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 walls along the roadway between Evergreen Point Road and the vicinity of 108th Avenue Northeast to help reduce noise from highway traffic and provide screening for residents living along the corridor.
- 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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Corridor wall information
As part of the Eastside project, WSDOT will construct walls between Evergreen Point Road and the vicinity of 108th Avenue Northeast. In general, walls will reduce traffic noise and provide screening for residents living along the corridor. Planned walls will range between 6 and 20 feet high, depending on location.
In keeping with information included in our environmental documents and past community outreach, we're building walls throughout the corridor.
When will walls be built?
WSDOT's design-build contractor, Eastside Corridor Constructors, began building walls in spring 2012 and they will be completed by the end of 2013, when work wraps up on the project. Construction began on the Eastside project in April 2011.
Where will walls be built?
Walls will generally be installed at the edge of the new roadway or along the edge of WSDOT's right of way. You can download printable maps below to view wall heights and locations.
Printable maps: Wall heights and locations
What will the walls look like?
Walls facing the highway and public trails and paths will have a finish called Random Flare, pictured below. A commnuity design process conducted in 2008 and 2009 helped us develop this finish.
Residents living adjacent to SR 520 gave input in 2010 to determine the finish of walls facing their properties. They selected stamped Ashlar Stone and Cascadian Stone patterns, also pictured below.
You can download a printable map to see where each pattern will be applied in the corridor.
Printable map: Wall pattern locations
| Random Flare |
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| Ashlar Stone |
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| Cascadian Stone |
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What will be the end result?
Given the characteristics of how noise travels, walls are most effective at reducing noise up to 500 feet from the edge of the SR 520 roadway. Therefore, after we install the 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.
How do we hear noise?
- Sound is measured in units called decibels (dBA).
- An average person's ear can perceive a 3 dBA or greater change in noise levels.
- A 10 dBA reduction sounds half as loud to the human ear; a 10 dBA increase sounds twice as loud.
The noise thermometer pictured below represents relative sound levels of common activities.
Click on the image above to view a larger version.
How do slopes influence the effectiveness of walls?
Walls are most effective at reducing highway noise for homes and businesses within 500 feet of the highway. However, topography plays a big part in how well they work. For example, walls are more effective at blocking noise for properties located below the highway grade than for those located on higher ground.
Our typical noise wall effectiveness diagram (pdf 250 kb) illustrates how walls work for properties located at various grades relative to the highway.
Where can I learn more about WSDOT's noise mitigation policy?
You can visit our noise walls page to learn more about how, when and why WSDOT builds noise walls. A list of frequently asked questions about noise is also posted online.
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.