Community members, political leaders and the general public joined together at Bellevue City Hall on Wednesday to review the latest progress of the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Project. The open house gave the public a chance to assess the current stages of the four key components associated with the project, including the proposed toll on the existing bridge, the pontoon construction, the design of the east side corridor and the proposed alternative plans for the west side corridor.

The four-lane bridge was first built in 1960 and over the years has slowly begun to deteriorate, becoming vulnerable to earthquakes, strong winds and damaging waves. For nearly two decades, ongoing debates surrounding the replacement of the floating bridge have resulted in little action, until now.

According to Julie Meredith, the project’s program director, the recent work done by the Legislature and governor has allowed the project to move forward and helped to get the ball rolling. This includes Gov. Chris Gregoire’s decision in 2006 to incorporate a 4+2 configuration for the new corridor. Most recently, Gregoire announced an accelerated project schedule, moving the completion date of the six lane corridor to 2016.

For a program of this nature, it takes a lot of partners to dream, to envision, and then to implement, explained Meredith. She went on to thank many of the Eastside mayors for their support along with Rep. Ross Hunter (D-Medina) who was in attendance at the open house.

The WSDOT and project partners were on hand to address the current status of the project’s key points. This included the mediation process currently overseeing the design proposals, which chose three alternative plans last week for the west side of Lake Washington. The mediation process was designed to make timely decisions to help move the project along and to identify the appropriate interchange design, community enhancements, and mitigation for the west side of the corridor.

The three alternative plans feature different key elements involving the SR 520 Evergreen-Montlake Bridge. The plans are still under review and according to Larry Kyle, a 520 project team member, they have not gone through a detailed analysis to determine which alternative is more efficient. However, narrowing it down to three options is a step in the right direction.

Next the mediation group will develop a Project Impact Plan to be presented to the governor and Legislature by the end of this year. Once a west side corridor design plan is chosen, the project will progress to environmental review and engineering plans.

Additionally, the WSDOT showcased the chosen design format for the east side of the corridor, stretching from Lake Washington to 108th Avenue Northeast in Bellevue. The improved east side corridor will include transit improvements, new bicycle and pedestrian paths and noise walls. Construction on the east side of the corridor is on schedule to begin in 2010, with the complete six-lane configuration reaching completion in 2016.

Project partners from Sound Transit, King County Metro and the SR 520 Tolling Implementation Committee were all present at the open house. Representatives of the Lake Washington Urban Partnership, responsible for the launch of the environmental proposal to toll the existing SR 520 floating bridge, also were on hand to answer questions. During the 2008 legislature session, two tolling bills were passed. Gregoire signed them into law in March. A toll rate has not yet been established.

The open house also gave the public an inside look at the Pontoon Construction Project currently in the environmental review process. The project’s draft Environmental Impact Statement will be completed early next year. The project hopes to begin pontoon construction at the existing facility in Tacoma while the new pontoon facility will begin the construction phase in 2010.

“We have a ways to go,” Meredith explained after giving an overview of the progress made. “But we’ve come a long, long way since the project started.”

Lindsay Larin can be reached at llarin@reporternewspapers.com or at 425-453-4602.

Learn more

For more information on the SR 520 Replacement and HOV Project visit wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR520Bridge or call 1-888-520-6397.