Date:  Friday, January 23, 2009

Contact: Lisa Hodgson, Project Engineer, (425) 282-6826 (Renton) Craig Kanaya, WSDOT Communications, (425) 456-8606 (Bellevue)

RENTON – WSDOT crews are halfway to opening new lanes on I-405 in Renton that will help relieve congestion in the area.

Crews will begin to place the first of 36 girders for the new I-405 bridge over Oakesdale Avenue SW on Jan. 25. The setting of the girders will require overnight closures of Oakesdale Avenue SW between SW 16th Street and SW Grady Way on:

• Jan. 25-29 from 7 p.m. to 5:50 a.m.
• Feb. 2-3 from 7 p.m. to 5:50 a.m.

Crews will also close up to two left lanes in each direction on I-405 between I-5 and SR 167 nightly from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Jan. 25-29 and Feb. 2-3.

The first span will involve two cranes placing a dozen 170-foot-long girders, each weighing 87.5 tons. Once the first span is complete, crews will place a second span of 130-foot-long girders. Each girder in the second span weighs 60 tons. Crews will place the final 12 girders in the near future.

Last summer crews shifted southbound I-405 traffic onto a portion of the new bridge. This summer crews plan to complete the remaining portion of the new bridge that will carry a total of eight lanes. Each direction of I-405 will have three general-purpose lanes and one carpool lane between I-5 and SR 167.

The new bridge design has a longer span distance that removed the need for the center support of the old bridge. Once the bridge is complete, it will provide a more natural flow in Springbrook Creek.

The I-405/I-5 to SR 169 Stage 1 Widening project is expected to be complete in 2010. The project will add a new lane in each direction on I-405 between SR 167 and I-5. Also, a new southbound lane will be added on SR 167 from I-405 to SW 41st Street. For more information on the project visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/I405/I5toSR169/.

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