Officials: SR 520 Bridge to Open on Time Monday Morning

The Washington State Department of Transportation said Saturday that state Route 520 bridge construction work over the Father's Day weekend is on schedule and it expects to re-open the eastbound and westbound lanes first thing Monday morning. 

A 30-foot-deep culvert, the first of eight that the state plans to install to improve fish migration, is expected to be fully dug and paved by the 5 a.m. Monday deadline that WSDOT previously announced.

The other seven culverts will be dug between Medina and Bellevue over the next three years. Each culvert will be 130 feet wide, according to the WSDOT release.

The construction crew for the 520 bridge closure has just the weekend to finish work on the culvert in order for the highway to be available for Monday's morning commute.

The $306 million project, of which the bridge closure is just a small part, aims to create a new Eastside Corridor that will widen 520 to a total of six lanes between Medina and state Route 202 by Christmas 2013. (Editor's note: This wording has been changed from the original story for clarity.)

The project is limited to just 20 weekend closures over the next three years in order to prevent consistent traffic congestion as a result of the construction work.

WSDOT has also said that it expected the mid-afternoon periods of Saturday and Sunday to be the most heavy traffic periods this weekend.

Possibly adding to traffic delays is the Mariners game vs. the Philadelphia Phillies at Safeco Field on Sunday.

From a release WSDOT sent to the media June 14:

“Whether you’re headed to the Mariners’ games, the Fremont Solstice Parade and Fair or celebrating Father’s Day, we’re asking drivers to plan ahead for major traffic delays on all Puget Sound highways,” said Brian Dobbins, WSDOT construction engineer.

The project will cause closures between I-405 and Montlake Boulevard, causing traffic congestion throughout the area. Consequently, I-90, I-405 and I-5 are all expected to see heavier-than-usual traffic buildup as drivers take alternate routes around the 520 construction. 

According to Dobbins, who is also the construction manager for the SR 520 and HOV Construction Project, key alternate routes for drivers heading into Seattle from the south end include SR 509, SR 599, East Marginal Way South, Airport Way South and Fourth Avenue South. 

Dobbins also said that residents near the construction area should expect noise from the work and machinery, and that work at night is likely this weekend. 

According to a release from Jeff Switzer, WSDOT 520 project communications liaison, I-5 and I-90 express lanes will work under expanded schedules in order to accommodate the heavier traffic.