The construction now underway for the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program is the Montlake Project. This project is the first stage of all remaining SR 520 improvements in Seattle – what we call the “Rest of the West.” For the most up-to-date information about current SR 520 construction activities and planned road closures, check our SR 520 Construction Corner and its interactive construction map. You also can view Montlake Project construction photos and time-lapse action, taken 'round the clock at 10-minute intervals, by four mounted construction cameras. In addition, this question-and-answer document (pdf 544 kb) addresses an array of project-related issues.
SR 520’s 1960s-era west approach bridge, supported by hollow columns, is at risk of failure in a severe earthquake. In addition, the highway’s old, four-lane segment in Seattle is typically at capacity during peak periods. Now that we’ve completed reconstruction of the highway’s Eastside segment and replaced the old floating bridge, we are moving forward to complete the remaining SR 520 safety and mobility improvements from Lake Washington to I-5.
The end result
Montlake Project key improvements in the Montlake area
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Project benefits
WSDOT acquired the Montlake Market and 76 gas station property in June 2019 to enable permanent improvements to the SR 520 corridor, provide space for detours to keep traffic flowing in Montlake during construction, and efficiently stage the work. WSDOT and the market’s operators have completed a lease that could keep the market open until Jan. 1, 2020, after which the market building will be removed. In addition, under a directive from the state Legislature, WSDOT is exploring opportunities for a smaller, temporary market or food service to operate in Montlake during the approximate four years of Montlake Project construction. Once Montlake Project construction is complete, WSDOT will sell the remaining, unimproved portion of the market property – a sale that will happen about six years sooner than we’d previously planned. You'll find more information by reading our answers to market-related questions (pdf 105 kb) we received during our 2019 online survey and from our November 2018 public meeting (pdf 250 kb).
A company named Crown Castle currently operates a wireless-communications facility – called a “monopole” – on the Montlake Market property. The pole serves two wireless carriers. There are also two facilities on the roof of the market that serve two additional wireless carriers. In order to maintain emergency 911 service and uninterrupted cell phone service for the Montlake area, Crown Castle is working with WSDOT to remove its wireless equipment from the Montlake Market property and erect a new, temporary wireless structure on the nearby WSDOT Peninsula. The new pole will be able to accommodate all four wireless-service providers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon) that currently use the Montlake Market property. Please read our Q&A document (pdf 185 kb) for additional information.
Construction of the SR 520 Montlake Project has moved into high gear with contractor crews preparing a work zone for building a Montlake lid over the highway, an improved Montlake Boulevard interchange, and other corridor enhancements. Some of the work needs to occur at night to avoid disruptions to weekday traffic, so we applied for and received a noise variance from the city of Seattle. Learn about the conditions for our nighttime work by reading our noise-variance application (pdf 1.2 mb) and the city's decision granting the variance. (pdf 4 mb) While certain construction activities need to happen at night, we look for opportunities to conduct noisy work, when possible, during the day to reduce nighttime effects on the neighborhood.
Our website’s planning-documents webpage contains extensive information about the Seattle Community Design Process and other project-design initiatives and reports. There will be more design work for future Rest of the West projects, with additional opportunities for public comment.
Montlake Project design rendering
Artistic rendering of the transit hub on a planned SR 520 highway lid in Montlake.
Traffic shift to build new west approach bridge
As crews start removing the old, 1960s-era west approach bridge from Lake Union to build the West Approach Bridge South, all SR 520 traffic will shift onto the West Approach Bridge North, opened in 2017. During this interim construction period, the West Approach Bridge North will carry two general-purpose lanes of traffic in both the eastbound and westbound directions, as shown in the graphic below. Eastbound traffic is scheduled to move onto the West Approach Bridge North on Oct. 28, 2019.
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Funding
This project, with a $455 million contract cost, is part of the remaining $1.6 billion in SR 520 improvements from Lake Washington to I-5 – the “Rest of the West.” These improvements are funded by the 2015 Connecting Washington transportation legislation. For more information on SR 520 funding, visit the Budget and Performance page.
A commitment to fair contracting
WSDOT is committed to meeting the governor's voluntary goal of providing 26 percent of the contract value for Connecting Washington transportation projects – including the SR 520 Montlake Project – to minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned and disadvantaged small businesses. Learn more about the SR 520 Diversity and Inclusion Program.
Here are some resources you can use to stay informed about this project:
If your organization is interested in receiving a project briefing or presentation, please contact us.
