54-hour closure starts late Friday night, Feb. 24
SEATTLE – Travelers should plan ahead and find alternate routes for their trips across Lake Washington this weekend. At 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, crews will close both directions of State Route 520. Westbound SR 520 will close between Interstate 5 in Seattle and 92nd Avenue Northeast in Clyde Hill, while eastbound SR 520 will close between Montlake Boulevard and 92nd Avenue Northeast. The around the clock closure, which includes the SR 520 Trail, will extend until 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27.
During the weekend closure, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will place 30 girders, or support beams, over the highway for a future pedestrian and bicycle bridge. Seven girders will also be added for new HOV ramps that will lead to and from a new 3-acre lid (PDF 476KB) under construction in Seattle’s Montlake neighborhood. People can watch the weekend work on this construction camera during the closure.
The 72-foot wide bike and pedestrian bridge will be the first of its kind in Seattle. Lined with green space, trees and shrubs, the 14-foot path will be a new north/south non-motorized option to cross over SR 520 while taking foot and wheel traffic off Montlake Boulevard. Crews expect to open the new facility at the end of the year.
The work is part of the $455 million SR 520 Montlake Project. The project also builds three new eastbound lanes over Union Bay between Montlake Boulevard and the floating bridge on Lake Washington.
Keeping travelers informed
Drivers crossing Lake Washington during the weekend should take I-90 as an alternate route or consider delaying their trips if possible. The most up-to-date information on closures is available by visiting the SR 520 Construction Corner.
WSDOT provides other resources to help travelers stay informed:
- 24-hour SR 520 construction hotline: 206-775-8885.
- Email: sr520bridge@wsdot.wa.gov.
- Email updates: subscribe online.
- Twitter: SR 520 or WSDOT Traffic.