Take Note of Weekend Traffic Impacts to 405, 520

It's not quite "carmageddon" as it is in Los Angeles this weekend, but there will be enough traffic interruptions affecting Bellevue this weekend to note, says the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Interstate 405

Four of five northbound lanes on Interstate 405 will be closed from 11:30 p.m. Saturday to about 8 a.m. Sunday between Main Street and State Route 520.

This will include the northbound onramp at Northeast Eighth Street.

The work is also being done on Interstate 405 as part of the "Bellevue Braids" project, which will change the onramps through downtown Bellevue and to State Route 520.

When the roads reopen Sunday morning, the Northeast Eighth Street onramp in Bellevue will take a slightly different path, including between two sets of columns supporting a new ramp at Northeast Tenth Street before joining northbound I-405, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The work is part of the $107.5 million Bellevue Braids Project, that reshapes I-405 between NE Eighth Street and SR 520 and relieves congestion at one of the busiest interchanges in the state, according to a WSDOT press release.

The Bellevue Braids project is expected to be done in mid-2012.

State Route 520

Drivers who plan to use State Route 520 to cross Lake Washington on Sunday morning should try to cross early or allow extra time, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The floating bridge drawspan will be opened Sunday, July 17 from 11 – 11:30 a.m. to allow a tugboat to push a construction barge through to the other side.

 Drivers will be alerted to the drawspan opening by electronic signs on highways leading to the bridge. Drivers should be prepared for a delay of at least 30 minutes or consider using Interstate 90 to cross Lake Washington.

Drivers can check conditions on the bridge using Washington State Department of Transportation traffic tools:

• SR 520 midspan camera: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/seattle/sr520_midspan.htm#cam
• SR 520 east highrise camera: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/sr520_easthighrise.htm#cam