Crews will close the State Route 520 floating bridge next weekend, Aug. 25-28, to shift traffic onto the new westbound lanes connecting the bridge to Montlake.

“Once the bridge reopens, drivers headed toward Seattle will no longer curve to the left at the west end of the floating bridge, but instead will continue straight onto the new West Approach Bridge North bridge,” said Washington State Department of Transportation Project Engineer Steve Strand.

WSDOT built the new, 1.2-mile-long bridge to meet modern earthquake standards. The structure includes a transit/HOV lane for westbound traffic and a full shoulder for disabled vehicles. The highway realignment also relocates a transit stop under the 24th Avenue East overpass in Montlake.

Closure details

From 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, until 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 28, crews will close westbound SR 520 and all associated on- and off-ramps between 92nd Avenue Northeast on the Eastside and Montlake Boulevard, along with the floating bridge’s bicycle and pedestrian path. Crews will also close eastbound SR 520 between Interstate 5 and 92nd Avenue Northeast.

Coming in November: bike or walk across Lake Washington

As part of the West Approach Bridge North project, crews will extend SR 520’s regional bike and pedestrian path, which currently ends on the floating bridge, west to Montlake Boulevard. Beginning in November, bicyclists and pedestrians will be able to travel the entire length of the bridge, as well as connect to local and regional trails on both sides of the lake. Crews will also make improvements to local streets in the Montlake area.

What’s ahead: the SR 520 Montlake Phase

In 2018, work begins on the Montlake Phase, a project that will build new eastbound lanes from Montlake to the floating bridge. Crews will replace the highway’s west approach bridge, which requires temporarily shifting all SR 520 traffic onto the new West Approach Bridge North. Upon completion of the Montlake Phase, SR 520 will carry six lanes of traffic—three in each direction, including transit/HOV lanes—from the Eastside to Montlake Boulevard.

Crews will also build an overpass with an improved Montlake Boulevard interchange, a bicycle and pedestrian overpass, new stormwater treatment facilities, and other enhancements. When this phase is complete, WSDOT will proceed with construction of a new, six-lane Portage Bay Bridge between Montlake and I-5, and a lidded overpass between 10th Avenue East and Delmar Drive East.