Bellevue soon will begin work on long-awaited improvements to West Lake Sammamish Parkway that will make the north-south arterial safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The Bellevue City Council approved a $4.8 million contract for the first phase of the project, a section of the roadway between Interstate 90 and Southeast 34th Street. Tacoma-based Active Construction will add a multi-purpose trail, separated from vehicular traffic by a landscaping buffer, as well as pedestrian crossings along the corridor.

Bellevue began considering improvements to West Lake Sammamish Parkway in 1996, after Bellevue, Redmond and King County completed a joint study of the arterial where traffic volumes have been growing. In 2005, after extensive public outreach, the council approved a general design calling for a 10-foot-wide multi-use trail and a landscaping buffer where feasible.

The improvements are to be made in five phases, each for an approximately one-mile segment of the 5.5-mile stretch of roadway between I-90 and the north city limits. There was overwhelming public support for starting with the southernmost segment. Construction is expected to begin early next year and be substantially complete in late fall.

The southbound lane of the street will have to be closed for the duration of the project. Southbound traffic will be detoured to Southeast 34th Street and to I-90, from which travelers may return to destinations in the closure area using the I-90 West Lake Sammamish Parkway off-ramp, then heading north.

Staff are in the process of notifying affected residents and businesses about the detour, giving them time to prepare for it. A newsletter about the project will go to residents in November.