SE Eastgate Way Closure Scheduled For Early March

BELLEVUE, WA — Commuters who rely on South Eastgate Way to travel between Eastgate and Factoria will want to start planning alternate routes ahead of a multi-week closure slated to begin in early March.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, the road will close at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 6, at the 142nd Place Southeast Bridge. The around-the-clock closure is expected to last several weeks.

During that time, crews will repair and reinforce a large girder that supports the overpass and continues over Interstate 90. WSDOT said the girder was damaged in August after a truck carrying oversized equipment hit the structure. The crash tore a piece of the girder and caused it to bend out of its alignment, officials said.

While the closure is in place, buses, pedestrians and cyclists will be able to pass under the bridge using transit lanes at the Eastgate Park and Ride, and businesses in the area plan to remain open.

The detour route will utilize Richards Road Southeast, Southeast 26th and 38th streets and 150th Avenue Southeast, officials said. Drivers who rely on the 148th Avenue Southeast on-ramp to Interstate 90 should expect to detour to the 156th Avenue Southeast on-ramp.

Officials estimate contractors will need five weeks to make the needed repairs. Once complete, WSDOT will also reopen the northbound lane of 142nd Place Southeast, which has remained closed since August.