BELLEVUE – A long-term shift of the eastbound Interstate 90 lanes in Bellevue begins later this month, marking the onset of major construction for the nearly 3.5-year I-90 Sunset Creek fish passage project.
Beginning at 4 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23, the eastbound lanes will jog to the left and into the newly paved median between the I-405 interchange and 148th Avenue Southeast. Travelers will also encounter a rolling slowdown between 12:01 and 4 a.m. while crews paint new lines on the freeway.
The speed limit through the work zone will be reduced to 50 mph.
The $109.5 million I-90 Sunset Creek project is part of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s 2030 Fish Passage Delivery Plan to open 90 percent of habitat blocked by culverts beneath state highways.
Project details
Sunset Creek passes through culverts that block fish passage under Southeast Eastgate Way, both directions of I-90, and Southeast 36th Street. Atkinson Construction, working for WSDOT, will remove the culverts and build four new bridges over the waterway.
The project will restore natural stream conditions and open nearly 1.5 miles of upstream habitat to Chinook, Coho, Sockeye and other salmon species already present in the Sunset Creek basin.
What to expect during construction
Crews will build new bridges across I-90 in stages. Traffic will shift around work zones while crews construct each bridge:
- The eastbound traffic shift starting Wednesday, Aug. 23, should last about six months. Once that section is complete, crews will shift traffic to the right side of the freeway.
- Construction on westbound I-90 will follow a similar pattern starting in the second half of 2024.
- Construction on the Southeast 36th Street bridge will start this fall, requiring a single lane closure lasting up to 18 months and a detour on the Mountains to Sound Greenway trail. Temporary traffic signals will control traffic through the work zone.
- Construction on Southeast Eastgate Way will begin in 2025 and require a full closure for six months. Signed detours will be in place.
Stay informed
People can follow progress on the I-90 Sunset Creek project by signing up for email updates and WSDOT’s weekly King County traffic newsletter.
For the latest construction closure information, visit the WSDOT real-time travel map and download the mobile app.