Montlake monthly meeting today, upcoming closures

Washington State Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 09/14/2022 11:38 AM PDT
There is a horizontal green band that reads Rest of the West News. Above it is the letters W S D O T. An oval on the right reads state route 520.

In this update:

Final reminder for today’s Montlake Project monthly meeting

You can still register for our 12:30 p.m. online meeting today to learn about construction of the bicycle and pedestrian bridge we’re building over SR 520 to the east of the future Montlake lid. You’ll hear about upcoming highway closures as well. Register below to attend and participate in a Q&A.

Date/Time: Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 12:30 p.m.

Register: https://bit.ly/SR520_Sept14_MonthlyMeeting

Upcoming I-5 closures

Heads up! The I-5 express lanes and the southbound I-5 off-ramp to Mercer Street are closing next weekend for work on the SR 520/I-5 Express Lanes Connection Project.

On Friday, Sept. 23 the southbound I-5 off-ramp to Mercer Street will close at 9 p.m., and the I-5 express lanes will close at their regular time of 11 p.m. Both will remain closed until Monday, Sept. 26, with the off-ramp reopening at 4 a.m. and the express lanes opening at the regular weekday time of 5 a.m.

Crews will start building another concrete pier that will support a new reversible ramp connecting the express lanes to SR 520. Crews will also continue work on a retaining wall for the project’s off-ramp to westbound Mercer Street.

Sept. 28 and 29 nightly closures of westbound SR 520

Heads up night owls: Crews will completely close westbound SR 520 across Lake Washington (from 92nd Avenue Northeast on the Eastside to I-5 in Seattle) overnight on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29. The closures start at 9 p.m. each night and wrap up at 5 a.m. the following morning. The nightly closures are needed to realign lanes and work zones in the Montlake neighborhood.  

Portage Bay test pile update

On Friday, Sept. 9, crews completed their work to install and remove the second, and final, test pile in preparation for the upcoming Portage Bay Bridge and Roanoke Lid Project. The test pile work, which took place on land in late August and in the water last week, provided valuable noise and vibration data. This data will allow the Portage Bay project team to plan for anticipated vibration levels and set vibration limits to prevent damage to buildings and other existing infrastructure during project construction. In the coming weeks, we’ll report out some of the key findings collected during the test pile work.

A crane is positioned on a barge as crews prepare to install a temporary test pile in Portage Bay.

A crane is positioned on a barge as crews prepare to install a temporary test pile in Portage Bay.

Traffic change for westbound SR 520 to southbound I-5

Crews have reduced the westbound SR 520 off-ramp to southbound I-5 from two lanes to one. This is to prepare for a future work zone area related to the SR 520/I-5 Express Lanes Connection Project.

Closing the lane is a safety decision and will help crews work more efficiently. It also removes the need for full or nightly closures of the off-ramp, which would extend the project timeline.

For travelers, this means you’ll see more congestion on the ramp during peak commute times. Consider carpooling, public transit or taking alternate routes. The lane reduction is anticipated to last through at least February 2023.

A map of the lane reduction and construction zone for the WB 520 off-ramp to SB I-5 lane reduction.

Drivers will need to merge into one lane when using the westbound SR 520 off-ramp to southbound I-5 through February 2023.

Construction Corner roundup

  • Ongoing: Montlake Boulevard eastbound on-ramp closed weeknights
  • Sept. 23-26: Southbound I-5 off-ramp to Mercer St closed
  • Sept. 28 & 29: Westbound SR 520 closed overnight (Eastside to I-5)

How to reach us and stay informed about SR 520 construction:

  • Call or text our project-specific construction hotlines with pressing questions or concerns related to the:
    • Montlake Project: 206-775-8885
    • SR 520/I-5 Connection Project: 206-316-2559 
  • 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 us on Twitter @wsdot_520 to get key news and updates about the SR 520 program.
  • View current Montlake Project construction photos, taken continuously day and night, by mounted construction cameras
  • Share the ROTW listserv with your friends and neighbors

Thank you for signing up for the SR 520 Rest of the West news email updates. WSDOT will keep the community informed of current and planned construction activities through these updates and the other tools listed above.