The following is a release from the Washington State Department of Transportation:
Last weekend the world’s second longest floating bridge closed to vehicle traffic while its new, slightly longer siblingopened to more than 50,000 runners, walkers and bicyclists. This weekend, crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will begin the second chapter of the historic transition from the old floating bridge to the new.
The second phase also involves closing the bridge for the weekend – this time for crews to pave, stripe lanes and move barriers in advance of opening the new floating structure’s westbound lanes to traffic Monday morning, April 11. Eastbound State Route 520 travelers will remain on the existing floating bridge for another two weeks.
The work is part of the SR 520 Floating Bridge and Landings Project that extends transit/HOV lanes from the Eastside onto the floating bridge. The new, safer floating bridge can withstand windstorms up to 89 miles per hour and boasts a 14-foot-wide bike and pedestrian path on its north side. The bridge’s new shared-use path will open to the public in late April or May.
Closure details
- 11 p.m. Friday, April 8, to 5 a.m. Monday, April 11: SR 520 will be fully closed between Montlake Boulevard in Seattle and 92nd Avenue Northeast on the Eastside.
Temporary lane configuration
The new floating bridge will open with three westbound lanes, which includes an inside, left-hand HOV lane across the bridge. The HOV lane converts to a general purpose lane before traffic exits the bridge and moves back onto the existing two-lane SR 520 roadway in Seattle.
- The right-hand general purpose lane will end on the floating bridge near Seattle, requiring drivers to merge left into two lanes.
- The HOV lane between 84th Avenue Northeast and Evergreen Point Road in Medina will remain closed until Monday, April 25, when the eastbound lanes open.
