• Project

I-90 - Sunset Creek - Fish Passage

Southeast 36th Street will be reduced to a single lane between 132nd Avenue Southeast and 136th Place Southeast for up to 18 months starting at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 28. Crews will use the closure to build a new bridge across Sunset Creek. 

The westbound I-90 HOV lane between 142nd Place Southeast and I-405, and the westbound I-90 HOV on-ramp from 142nd Place Southeast to westbound I-90, are closed for up to two years. The eastbound I-90 HOV lane between I-405 and 142nd Place Southeast also will remain closed until May 2025. 

Traffic on eastbound I-90 will shift to the right for at least six months starting on Thursday, March 21. The lane shift creates space for a work zone on the left side of the freeway where crews will continue bridge construction. 

Project overview

As part of the state's fish recovery efforts, WSDOT has made it a priority to reconnect waterways where our roads act as barriers. In western Washington, that means building hundreds of fish passable structures under state highways in the next decade to create habitat gain essential for meeting our fish recovery goals. Beginning in 2023, WSDOT will build multiple structures under I-90 and local roads near Bellevue to restore natural stream conditions in Sunset Creek.

Timeline
2023 - 2027
Project status
Construction
Funding
$109.5 Million

What to expect

I-90 travelers and users of local roads can expect:

  • Long-term lane reductions and lane shifts for both directions of I-90
  • A single lane of alternating traffic on Southeast 36th Street for up to 1½ years
  • A six-month full closure of Southeast Eastgate Way

This project is combined into a single contract with two other fish passage projects on SR 161 and SR 202 and 203. Construction is scheduled to occur from 2023–2026. The work on I-90 begins in spring of 2023 but we cannot specify at this time when the other locations will begin. We will post important project updates as work progresses to our social media channels and weekly traffic news email.

By building four new fish passages under I-90, Southeast Eastgate Way and Southeast 36th Street, we can return Sunset Creek to its natural stream conditions and open important spawning habitat to help several species recover.