Traffic & Transit

Full 520 Bridge Closure Starts Friday Night

WSDOT crews are preparing to close the bridge over Lake Washington to install two dozen girders for the future Montlake lid.

Lucas Combos's profile picture
Lucas Combos, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
|
New aerial photos shared this month show progress in constructing a new three-acre lid over State Route 520 in Seattle's Montlake neighborhood.
New aerial photos shared this month show progress in constructing a new three-acre lid over State Route 520 in Seattle's Montlake neighborhood. (Washington State Department of Transportation)

SEATTLE — Drivers will be down a route across Lake Washington over the weekend after state transportation crews close both directions of the State Route 520 bridge late Friday. The latest multi-day closure is part of the state's larger overhaul of SR 520, which is designed to transform one of Puget Sound's busiest corridors over the next decade to improve safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike.

The project includes five landscaped "lids" over the freeway, with three on the Eastside and two in Seattle. The weekend closure will allow contractors to install two dozen more large girders over the Seattle side of the freeway, extending the backbone for the future Montlake lid further east.

(Washington State Department of Transportation)

Once complete, the lid will span three acres, offering residents and visitors new green space and better access to transit stops. A new north-south bridge for pedestrians and cyclists will connect Arboretum trails with Montlake and the University District.

Find out what's happening in Seattlewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

While crews work over the weekend, drivers should plan on alternate routes between Seattle and the Eastside, from 11 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday. Cyclists and pedestrians will still have access to the trail over Lake Washington during the closure.

Elsewhere in Seattle, drivers will have to contend with another weekend of "Revive I-5" expansion joint repairs, which will funnel all southbound traffic on the freeway down to one lane south of Interstate 90.

Find out what's happening in Seattlewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

State Route 520 Bridge Weekend Closure

  • When: 11 p.m. Friday (Aug. 26) - 5 a.m. Monday (Aug. 29)
  • Location: SR 520 bridge, between I-5 in Seattle and Yarrow Point on the Eastside.
  • More info here.
(Washington State Department of Transportation)

More resources for drivers, from WSDOT:

  • Call the SR 520 Program information line (206-770-3554, M-F 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.) with general SR 520 inquiries.
  • Email SR 520 staff with your questions about the project or construction activities.
  • Visit the SR 520 Construction Corner for the most up-to-date information on closures and construction impacts.
  • Visit the SR 520 Program website to find general information about the project.
  • Follow @wsdot_520 on Twitter to get key news and updates about the SR 520 program.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Seattle