Construction crews closed two of four lanes on the NE 12th Street Bridge over I-405 early Friday morning to create a work zone for crews to construct a new longer, wider bridge. The lanes will remain closed for two years while the new structure is built.

The work is part of a $107.5 million construction project that will reshape I-405 between NE Eighth Street and SR 520 and relieve congestion at one of the busiest interchanges in the state.

Drivers can get still around Bellevue during construction. Not only will two of the four lanes remain open on NE 12th Street, but WSDOT recommends motorists use the newly built NE 10th Street Bridge to cross I-405. The new bridge, just two blocks south of the construction zone, will act as an anchor for new braided ramps that connect to SR 520 without mixing with I-405 traffic.

“We will keep traffic moving during construction. It’s a commitment we’ve made to the city of Bellevue and drivers who need to go places in Bellevue,” said Seema Javeri, WSDOT Project Engineer.

The project has been partially funded and in the works for years, but the $30 million from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) pushed it onto the road a year earlier than expected. The balance of $107.5 million project comes from the 2005 Transportation Partnership Account package.

WSDOT will build the new bridge in stages starting south of the existing bridge. Once a new structure to the south is built, they’ll shift traffic to it and tear down the existing bridge. Crews will then construct the north side of the bridge and subsequently open the newly-constructed bridge to traffic. The reconstructed bridge will rise above new ramps between NE Eighth and SR 520 and feature a new pedestrian and bike path separated from traffic.

For more information about this project or stages of construction, visit the project page.