Upcoming SR 520 bridge closures

Monthly bridge maintenance:  second Thursday of each month - 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m.  Next scheduled opening: Feb. 9. 
WSDOT bridge crews conduct monthly maintenance work and follow-up tests the second Thursday of each month. These maintenance closures begin as early as 12:30 a.m. and end by 5 a.m. Drivers should expect delays up to 30 minutes when the bridge is closed to traffic while the drawspan is opened for testing.

Construction closure: The next scheduled construction closure is from 11 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24, to 5 a.m., Monday, Feb. 27.

Openings for boats: weekday and weekend openings of the drawspan for pleasure boats are not generally listed on this page because vessels are only required to give two hours notice for an opening. Openings, when they occur, are listed on the Seattle area traffic page under the alerts, on the right hand side.

Recent SR 520 bridge closures

Wednesday, Jan. 25 - Just after midnight, the Washington State Patrol conducted a rolling slowdown in both directions while bridge crews replaced bolts and tightened steel plates in the westbound lanes which became loose during a windstorm. A rolling slowdown was required in both directions so crews could open the drawspan to complete and inspect the work.
    
Friday, Jan. 13 to Monday, Jan. 16 - Crews closed SR 520 between Montlake Boulevard and I-405 to set bridge girders.

Nov. 5 - Nov. 7: Crews closed SR 520 between Montlake Boulevard and I-405 to set bridge girders.

Oct. 15 - 17: Construction crews closed SR 520 between Montlake Boulevard and I-405 to set bridge girders.

Sept. 16 - Sept. 19: Construction crews closed SR 520 between Montlake Boulevard and I-405 from Sept. 16 - 19 to remove the west half of the Bellevue Way overpass.

Aug. 26 - 29, 2011 
Construction crews closed SR 520 between Montlake Boulevard and I-405 from Aug. 26-29 to install a fish-passable culvert under the highway.

July 8 - 11, 2011
Construction crews closed SR 520 between Montlake Boulevard and I-405 from July 8 - 11, 2011 to install a fish-passable culvert under the highway. During the closure, WSDOT bridge crews also performed annual inspection and maintenance work on the floating bridge.

June 17 - 20, 2011
Construction crews closed SR 520 between Montlake Boulevard and I-405 from June 17 - 20, 2011 to install a fish-passable culvert under the highway and demolish a pedestrian bridge near Medina. 

Aug. 20 - 23, 2010
WSDOT bridge crews closed the SR 520 Evergreen Point Floating Bridge from Aug. 20 - 23, 2010 to perform annual inspection and maintenance work.

June 19 - 22, 2009
WSDOT bridge crews closed the SR 520 Evergreen Point Floating Bridge from June 19-22, 2009 to perform annual inspection and maintenance work.

July 11 - July 14, 2008
WSDOT bridge crews closed the SR 520 Evergreen Point Floating Bridge from 11 p.m. Friday, July 11, 2008 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 14, 2008 for annual maintenance and inspection work.

July 13 - 16, 2007
WSDOT bridge crews closed the SR 520 Evergreen Point Floating Bridge from 11 p.m. Friday, July 13, 2007 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 16, 2007 to perform annual inspections and maintenance work. Crews also placed a test section of quieter pavement on the east side between Medina and Bellevue.

Feb. 22, 2007 - 3 a.m. to 5 a.m.
The bridge was closed to traffic for up to 30 minutes at a time for emergency maintenance. Crews repaired a damaged expansion joint on the bridge drawspan.

Dec. 14, 2006 - 10:05 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 15, 2006
The bridge was closed due to high winds. When crews opened the drawspan, three of the hooks that connect the spans were sheared off by wave action. This is not unusual and is easily repaired. When winds decreased crews started repair work and scanning the bridge for damage.
 
July 16, 2006 - 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. July 19, 2006
Bridge crews conducted ultrasound scans to examine vulnerable parts in the drawspan and make sure they all remain in working order during the annual summer maintenance closure. WSDOT maintenance and signals crews also completed a range of maintenance activities throughout the corridor.

March 8, 2006 - 5:10 p.m. to 4 a.m. March 9, 2006
Crews closed the bridge after on-site inspectors heard unusual noises. Those noises prompted a closer look inside the mechanical parts of the draw pontoons. They found one bolt sheared off, several loose bolts, and flaking paint which is an indication of weakening steel. They immediately closed the bridge to conduct the safety check and make repairs.

Feb. 22, 2006 – 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.
Bridge closed to vehicle traffic for more inspections and repairs from the Feb. 4 windstorm.

Feb. 16, 2006 – 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. ,
Bridge closed to vehicle traffic for further inspections and repairs from the Feb. 4 windstorm.

Feb. 9, 2006 – 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m.,
Bridge closed for monthly maintenance. Private contractors brought more sophisticated ultrasonic equipment and confirmed the damage to the trunnion beam detected after the Feb. 4 windstorm.

Feb. 4, 2006 – 9a.m. to 2 p.m., Feb. 5
Emergency closure due to wind gusts of up to 67 mph. Crews repaired three drawspan hooks that were torn off during the storm. Bridge crews performed a preliminary ultrasonic test during the closure and detected a small crack in the mechanical equipment for the drawspan (pdf 458kb). The last time the bridge was closed for high winds was March 1999.