Date:
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Contact:
Doug Haight, Project Engineer, (425) 649-4429 (Bellevue)
Melanie Coon, WSDOT Communications, (206) 440-4700 (Seattle)
KIRKLAND – The Washington State Department of Transportation will close all lanes of northbound Interstate 405 in Kirkland Friday night through Tuesday morning so crews can lower a section of the freeway. Today WSDOT and contractor Max J. Kuney Construction reviewed weather forecasts and confirmed that they will proceed with construction.
At noon Friday, June 23, crews will close the northbound I-405 on-ramp from eastbound NE 124th Street. At 10 p.m. Friday, all lanes of northbound I-405 at NE 124th Street will be closed. The southbound HOV lane could be closed intermittently Saturday and Sunday, but at least three southbound lanes will remain open.
The northbound lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. Tuesday, June 27. The ramp will remain closed until next weekend (June 30/July 1) so crews can rebuild it to its final configuration.
Though a two-lane northbound bypass will be available, speeds will be restricted and heavy traffic backups are expected, especially during Monday afternoon commute hours.
During the closure, crews will remove about 400 truckloads of pavement and other material on a section of northbound I-405 under the NE 124th bridge to lower the lanes about three feet. Then new pavement will be placed and striped. Lowering the freeway ensures all traffic will have adequate vertical clearance under the NE 124th bridge when new access ramps for buses, carpools, vanpools are completed.
The average number of vehicles per hour through this section of northbound I-405 totals more than 4,200 on a typical Saturday midday and more than 5,500 on a typical Monday evening rush hour. During construction the traffic bypass is expected to be able to carry only 3,000 vehicles per hour. When traffic slows on I-405, WSDOT expects significant traffic increases on alternate routes such as SR 520, I-5 and SR 202. WSDOT is providing a financial incentive to the construction contractor to complete the work early and get the freeway open before the Monday afternoon commute.
In addition, drivers heading north of Woodinville should be aware that both directions of State Route 9 will be closed at 233rd Place SE (just north of SR 522) from Friday night to Monday morning as crews complete a local sewer improvement project. During the closure, traffic will follow a signed detour using SR 522 and SR 524 (Maltby Road).
WSDOT is asking drivers to help reduce backups by:
- Planning before you go
- Checking real-time traffic information by calling 5-1-1 or visiting our Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle
- Taking alternate routes, including Interstate 5 and State Route 202
- Carpooling
- Riding the bus
- Allowing extra time
- Rescheduling trips
The following King County Metro bus routes will be rerouted via the ramps and surface streets as necessary on Monday, June 26, to minimize potential delays: 237, 252, 257, 311, 342, 630, 644 (new) and 952. Passengers should plan for possible delays in service and allow plenty of time for their travel. Sound Transit Express routes 530, 532 and 535 could be affected as well as Community Transit routes 411 and 424.
To help keep traffic moving during construction, WSDOT will:
Maintain a temporary two-lane bypass around the work zone
Provide driver information on variable message signs, highway advisory radio and via our toll-free 5-1-1 traveler information phone line and Web site
Provide extra Incident Response Teams to clear roads of disabled vehicles and collisions
This work is associated with Sound Transit’s Totem Lake Freeway Station Project, designed and built by WSDOT. New ramps in the I-405 median will allow buses, vanpools and carpools to enter and exit the freeway without merging through three lanes of traffic, easing congestion and enhancing safety for all drivers. The NE 128th Street bridge will provide a new east-west route across I-405 for all drivers. The new ramps and bridge are scheduled to open this fall and are expected to carry more than 100 daily bus trips. This project complements WSDOT’s broader plan for improvements along the I-405 corridor.
WSDOT will provide frequent traffic and construction updates throughout the weekend on our Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I405/TotemLake/construction.
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