What are the key project benefits for Eastside communities and the environment?
- New lids at Evergreen Point Road, 84th Avenue NE, 92nd Avenue NE and a landscaped overcrossing at Bellevue Way.
We will build landscaped sections over the roadway to help reconnect communities divided by the original construction of SR 520 in the 1960s.
- Noise reduction techniques.
We will build noise walls along the roadway between the Evergreen Point Road and 108th Avenue NE to help reduce noise from highway traffic.
- Stormwater treatment and detention facilities between Evergreen Point Road and 108th Avenue NE.
We will improve water quality by treating stormwater before it enters local streams and creeks.
- Fish habitat improvements.
We will make improvements to Yarrow Creek and other streams and install larger culverts under the roadway that will decrease barriers to fish migration patterns.
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Eastside lids
| Click each image to open the lid diagram in a larger PDF. |
| Evergreen Point Road |
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| 84th Avenue Northeast |
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| 92nd Avenue Northeast |
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| Bellevue Way/108th Avenue Northeast |
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Noise wall information
As part of this project, WSDOT will construct noise walls between Evergreen Point Road and Bellevue Way. Planned noise walls will range between 4 and 24 feet high, depending on location.
What will be the end result?
Given the characteristics of how noise travels, noise walls are most effective at reducing noise up to 500 feet from the edge of the SR 520 roadway. Therefore, after we install the noise walls, residents living closest to the noise walls will experience the largest reduction in roadway traffic noise. Residents farther away from the walls will notice less of a benefit.
When would noise walls be constructed?
We plan to begin construction of the Eastside project in early 2011. The contractor will be responsible for developing a detailed construction schedule, including the timeline for building noise walls.
Where would noise walls be constructed?
Noise walls will generally be installed at the edge of the new roadway. You can click each of the images below to open an expanded PDF file with additional information, including planned noise wall heights.
What will the noise walls look like?
You can click the images below to open expanded PDF files with additional information, including images of existing conditions and vicinity maps. Please note that the images below reflect conceptual plans with vegetation at five years of growth.
| Wall 1 |
Wall 1-South at Bellevue Christian School
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| Wall 2 |
Wall 2-Southeast of NE 32nd Street
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| Wall 3 |
Wall 3-South at NE 35th Street and 96th Avenue NE
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Has WSDOT considered other methods to reduce noise, such as quieter pavement?
WSDOT has selected several quieter pavement test sites to see how quieter pavement performs in the Pacific Northwest's unique driving and climate conditions. WSDOT is studying the test sections of quieter pavement for five years to measure durability, quality and quantity of noise reduction, and how noise suppression abilities perform over time. This information will help policymakers, WSDOT, and others make more informed decisions about incorporating quieter pavement into highway projects in the future. Currently, one of the quieter pavement test sections is on SR 520 through Bellevue.
Please visit the Quieter Pavement website for more information.
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Environmental process
There are six milestones in this review process:
1. Conduct public and agency scoping. During the public and agency scoping phase, we asked for comments from the public, tribal nations, and federal, state and local agencies on the purpose and need for the project and the environmental topics that we will evaluate during development of the project’s environmental assessment (EA). We held a public scoping meeting in September 2008.
2. Collect data and evaluate effects. The next step was to collect data on the existing conditions of the project area. This included conducting social, cultural, environmental and engineering studies related to the proposed project.
3. Issue environmental assessment. Following data collection, we prepared and published an EA in December 2009 that includes the results of our analysis and identifies ways we can mitigate the environmental effects of the project.
4. Public hearing and comment period. In December 2009, we held a public hearing to gather comments on the results of our evaluation and proposed mitigation measures.
5. Issue Finding of No Significant Impact. In May 2010, we published the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) document, which concluded the environmental process. The FONSI explains the reasons for the project decision and includes the mitigation measures that have been incorporated into the project.
6. Secure permits and implement the project.