Spring 2016 transportation alert from King County

Opening the new floating bridge to traffic

Two weekend-long closures of SR 520 will occur this spring to shift traffic from the old, four-lane floating bridge to the new, six-lane bridge. Closures are tentatively scheduled for the weekends of April 8-11 and April 22-25. For more information about how traffic will transfer to the new floating bridge, please check out our website map.

Full closure of SR 410 White River Bridge just two weeks away
In 15 days, the drive between Enumclaw and Buckley will take about 45 minutes longer. That’s because the SR 410 White River Bridge will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday, April 15, to noon on Saturday, April 23, to repair damage caused by an over height vehicle. During the closure, drivers must use a detour route via SR 164, SR 18, SR 167 and SR 410. Due to the nature of the repairs and the narrow width of the structure, pedestrians and cyclists will not be allowed to cross the bridge during the repair work. Local residents can call the project hotline at 253-372-3933 for more information.

SR 900 about to get a facelift
Nobody likes driving down a highway and “kerthunk!” – you have a tire-to-pavement encounter with a pothole. Drivers who use SR 900 (Martin Luther King Jr Way) from Tukwila to Renton might have some idea of what I’m talking about. But help is on the way! More than three miles of SR 900 from I-5 to SR 167 will see major improvements over the next several months. Contractor crews will begin work on a pavement-preservation project Monday, April 4. They’ll repave portions of the road with new asphalt, replace broken concrete panels and completely rebuild a failing section of the road near the ramp to northbound I-5.

The project will require lane closures, and both directions of the highway will be closed for one weekend this summer. We don’t have the dates yet, but we’ll let you know when we do.

Kayakers and canoers use caution! Ongoing in-water construction in Union Bay
Spring is here and sunny weather is upon us. If you’re planning to kayak or canoe through Union Bay, please use caution and stay at least 150 feet away from the construction site. Barriers have been placed around the active work zones south of Marsh and Foster islands as an additional safety precaution to protect boaters from construction activities. The graphic above shows the approximate areas to avoid.

The in-water work zone will have active construction during the day and night. Crews are busy pouring concrete for bridge columns, delivering and setting 150-foot-long girders, and constructing platform extensions from the temporary work bridge.

Heads up! Arboretum trail closures planned in early April

The Arboretum Waterfront Trail on Foster Island is planned to close from Saturday, April 9 to Monday, April 18. The portion of the Arboretum Waterfront Trail will be closed to ensure the safety of trail users as crews install large steel piles and construct platform-bridge extensions directly overhead.

City of Seattle Arboretum Loop Trail construction beginning this week

Additional trail closures planned

Seattle Parks and Recreation is beginning construction of the Arboretum Loop Trail. Construction activities will temporarily close or reroute some trails when work is taking place nearby. The new trail is expected to be completed by December 2017.

The Arboretum Loop Trail is a 1.2-mile trail that will connect to Arboretum Drive, creating a 2.5-mile path through the Washington Park Arboretum and providing improved access to the flagship public garden. The Arboretum will remain free and open to the public throughout construction.

For more information, please visit the Seattle Parks and Recreation website at LoopTrail.seattle.gov.