Politics & Government

State Route 520 Bridge Reopened Monday Morning After Weekend Construction

One off-ramp to Bellevue Way Northeast did not open at the expected scheduled time and was expected to reopen about 7:30 a.m., according to the WSDOT.

Crews reopened State Route 520 Monday morning after completing a busy weekend of major construction projects, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

One off-ramp to Bellevue Way Northeast did not open at the expected scheduled time and was expected to reopen about 7:30 a.m., according to the WSDOT. Drivers were sent on a detour to Interstate 405 and Northeast Eighth Street to reach Bellevue Way.

Another weekend closure of the highway is set for July 8-11 as part of a three-year project to widen the highway for better safety and travel reliability, WSDOT reported.

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“Drivers helped to reduce congestion this weekend by changing how and where they traveled, and that allowed us to complete a long list of work,” said Brian Dobbins, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) construction manager for the SR 520 Eastside Transit and HOV Project in a prepared statement. By scheduling weekend-long closures for major construction, the highway stays open for commuters and businesses during the work week, he said.

During the SR 520 weekend closure, demolition crews tore down a pedestrian bridge in Medina, and construction crews excavated a 30-foot-deep trench in Bellevue and installed a prebuilt concrete culvert to improve fish migration beneath the highway. Crews also built a new temporary off-ramp and intersection at Bellevue Way Northeast. The ramp will be used by an estimated 11,250 drivers daily. A permanent intersection will be built during the next two years as part of a new interchange.

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While the highway was closed, maintenance crews also tested the floating bridge drawspan and a crew conducted geotechnical drilling just east of Montlake Boulevard. Construction crews also removed two overhead electronic sign gantries, precut the highway for future culvert work, and did maintenance along the highway, including sweeping and repairing guardrail and glare screens.

-- Information from Washington State Department of Transportation


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