WSDOT Hires SR 520 Ombudsman/Community Liaison And Bridge Update

WSDOT recently published this information:

New SR 520 Ombudsman/Community Liaison starts on Monday, May 8 We are happy to share that we have hired an SR 520 Ombudsman/Community Liaison to work with our Seattle neighbors most affected by the SR 520 corridor construction. After an extensive interview process, we are pleased to announce that David Goldberg will be starting in this new position on Monday, May 8. David knows there will be challenges ahead during construction, and is ready to serve as the Ombudsman/Community Liaison to assist neighbors before and during construction. David is a current member of the Seattle Planning Commission and former member and chair of the Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board. With a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Columbia University School of Journalism, David served as a reporter in Atlanta for a dozen years, specializing in transportation and planning. David completed a Loeb Fellowship at Harvard University in Urban and Environmental Studies, which launched him into the next 15 years working on national movements for smart growth and innovative transportation policy, and honed his keen understanding of working with communities and within multiple levels of government. WSDOT is thrilled that David will bring his experience in transportation, community coordination, and public engagement to this important new position.  We will be working to find forums for meet and greet opportunities with David in the near future. We’ll keep you posted on those dates and hope you will be able to join us.  Thanks again to all of our neighbors who continue to participate in community forums and share your feedback about SR 520 construction. Your ongoing engagement will inform David’s work as he helps us prepare for the Montlake Phase of construction. We look forward to having our new Ombudsman/Community Liaison on board soon. Paving the way to Montlake Earlier this week, crews completed the 41st and final section of the new West Approach Bridge North roadway deck. This milestone comes a little over a year after the grand opening of the new SR 520 floating bridge and creates continuous new pavement from shore to shore across Lake Washington. In the next few months, the Montlake area will start to look different as the new structure transforms from a construction site to an active roadway.  One of the next steps is to complete the WABN landing, as shown in the picture below. This is where the new approach bridge will connect to two new westbound SR 520 off-ramps that will travel through the old MOHAI site. Crews will also finish building concrete barriers for pedestrians and traffic, as well as installing electrical, fire protection and other utility connections.  The next few months will be busy for the WABN crews with new westbound off-ramps to Lake Washington Boulevard and Montlake Boulevard opening this summer, followed by the opening of the new bridge’s two general-purpose lanes and HOV lane in late summer.  Later this year, bicyclists and pedestrians will be able to cross the much-anticipated SR 520 trail connecting the Eastside and Seattle!  Stay tuned for more information as we confirm the bridge-opening dates. For the first time since the West Approach Bridge North project began in 2014, crews connect bridge and land after placing concrete Monday for the last segment of the bridge’s roadway deck. Just west of the new concrete is a graded section of land where the old Museum of History and Industry used to be, in Montlake. How to stay informed during WABN construction: Call the 24-hour construction hotline (206-708-4657) with pressing questions or concerns. Email WABN staff with your questions about the project or construction activities. Join us for our monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Graham Visitors Center. Visit the SR 520 Orange Page for the most up-to-date information on closures and construction impacts. Visit the WABN project 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.