State Route 520 Bridge Reopened on Monday

Crews have reopened both directions of State Route 520 this Monday morning after working all weekend to install a massive fish-friendly culvert near Yarrow Point and develop a new work zone in Medina. Drivers are now navigating that work zone, where crews can safely build supports for a future lid above the highway.

The highway was scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m., however construction crews took longer than scheduled to complete surveying, repaving and resetting concrete safety barrier on the Eastside. The westbound direction reopened at 5:40 a.m.; the eastbound direction reopened at 6:40 a.m.

“We appreciate commuters’ patience as we wrapped up the last pieces of this weekend’s construction so we could safely reopen the highway,” said Brian Dobbins, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) SR 520 Eastside construction manager.

During the weekend, traffic was heavier than usual on Interstates 5, 90 and 405 as drivers shifted their trips away from the closed highway and ramps to attend regional events. WSDOT anticipated additional congestion and altered the express lane schedules on I-5 and I-90 to help keep traffic moving.

“Drivers shifted their routes and travel times, which helped keep traffic flowing while our crews worked hard to complete this weekend’s construction,” said Mark Allison, WSDOT project engineer for the SR 520 Eastside Transit and HOV Project.

This weekend, workers carved a nearly 20-foot-deep trench across all lanes to install a fish-passable culvert beneath the highway east of 84th Avenue Northeast. The trench was refilled and repaved.

The work marked the third of six culverts the contractor must quickly install beneath the highway during weekend-only closures. Drivers will notice that lanes near Evergreen Point Road have shifted over the weekend. Crews had to adjust lanes as they built a new median work zone where they will eventually pour concrete piers and then set girders for a new lid above the highway. The lid will include transit facilities, community connections and landscaping.

-- This information is from the Washington State Department of Transportation. The next full closure of the SR 520 bridge will be from Sept. 16 to 19.