Downtown streets near Bellevue Square mall and part of Downtown Park will close from 7 to 9 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, while a helicopter is used to lift large pieces of equipment onto the roof of a nearby office tower.
Bellevue city officials said on Wednesday that pedestrians and drivers in the area will be affected by the closures, though impacts are expected to be moderate on Sunday morning. Noise from the helicopter’s rotors will be loud at times. Although unusual in Bellevue, helicopters are routinely used to lift such equipment onto the roofs of taller buildings. The recently completed 400 Lincoln Square office tower is 31 stories high.
The closures, required by the Federal Aviation Administration, are needed so a helicopter can safely lift heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment from a parking lot to the roof of a nearby office tower.
The parking lot is near the northeast corner of 100th Avenue Northeast and Northeast Fourth Street, at Bellevue Square mall; the office tower is a few blocks east at the northeast corner of Bellevue Way and Northeast Fourth Street. Roadway, park and building impacts, 7-9 a.m., include:
• Bellevue Way Northeast will be closed from Northeast Second to Northeast Eighth Street; Northeast Fourth Street will be closed between 100th and 106th avenues. Most sidewalks along the two streets also will be closed.
• Most of Downtown Park will be closed to pedestrians north of the waterfall. The area will be available as an emergency landing zone.
A subcontractor will provide personnel for crowd control on sidewalks and at building entrances; Bellevue police will provide traffic control.
The city’s Transportation Department issued a right of way permit for the work to Ness Cranes Inc. The FAA approved a “congested area lift plan” for the helicopter work.
