WSDOT Celebrates Milestones: New Projects Break Ground, Old Ones Wrap Up

By Kristy Tallman, May 20, 2024

BOTHELL/KIRKLAND, Wash. — Finishing one project and starting another was cause for a pair of celebrations Monday, showcasing progress toward delivering on the Washington State Department of Transportation’s multimodal vision of the I-405/SR 167 Corridor Program.

I-405/SR 167 Corridor ProgramPhoto byWashington State Department of Transportation

Agency and elected officials, corridor partners, community members, contractors, and project teams gathered to mark the start of construction for the I-405/Brickyard to SR 527 Improvement Project in Bothell and the completion of the I-405/Northeast 132nd Street Interchange Project in Kirkland.

“Our corridor partnerships are critical to the I-405/SR 167 Program success as evidenced by today’s celebrations,” said Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar. “Our partners along the 50-mile corridor have advocated for these projects from the very beginning, helping us manage congestion and deliver mobility options to travelers along and across the corridor, including driving, taking bus rapid transit (BRT), biking, and walking.”

Corridor partners gathering at the Brickyard Park & Ride in Bothell turned shovels full of dirt to commemorate the start of a 4.5-mile improvement project on I-405 from just south of State Route 522 to SR 527. When complete in 2028, the project will extend the dual-express toll lane system on the north end of I-405, add three new Sound Transit Bus Rapid Transit stations, and improve multimodal connections to the corridor.

“We are continuing our partnership with Sound Transit to deliver reliable, high-capacity transit on the Eastside,” said Lisa Hodgson, WSDOT I-405/SR 167 program administrator. “The I-405/Brickyard to SR 527 Improvement Project will advance the multimodal vision by delivering improvements that provide benefit to all users, while addressing aging infrastructure, opening upstream fish habitat, and connecting communities, freight and regional growth centers throughout the corridor.”

After the groundbreaking, corridor partners moved to the Kingsgate Park & Ride in Kirkland to commemorate improvements completed as part of the I-405/Northeast 132nd Street Interchange Project. Since opening two weeks ago, the new on- and off-ramps to I-405 at Northeast 132nd Street and newly constructed roundabouts have reduced pressure on the nearby interchanges, providing better traffic flow and easier access to I-405 in Kirkland. The project includes new bicycle and pedestrian enhancements. It also removed a fish barrier to open over a half-mile of new upstream fish habitat.

By Kristy Tallman, May 20, 2024

The Republic News

Source: Washington State Department of Transportation