefing, or to be added to the mailing or e-mail list, please fill out our contact form.
Current SR 520 Bridge Traffic, Wind, Weather & Marine Stats
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