• Project

I-405/Northeast 85th Street Interchange and Inline BRT Station Project

Project overview

WSDOT and Sound Transit are partnering to reconstruct and improve the I-405/Northeast 85th Street interchange. This project design supports Sound Transit's Stride Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), improves transit connections on Northeast 85th Street, and provides direct access to the I-405 Express Toll Lanes (ETLs).

With the City of Kirkland’s support, WSDOT and Sound Transit chose Northeast 85th Street for this project because it serves as a main connection between Downtown Kirkland, Redmond, and I-405.
Working together, WSDOT, the City of Kirkland, and Sound Transit developed this project to improve accessibility for transit riders along the I-405 corridor and throughout the region and improve mobility and people who walk, bike, or roll.

The current interchange has two levels: the bottom level for local traffic on Northeast 85th Street and the top level for freeway traffic on I-405.

Project improvements along the bottom level include local road improvements along Northeast 85th Street and its intersection with 114th Avenue Northeast/Kirkland Way.

The newly constructed middle level of the interchange is a multimodal hub. The hub will improve access and save time for transit riders, carpoolers, ETL users, and people who walk, bike, or roll. Transit riders will benefit from a new BRT station in the median of the northbound and southbound lanes, with connections to local bus stops. Pedestrians and cyclists will have wider sidewalks and better connections to BRT and the regional transit network. Carpoolers and ETL users will have direct-access ramps to the ETL system on I-405.

Once finished, this project will offer safer, more reliable transportation options for Kirkland residents, neighbors, and commuters – no matter how they get around.

Timeline
December 2022 - January 2027
Project status
Construction
Funding
$234.4M
Project hotline
425-456-8585

What to expect

Construction activities that will impact residents and travelers will begin in fall 2023.

Before significant construction activities begin in the fall, we will reach out to neighbors, businesses, and community partners in Kirkland to help everyone know what to expect when construction starts.

We will work to reduce construction impacts for nearby neighbors, businesses, and Kirkland residents and communicate updates regularly. We will also provide up-to-date information about traffic and alternative travel options to reduce the effects on travelers and commuters.

The project will replace the existing two-level interchange at Northeast 85th Street with a three-level interchange and construct local improvements along Northeast 85th Street and its intersection with 114th Avenue Northeast/Kirkland Way.

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