520 Bridge Closed To Vehicles This Weekend

SEATTLE — Only pedestrians and cyclists will have access to the State Route 520 bridge this weekend, limiting drivers with trips planned over Lake Washington to Interstate 90. Washington State Department of Transportation crews will close the bridge between Seattle and Clyde Hill starting at 11 p.m. Friday. They are scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday.

The multi-day closure will give crews time to place another few dozen girders that will serve as the foundation for a new 3-acre freeway lid. During previous weekend closures, crews have successfully installed 144 girders, and WSDOT said the latest round will be among the last.

Later this year, more girders are scheduled for installation east of the lid to support a new bridge for cyclists and pedestrians.

It's all part of the state's larger overhaul of SR 520, which is designed to transform one of Puget Sound's busiest corridors over the next decade to improve safety for drivers, walkers and rollers. The $455 project includes five landscaped "lids" over the freeway, with three on the Eastside and two in Seattle.

This weekend's closure arrives as the Seattle Seahawks battle the Los Angeles Rams at home, attempting to secure a playoff spot. That means fans headed to the game from the Eastside will need to take alternate routes to and from the game. For those traveling from elsewhere, Sound Transit will also operate special gameday Sounder trains, along with regular Link and bus service.