Heads up for drivers and neighbors: full highway closure this weekend, with overnight work

SR 520 will be closed this weekend between Montlake Boulevard and 92nd Avenue Northeast to allow for critical construction activities. The highway will close at 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14 and reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 17. Crews will take advantage of the closure to continue demolishing the section of the “Ramps to Nowhere” that passes over SR 520 near the Washington Park Arboretum. Crews will also continue building the temporary work bridge that will serve as a platform for constructing the new West Approach Bridge North (WABN). The direct-access ramps for carpools and buses to and from 108th Avenue Northeast will be closed at the same time. Crews working on the SR 520 Eastside Transit and HOV Project will install drainage systems along the ramps

November 7, 2014 Update from WSDOT

Lane closures on Montlake Bridge this Sunday morning

WSDOT is reducing the Montlake Bridge to one lane in each direction this Sunday morning, Nov. 9. During the lane closures, crews will perform routine repair work to the bridge deck. Drivers should expect delays in the area between 6:30 and 11:30 a.m.

In the Seattle area, drivers can get real-time traffic information on their phone with the WSDOT traffic app, tracking the WSDOT traffic Twitter feed, and get advanced information from the What’s Happening Now page.
Reminder: Full closure of SR 520 coming Nov. 14 to 17

SR 520 will be closed in both directions next weekend, Nov. 14 to 17, between Montlake Boulevard and 92nd Avenue Northeast. The closure will begin at 11 p.m. Friday and end at 5 a.m. Monday.

During the closure, crews will continue demolishing the section of the “Ramps to Nowhere” that passes above SR 520 near Washington Park Arboretum. Crews will also continue building the temporary work bridge that will stage the construction of the new West Approach Bridge North.
We’re bridging the gap on Lake Washington

As busy as our construction schedule is, we like to appreciate the informal milestones we reach along the way. We had such a moment at the end of October during assembly of the new floating bridge on Lake Washington.

The “floating” in the new floating bridge is supplied by 77 concrete pontoons. The backbone of the bridge consists of 21 “longitudinal” pontoons, each 360 feet long and 11,000 tons, plus one “cross” pontoon at either end. They’re aligned end-to-end and anchored to the lakebed. As of this month, more than half of these massive pontoons (12 of 23) are now in their permanent positions. So by this measure, we’re halfway across the lake!

If you want to get technical, one pontoon is anchored on the west side and the other 11 are connected together on the east side. And the new 520 bridge is longer than the section supported by pontoons. But we’re proud of how far we’ve come on building the world’s longest floating bridge, and we’re excited to share this progress with you.

The Washington State Department of Transportation has announced the start of the next phase of the SR 520 Bridge replacement project. The West Approach Bridge North Project (WABN) will begin this month with the installation of construction fencing and preparation of staging areas. Construction will impact Lake Washington Bldv at the north end of the Arboretum and nearby residential areas. Construction update with map & project overview.

How to keep informed about the project:

Email
Sign up for WABN construction email updates:
public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOT/subscriber/new
Email project staff: SR520Bridge@wsdot.wa.gov
Online
Visit the SR 520 Orange Page website: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520Bridge/520orangepage/
Visit the WABN project website: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520Bridge/WABN/
Follow us on Twitter: @WSDOT_520
Phone
Call the SR 520 24-hour construction hotline: 206-708-4657