Construction on a new bridge across Sunset Creek along Southeast Eastgate Way is scheduled to start on or about April 7, 2025, requiring a six-month closure of both travel lanes between Seattle Humane and Polaris at Eastgate. Local access will be permitted to the east and west of the work zone, and a signed detour will be in place for the duration of the closure.
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 to fish passage. 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. WSDOT is building bridges over Sunset Creek along both directions of I-90, Southeast Eastgate Way and Southeast 36th Street in Bellevue. These bridges will replace culverts that block fish passage and allow natural stream conditions to return in Sunset Creek. This work will happen in stages until early 2027.
What to expect
I-90 travelers and users of local roads can expect:
- Lane shifts on eastbound and westbound I-90 between 142nd Place Southeast and I-405 for construction of new freeway bridges over Sunset Creek.
- I-90 bridge construction is slated to finish in early 2026.
- Streambed and habitat restoration in Sunset Creek will begin in 2026 and continue into early 2027.
- Long-term HOV lane closures on both directions of I-90 between 142nd Place Southeast and I-405 to create work zones in the median of I-90.
- A six-month closure of all lanes of Southeast Eastgate Way is scheduled to start in April 2025 between Seattle Humane and Polaris at Eastgate for construction of a new bridge over Sunset Creek.
- A detour for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians will be in place for the duration of the closure using Richards Road, Southeast 26th Street and 139th Avenue Southeast.
- King County Metro bus stops on Southeast Eastgate Way will relocate to Richards Road and 139th Avenue Southeast during bridge construction.
- Local access will be permitted to the east and west of the closure on Southeast Eastgate Way.
- Construction will primarily occur during the day between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
- Bridge construction on Southeast 36th Street over Sunset Creek finished in late February 2025. Utility work will continue in the area through spring 2025.
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 in stages from 2023–2027. The work on I-90 began in the spring of 2023 and remains active.
By building four new fish passages under I-90, Southeast Eastgate Way and Southeast 36th Street, we can restore natural stream conditions in Sunset Creek and open spawning habitat to help several fish species recover.
