I-405 - NE 195th to SR 527 - Northbound Auxiliary Lane

 

This map shows the project limits for I-405/NE 195th St to SR 527 – Northbound Auxiliary Lane Project..




The afternoon commute on northbound I-405 near the Bothell/Canyon Park Freeway Station.

 

This project received $40 million in stimulus funding from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Thanks to this funding, the project will begin nearly two years ahead of schedule and will be open to traffic by 2010. 

Why is WSDOT building this new lane?
Afternoon congestion on northbound I-405 from Bellevue to Bothell is congested on a regular basis due to drivers leaving and entering the University of Washington Bothell campus and the business parks at NE 195th Street.  This new lane could reduce congestion and increase speeds by 25 to 30 mph during the afternoon peak-travel period.

The End Result

The new auxiliary lane will:

• help reduce afternoon congestion on northbound I-405.
• increase highway speeds by 25 to 30 mph during peak-hour travel times.
• improve transit speed and reliability;
• and improve air quality by improving traffic flow

Project Benefits

• Safety. The new lane will improve traffic flow in a section of I-405 where more than 100 collisions have occurred in the past three years. In the area, 84 percent of the collisions are congestion related. Of those collisions, 60 percent occur as a result of stop-and-go and weaving traffic entering and exiting the freeway between the NE 195th Street and SR 527 interchanges. New capacity between these interchanges will help alleviate congestion-related collisions.
• Improving HOV/Transit Performance.  
  The project will improve travel speeds in all lanes and improve carpool and transit speed and reliability. Improved speeds and reliability will benefit this heavily traveled transit corridor used by more than 50 buses a day.
• Congestion relief.  The project will help reduce congestion and increase the northbound evening driving speeds by 25 to 30 mph. This project will also help fix the bottleneck on northbound I-405 between NE 195th Street and SR 527, improving traffic flow.
• Jobs. This shovel-ready project, part of the economic stimulus package, is expected to deliver approximately 90 direct jobs immediately to the local Puget Sound economy.
• Environment. WSDOT's I-405 Corridor Program team is designing the project to avoid and minimize impacts to the environment.

What is the project timeline?
Construction Start: Oct. 2009
Open to traffic: Summer 2010

Financial Information
The information below reflects the current proposed project budget. The 2009 Legislature may consider changes to the transportation budget that may include adjustments to some project budgets and schedules.

• 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - $27 million.
• 2005 Gas Tax (Partnership Funding) - $10 million. In 2005 the Washington State Legislature provided funding toward this project by passing the Transportation Partnership Funding package.
• Total funding available from all sources - $37 million.

How can I get more information?
Contact:

Steve Peer

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