520 To Close Again Completely 2/10 Week-end

 WSDOT published this information:

In this update: Plan ahead! SR 520 and trail fully closing across Lake Washington weekend of Feb. 10 Construction Corner roundup

Plan ahead! SR 520 and trail fully closing across Lake Washington weekend of Feb. 10 SR 520 will be closed in both directions between I-5 in Seattle and 92nd Avenue Northeast on the Eastside from 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, to 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 13. The SR 520 Trail and Foster Island Trail also will be closed. During this closure, crews will place girders for a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge across SR 520 and an HOV direct-access ramp to the Montlake lid.

Montlake Bridge Closed and Re-Direction Of Lake Washington Exit This Week-end

 WSDOT published this information:

Off-ramp to Lake Washington Boulevard shifts onto lid this weekend, Oct. 29-Nov. 1 There’s another traffic shift coming your way this weekend, Montlake. Starting this Friday, Oct. 29, crews will shift the 24th Avenue East overpass (the westbound SR 520 off-ramp to Lake Washington Boulevard) onto the Montlake lid. There will be road and ramp closures from 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 until 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 1. Check out our video to see these shifts in action.  The following highway ramps and roads will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 until 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 1: Lake Washington Boulevard between Montlake Boulevard and East Foster Island Road in the Arboretum. Flaggers will be on hand to provide access for local residents. The Lake Washington Boulevard on-ramp to eastbound SR 520. The westbound SR 520 off-ramp to Lake Washington Boulevard. The westbound SR 520 off-ramp to Montlake Boulevard. The Montlake Bridge across the Montlake Cut. The following ramps will be closed from 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct.31 until 5 a.m. Monday, Nov. 1. The eastbound SR 520 off-ramp to Montlake Boulevard. There will be no eastbound exit at Montlake before the toll on the floating bridge. The Montlake Boulevard on-ramp to eastbound SR 520. The temporary trail under SR 520 and the SR 520 Trail across Lake Washington will remain open. Montlake Bridge closed this weekend during shift The Montlake Bridge across the Montlake Cut will also be closed this weekend from 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 until 5 a.m. Monday Nov. 1. Both directions of the Montlake Bridge will close to all traffic, including vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists. Shuttles will transport pedestrians and bicyclists from one side of the bridge to the other using a detour route. Heavy work last weekend to remove old Montlake Boulevard overpass Montlake Project crews completed a major milestone last weekend by demolishing the Montlake Boulevard overpass across SR 520. The entire bridge structure had to be brought down and trucked away in just a little over two days so that SR 520 could be reopened for the Monday morning commute. To accomplish this, the contractor brought to bear its entire arsenal of demolition machinery, including four giant excavators with hydraulic jackhammers. These machines worked around the clock from Friday night into the early morning hours of Sunday. The remainder of the weekend was devoted to loading and hauling away all the concrete debris. We’re grateful for the patience and understanding of nearby residents.   Click the image to view a YouTube video of the removal work. Construction Corner roundup Visit the SR 520 Construction Corner to stay informed on construction activities near you. Here are a few upcoming dates to remember: Oct. 24-28: Northbound lanes of Montlake Bridge closed each night Oct. 31: Eastbound SR 520 on- and off-ramps to Montlake Blvd closed overnight Nov. 1- 4: Westbound SR 520 ramps to northbound I-5 and East Roanoke Street closed weeknights Nov. 2,4,9,11: Eastbound SR 520 closed overnight 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

SR520 Construction Boating Restrictions

 WSDOT published this information:

Paddle safely this summer – boating restrictions around SR 520 construction With warmer weather upon us, we want to remind you to stay safe by staying out of our construction zones on Union Bay and Lake Washington. The map below shows the construction zone for work that will continue through 2023. Boaters and paddlers, please stay at least 100 feet from construction. Remember: The boating restrictions are active along the entire length of the construction zone and both sides of the bridge. Pay attention to signs posted at launch areas and within construction zones. Watch for changing conditions on the water. Always stay at least 100 feet away from construction activities. Safety is always our top priority. How to reach us and stay informed about SR 520 construction: Call the 24-hour construction hotline (206-775-8885) with pressing Montlake Project questions or concerns. 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

520 Closed This Week-end

WSDOT published this information:

520 Full Closure 9/11 11pm - 9/14 5am

During the work, crews will realign an exit ramp and replace a large sign bridge. Please plan to use alternate routes during the closure. Our new video has more details.  Crews will repair a damaged overhead sign structure that spans all lanes of SR 520, and realign SR 520 ramps in Montlake. Watch the video below for more information. 

What travelers should expect

• Crews will close all lanes and ramps of SR 520 in both directions between Montlake Boulevard and 92nd Avenue Northeast on the Eastside.
• Both directions of SR 520 will remain open between I-5 and Montlake Boulevard. Drivers must exit at Montlake Boulevard.
• The SR 520 Trail across Lake Washington will be closed.
• The temporary trail under SR 520 will be open during the day with intermittent closures, and fully closed at night.

Nighttime work and noise 

During the weekend work, nearby residents should expect increased noise and vibration as crews realign the SR 520 eastbound on-ramps from Montlake Boulevard and Lake Washington Boulevard, as well as the westbound off-ramp to Montlake Boulevard. Crews will work around the clock to minimize traffic interruptions and protect the safety of workers and the traveling public.  

The contractor has received the necessary permits, including a temporary noise variance from the city of Seattle, to complete this work. The variance allows nighttime work to exceed the noise limits granted under the project’s Major Public Projects Construction Noise Variance. Crews will do everything possible to complete this work as quickly, quietly and safely as possible. Please call the 24-hour hotline at 206-775-8885 if you have concerns so we can address them quickly.

The current eastbound on-ramp to SR 520 from Montlake Boulevard.

The future, realigned eastbound on-ramp to SR 520 from Montlake Boulevard.

SR520 noise starting

WSDOT published this information:

Start of SR 520 pile driving this week

After last weekend’s traffic shift, crews are now able to begin constructing the new eastbound SR 520 bridge between Montlake and the SR 520 floating bridge. As part of this bridge’s construction, crews will begin pile driving and bridge removal activities as early as this week and continue into spring 2020.

What is pile driving and why is it necessary?

Pile driving is a construction method that uses vibratory and impact hammers to drive large steel piles into the ground to build support structures. As early as Thursday, Nov. 14, crews will begin to vibrate steel piles into the bottom of the lake and then hit them with an impact hammer to ensure that they are firmly installed.

The steel piles are necessary to construct a work platform or temporary “bridge” that will be used to remove the old, structurally vulnerable eastbound bridge and build a stronger replacement. Work bridges are commonly used in shallower waters like these areas of Lake Washington and the Arboretum. To limit the number of piles needed, crews will also use the old bridge as a temporary work platform.

What will I notice?

Pile driving is loud and causes vibrations. As early as this week, you may hear a repeated pinging sound, which is the sound of a large hammer hitting a steel pile. Pile driving is planned to take place between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, as per the terms of the project’s Major Public Project Construction Noise Variance. When pile driving begins, crews plan to work six days a week – Monday through Saturday.

As crews begin removing the old bridge, saw-cutting and other removal activities will also produce noise. The noisiest part of the work — pile driving, saw cutting and removal — will occur during the daytime. During the nighttime, you may also hear noise and see light from trucks loading and hauling materials to and from the worksite.

Where will this work be?

Crews will first start at the west end of the old bridge and work east. After we close the Arboretum on-ramp later this year, we also will begin working near Foster Island and continue east as we remove the old bridge.

How will crews monitor noise and vibration?

Electronic noise and vibration meters record levels throughout the project area. Vibration monitors will collect data in the field and immediately alert the project team when readings are outside the set tolerances. Our 24-hour hotline, 206-775-8885, is the best way to report noise and vibration concerns and have questions addressed in the moment.

Go here for compete and most up-to-date construction  information.  

For questions, send email to sr520bridge@wsdot.wa.gov or call the 24-hour construction hotline (206-775-8885).  The Montlake Project Information Center (2209 East North Street is open Mondays and Wednesdays noon to 6 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays 8 a.m. to noon, and the third Saturday of the month, 9 a.m. to noon.

Wednesday WSDOT Public Meeting Regarding Montlake Market

Tomorrow at 5:30pm, WSDOT is holding a  public meeting to share information about the status of their acquisition of the property where the Montlake Boulevard Market and 76 gas station are located. The meeting will be held at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church (2100 Boyer Avenue East). 

WSDOT will share information and "gather community feedback on potential scenarios and tradeoffs associated with their efforts to preserve the Montlake Market building, as well as discuss ideas being evaluated for preserving the market building and review  their contractor's current construction plan for the SR 520 Montlake Project."

The Laurelhurst Community Club has been closely monitoring this issue, attending the public meetings, as well as those that have to do with the "Rest of the West," the next phase of SR520 construction already underway, from the Montlake Interchange, near Laurelhurst, to I-5.

The Montlake Community Council recently published this information on their Blog about the Montlake Boulevard Market:

An independent assessment of WSDOT’s environmental testing of the Montlake Market and gas station properties has some good news for the community ahead of WSDOT’s open house on Wednesday. 

The report’s author observed WSDOT’s environmental testing conducted in December, took split samples of the drilling materials, reviewed WSDOT’s sampling results, and has assessed the potential risks of the contamination levels on the property.  

Based on the sampling to date, there is no environmental justification for demolishing the market or closing the gas station to clean-up the contamination that WSDOT has identified. The levels of gasoline-range petroleum hydrocarbons exceeding Model Toxics Control Act Method A clean-up levels are “limited to the Gas Station Parcel.”  

The assessment concludes that, based on existing data, it appears clean-up techniques routinely employed in gas station contamination clean-up actions can be used here to remediate the soil and groundwater contamination under state law, while leaving the existing buildings intact, the Market in operation, and even avoiding closure of the gas station, except perhaps on a short term basis. 

A copy of the report’s executive summary follows below, and a copy of the full report is here. 

The environmental contamination WSDOT has identified should have no bearing on whether WSDOT can save the Market, the Market property’s cell towers, and even the gas station from the department’s SR 520 construction plans. 

WSDOT has indicated they will provide a “property soil-testing update” at Wednesday’s open house, in an attempt to “be as transparent as possible.” They will also be providing design scenarios for avoiding the market and limiting construction impacts on the property in an effort to adhere to the Washington State Legislature’s directive for the department to preserve the market “to the maximum extent practicable.”

More information on tomorrow's meeting is here.

520 Next Phase Noise Construction Impacts

Last month, the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) granted WSDOT a nighttime construction noise variance for the next phase of the SR 520 Montlake construction stating:

This Major Public Project Construction Noise Variance defines the allowable nighttime noise limits of Montlake Phase construction, identifies measures to minimize nighttime construction noise for neighbors, and requires WSDOT to meet specific conditions established with the variance. 

More detailed information regarding the city’s decision and the specific conditions in the variance can be found on the SDCI’s Land Use Information Bulletin (project #3030792). 

The recent Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) newsletter published a letter from citizens across various neighborhoods:

Citizen Advocacy, Construction Impacts 
by Pete DeLaunay, president of the Portage Bay Roanoke Park Community Council and part of a coalition of impacted Seattle neighborhoods Laurelhurst, Montlake, Portage Bay, Roanoke Park and North Capitol Hill  – representing 8,000+ Seattle families. Trustee Colleen McAleer represents LCC in this coalition.

We are fortunate to live in a city where an informed citizenry can prevent government over reach. Impacts from replacement of the SR520 bridge replacement on hundreds of Seattle residents is a good example. It has mobilized impacted Seattle residents to raise legitimate fact-based objections and suggestions for improvement as the $4.5B project dissects dense neighborhoods.  

Informed neighborhood volunteers are not being silenced as bridge builders with unlimited resources provide reams of detailed rationale for exceeding Seattle’s noise ordinances, managing traffic congestion on surface streets and amending previous commitments to complete the project more cheaply and quickly.   

Seattle communities are speaking with one voice, to protect the health and well being of residents from construction impacts. Neighborhoods do not dispute the value of the bridge replacement but we will continue to raise health and environmental concerns, holding bridge builders accountable for disruptive construction practices. 

Over the written objections from more than 500 Seattle residents and  18 Seattle area Legislators, the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections has granted conditional approval of a major project noise variance application that will allow night time work. The application was aggressively driven by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The approved noise variance will allow WSDOT contractors to work all day and all night until 2023. While the prospect of 24/7 construction is daunting, hundreds of Seattle residents that raised objections get some measure of satisfaction knowing that SDCI conditionally granted the noise variance, and will conduct annual noise compliance evaluations. 

Following push-back from the public, SDCI will now require bridge builders to hire an independent noise monitor, install seven noise monitoring devices, and a telephone hotline to report excessive noise complaints. These actions are the result of sustaining neighborhood engagement with Legislators and city officials that will continue far into the future as the project draws to completion. Although we are volunteers, over many years we have become familiar with conditions and commitments in environmental and mitigation documents.  

We understand the importance of the bridge replacement, but not at the expense of public health and the environment. The City of Seattle’s efforts to mitigate construction noise is greatly appreciated, and we hope the City will act diligently and aggressively to uphold the interests of its residents from the conditional night time noise variance to permitting, inspections and reviews it conducts on this project going forward.  

We support WSDOT’s stated mission – “To improve mobility for people and goods across Lake Washington within the SR 520 corridor in a manner that is safe, reliable, and cost-effective, while mitigating impacts on affected neighborhoods and the environment.” Our communities want to do everything we can to help achieve this outcome as well.

SR520 Ribbon Cutting Celebration On 5/20

You’re invited – join us Sunday, May 20, to celebrate the SR 520 Trail The SR 520 Trail opened across Lake Washington last December, and since then, bicyclists and pedestrians have taken over 70,000 trips on the trail! Now that the weather is warming up, we want to celebrate this project milestone with an informal ribbon-cutting event on Sunday, May 20 – "520 Day!" You’ll have the chance to cut your very own SR 520 Trail ribbon and enjoy a trip on the trail!  We'll have a short ceremony at 11 a.m. to acknowledge our community partners, including Cascade Bicycle Club, and then you'll have a chance to cut your very own SR 520 Trail ribbon and enjoy a trip on the trail! And if you're participating in the Washington Bikes 2018 Bike Everywhere Challenge, this is a perfect chance to explore the new trail and earn points for your team! The trail-opening ceremony will take place: Date: Sunday, May 20, 2018 Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (ceremony at 11 a.m.) Location: The SR 520 Trail’s western trailhead in East Montlake Park (2802 East Park Drive East, Seattle, WA, 98112) Go here for more information

Saturday Montlake Bridge Maintenance Work

WSDOT published this information:

Montlake Bridge maintenance work this Saturday morning, Jan. 6 Do your travel plans take you near UW this weekend? If so, don’t forget that the inside lanes of SR 513/Montlake Boulevard across the Montlake Bridge will be closed from 7 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6. These lane closures will give our maintenance crews some space to make repairs to the bridge deck. Pedestrian and bicycle access across the bridge will not be affected by this work. This work is unrelated to the SR 520 project. For questions, contact Nicole Daniels at 406-440-4479. To report noise concerns, call 1-888-808-4DOT (4368).

Tomorrow SR520 Tollling Increases, Overnight Tolling Starts And New Montlake Exit

WSDOT published this information about new tolling rates and update on "Rest of the West" with the new Montlake off ramp coming soon:

Heads up: SR 520 bridge toll going up July 1, along with start of overnight tolling Drivers who cross the State Route 520 floating bridge will see will see a 5 percent increase in weekday and weekend toll rates on July 1. In addition, overnight tolling begins that day. Here are the details: Nighttime tolling: Formerly toll-free, bridge crossings between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. will cost $1.25 for those with a Good To Go! pass. Peak-period tolls: During peak commuting hours, the toll’s rate change equates to a 20 cent increase – from $4.10 to $4.30 for Good To Go! pass holders. Additional charge for Pay By Mail: The additional $2 per crossing Pay By Mail charge for drivers without a Good To Go! Pass is not changing. These increases were approved by the Washington State Transportation Commission  in May 2016. As authorized by the state Legislature, tolling on the new floating bridge is designed to generate $1.2 billion toward the $4.5 billion cost of reconstructing SR 520  between I-405 and I-5. If you have questions about tolling on SR 520 or elsewhere in Washington state, please contact the WSDOT Tolling Division at goodtogotolling@wsdot.wa.gov.   Coming soon! New, westbound SR 520 off-ramps to Montlake  New day, new way for drivers In a few weeks, WSDOT will open new off-ramps from the brand new West Approach Bridge North. This will be the first time westbound drivers travel on the new approach structure and use the new off-ramps to Montlake Boulevard and Lake Washington Boulevard.  The new off-ramps are scheduled to open mid-July. The new bridges westbound mainline lanes from the floating bridge's to Montlake are scheduled to open in late August.  The opening of the new WABN structure will take place in phases so that crews can remove the existing ramp to make space for completion of the mainline construction. As we get closer to this change, we will send more detailed information with graphics, videos, weekend work impacts and the specific date of the off-ramp opening. Be sure to stay in the loop by reading these email updates, following us on twitter and visiting our website. Here’s a sneak peek at what to expect when the exit lane and off-ramps open: A westbound SR 520 closure from 11 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday the weekend before the westbound off-ramps open. Round-the-clock work during the westbound SR 520 closure.  An earlier exit for the new westbound SR 520 off-ramps, close to the western end of the floating bridge (before the sentinel). Continued construction access via the 24th Avenue East bridge as crews use the MOHAI staging area through the end of the project.