Future I-405 bridges take shape at Northeast 85th Street

By: Julie Moon

A new year brings continued progress towards a new look to the I-405 interchange at Northeast 85th Street. Crews are working on the I-405/Northeast 85th Street and Inline BRT Station Project. From January 10 through January 13, they will finish setting 16 bridge girders for the new northbound I-405 bridge. Bridge girders are concrete beams that support the driving surface. They are the main structural component of a bridge. Crews will also conduct drainage work on the right shoulder of northbound I-405.

This complex work requires the weekend closure of Northeast 85th Street, just as we did last November. This closure is essential for ensuring the safety of both workers and the public.

January full closure details

Northeast 85th Street will close in both directions beginning at 11 p.m. Friday, January 10 to 4 a.m. Monday, January 13. The closure is between Kirkland Way/114th Avenue Northeast and 120th Avenue Northeast. The I-405 on- and off-ramps from Northeast 85th Street will also be closed during this time. Crews will begin to reduce lanes and close ramps as early as 9 p.m. on Friday night.

Signed detours will be in place for drivers and detour maps can be viewed by clicking on the links below:

Northeast 85th Street vehicle detour routes. The linked image shows a map of the detour route for Northeast 85th Street Closure:

• Eastbound: Use Sixth St SE, NE 68th Pl, and 120th Ave NE.
• Westbound: Use 120th Ave NE, NE 68th Pl, and Sixth St SE.

Northeast 85th Street pedestrian and cyclist detour routes. The linked image shows a map of the pedestrian and cyclist route during the Northeast 85th Street closure:

• Eastbound:
• Use crosswalk at Kirkland Way/114th Ave NE.
• Turn right, go south on the pedestrian path.
• Keep left to continue on 116th Ave NE.
• Left onto pedestrian bridge.
• Left onto NE 80th Street.
• Left onto 120th Ave NE.
• Westbound:
• Left onto 120th Ave NE.
• Right onto NE 80th Street.
• Right onto pedestrian bridge.
• Right onto 116th Ave NE.
• Keep right on the pedestrian path.
• Use the crosswalk at Kirkland Way/114th Ave NE if needed.

Northeast 85th Street to northbound I-405 on-ramp closure detour routes. The linked image shows a map of the detour route for the northbound I-405 on-ramp closure:

• Eastbound: Use Central Way, Sixth Street South, then on-ramp at 116th Avenue Northeast.
• Westbound: Use 124th Avenue Northeast, then on-ramp at Northeast 124th Street.

Northbound I-405 off-ramp to Northeast 85th Street closure detour routes. The linked image shows the detour route:

• Use Exit 20A to 124th Ave NE, then return to NE 85th St.

Northeast 85th Street to southbound I-405 on-ramp closure detour routes. The linked image shows the detour route:

• Eastbound: Take Sixth Street Southeast, then Northeast 68th Place, using the on-ramp at Northeast 70th Street.
• Westbound: Take 120th Avenue Northeast and use the on-ramp at Northeast 70th Street.

Southbound I-405 off-ramp to Northeast 85th Street closure detour routes. The linked image shows the detour route:

• Eastbound: Take southbound I-405, Exit 17 at Northeast 70th Street, then 120th Avenue Northeast to Northeast 85th Street.
• Westbound: Take southbound I-405, Exit 17 at Northeast 68th Place, then Sixth Street Southeast to Central Way.

Full closure of Northeast 85th Street and I-405 on- and off-ramps.

Expect more congestion and plan for extra travel time during the closure. Use alternate routes and travel during off-peak hours if possible. The schedule is subject to change due to the nature of construction. We will post updates on the project webpage.

Please drive carefully through the construction work zone. Be sure your full attention is dedicated to maintaining safety for everyone on the road.

Successful southbound bridge girder setting in November

Back in November, crews installed big concrete girders for the new southbound freeway bridge. To get it done, we had to close Northeast 85th Street for the whole weekend. It was a success, but drivers saw some extra congestion—and you can expect something similar during the upcoming closure.

Each girder was up to 156 feet long, stretching across the whole street, which is why a full closure is needed. Setting these huge bridge girders takes a lot of skill, planning, and space to make sure everything is done safely.

Crews setting bridge girders on 85th Street on Nov.16, 2024.

What’s all this construction for?

This project is all about building a new station for Sound Transit’s new Stride bus rapid transit. This project makes it easier and safer for people walking or biking across I-405. It also adds a direct connection for transit and ETL users. A big part of making this happen is the new bridges and the three-level interchange at Northeast 85th Street. These bridges will create space for the middle level of the interchange, which will be a busy hub for transit riders, carpoolers, cyclists, pedestrians, and ETL users.

The project will replace the existing two-level interchange at Northeast 85th Street with a three-level interchange.

Join us at our next quarterly project update webinar

At the meeting, there will be an opportunity to learn more about the upcoming construction work, ask questions, and find out how to stay informed. The project team will hold this meeting via Zoom from 12 to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 4.

Not able to make it? We will post a recording to the project webpage within one week after the meeting. Please feel free to register for the meeting even if you can’t attend, and we will email you the recording when it’s available.

We strive to host inclusive, accessible meetings that enable all people to engage and participate fully. To request meeting accommodations, or for questions about accessibility, please call us at (425) 224-2423 or email us at I405SR167Program@wsdot.wa.gov by Monday, Jan 27.

Check out the WSDOT real-time travel map for up-to-date information. If you have any questions and/or you would like to sign up for project updates, please email I405SR167Program@wsdot.wa.gov. Stay informed by subscribing to WSDOT updates for King County.

‘They Can Feel Like Little Superheroes’: How We’re Helping Students Gain Bike Skills Statewide

By Hannah Weinberger

Students are all smiles during an in-school bicycle education class.

For many of us, learning to ride a bicycle during childhood was our first taste of transportation freedom. But not everyone gets that opportunity or feels confident on a bike when they do. We’re managing an initiative to change this.

The Statewide School-Based Bicycle Education Program teaches bike skills and can provide new bikes and safety equipment. The program is now in its second year. It has already educated more than 12,000 kids across Washington. It’s also given more than 1,000 students new bikes and safety equipment.

One of those children is fifth grader Alex Villa-Gomez in Orondo. He received his first bicycle through the program. His mother, Maria Gomez, shared that she didn’t have an opportunity to learn to ride when she was younger. She’s excited to know her son and many other children are getting this opportunity.

The program will train at least 90% of Washington students in 3rd through 12th grades to safely ride to and from school, for fitness and for fun. Students and schools can join at no extra cost.

Students who use adaptive bicycles participate in the Statewide School-Based Bicycle Education Program.

Putting education in motion

State legislators established the program in 2022. They funded it through the Move Ahead Washington transportation package with Climate Commitment Act revenues. Legislators wanted to help students become more capable bicyclists by learning skills and street safety.

There are many reasons to support children in learning to ride. Bike riding is a fun and useful way to build exercise and time outdoors into a child’s day. It helps students develop motor skills, improve their mood, concentrate in school and even do better on tests. Importantly, it also helps students realize early that there are many ways to travel. Bike education highlights transportation options. If students choose to drive when they get older, their biking experience will help them stay aware of people who choose not to drive.

Legislators wanted an experienced non-profit partner to deliver the education.

A contractor search led us to Cascade Bicycle Club. Cascade has provided bicycle education to students in Puget Sound since 2014. We contracted with Cascade to adjust and expand their work for a statewide audience. The program launched with both in-school and after-school programs in 2023.

It has since expanded quickly. The program grew 75% between it first and second years, serving 70 schools in 13 counties. More than half of students live in overburdened communities, or those facing multiple environmental and health harms.

Parents say their students are already getting more exercise. Plus, they feel more confident and independent!

Students participating in the Statewide School-Based Bicycle Education Program learn about different hand signals to use while bicycling. 

How the program works

Students have opportunities to learn the ropes both in and after school.

In-school programming:

• 3rd through 5th grades: Physical education and health teachers share the “Let’s Go” curriculum in their classes. It covers learning to ride, as well as the rules of the road. Teachers use the provided materials over four or five weeks, with about two 30-minute lessons each week.
• 6th through 8th grades: In 2023, Cascade started piloting the “Let’s Go Further” curriculum. Some schools have existing bicycles from a previous Safe Routes to School program. This provides “Let’s Go” to older students at those schools.

After-school programming:

• 6th through 12th grades: Teachers from local partner organizations lead students after school. Classes might be held on school grounds or at partner facilities. This 26-lesson course covers everything from learning to ride to using bikes as transportation. Teachers start with the first course or jump ahead depending on students’ existing knowledge. The program can last a few weeks to an entire academic year. After-school students also learn trip planning so they can organize safe trips and bike maintenance so they can fix their own bikes.

All students can receive a new bicycle and safety equipment like helmets, locks and lights after completing the program.

A bicycle education student practices their bike handling skills. 

Cascade also trains staff on overseeing the program for network schools. Schools manage their own bicycle fleets, maintenance, budgets and staff training schedules. Cascade provides free full-day training directly to teachers on how to do these things. They also provide guidance and support as needed. So far, 183 teachers have taken the training, and 14 teachers have been tapped to train their peers.

Teachers enjoy sharing bike skills with students. One instructor shared that it helps kids develop a growth mindset, and – we love this – “feel like little superheroes.” They feel strong, and good about themselves.

More bike skills, more opportunities

Our program works with partners to include students who may need accommodations to participate. That’s because learning to ride a bike can completely change a student’s life for the better.

Take Tacoma high schooler Visett. He shared with his school’s special needs educator that he wanted to learn to ride last year. The educator partnered with Cascade Bicycle Club’s after-school program manager. Both adults started meeting with Visett weekly after school and loaned him a bike to practice with at home.

Within three weeks, Visett replaced his daily 30-minute walk to school with bike trips. By the end of the school year, he earned a Bicycling Certificate of Achievement along with a new bike, helmet, lock and lights.

Bicycling is already helping Visett access new opportunities. He is riding to the local library and his new job at Safeway. He is also teaching himself more bike skills. After getting a flat tire, Visett used a school computer to learn how to fix it himself.

Looking ahead

We expect the program to reach up to 160,000 youth by the end of 2027. By then we’ll have the help of more than three times as many partner organizations. Parents or school staff interested to learn more about the program or when it might come to your community can visit Cascade Bicycle Club’s website.

Another wave of improved pavement comes to southbound I-5 in Vancouver, with more to come in the years ahead

By Sarah Hannon-Nein

Great news for the saga of I-5 pavement replacement in Clark County! The infamous southbound I-5 pavement between 179th Street and the I-5/I-205 split has been a rough ride for a long time—but after a recent project, and more planned in the years ahead, we have updates about the highway that just keep on giving – or, in this case, cracking.

Aged-out I-5 pavement in Clark County

If you live in or travel through Clark County, you’re probably familiar with the bumpy surface between Ridgefield and the I-5/I-205 split. We put up Rough Road signs earlier this year. This stretch of highway includes 8,400 concrete panels which are 50 to 70 years old and past due for replacement, and well beyond their expected lifespan.

Left, uneven concrete panels with visible cracks and seams. Center, a large crack with discoloration from spilled fluids. Right, more cracks and surface damage, along with dark stains on the concrete.

These panels, which carry some of the highest traffic volumes in the state, are worn out, cracked and need repair or replacement. Working on thousands of panels takes time and money, so we're using multiple contracts over multiple years. With increased traffic and extreme weather, the panels fail faster each year, and we don't have enough funding to fix them as quickly as they are failing. With only about 40% of the funding needed to maintain our highway system, we have to make hard choices about what we can fix and when.

The good news!

WSDOT contractor crews spent this fall putting $2.3 million to use to address the “worst of the worst” panels and, by taking advantage of favorable materials cost, took care of over 80 panels instead of the 40-45 previously planned. Will you still notice a bumpy ride? Yes. But the panels in the roughest shape have been replaced! It’s a small, but important improvement.

Left, a worker uses a jackhammer near traffic cones and barriers. Center, a concrete mixer truck pours fresh concrete onto the road. Right, a close-up of finished concrete panels with visible grooves and seams.

What’s next?

Our next project is slotted for 2026 and while it will be a big challenge, it will bring a long-term solution for a smoother and safer drive. We'll also be doing something new in this stretch of highway to reduce traffic delays and keep costs low so we can fix more of the problem sooner.

Enter the crack, seat and overlay process.

In summer 2026, all southbound lanes and shoulders between 179th Street and the I-5/I-205 split will be paved with asphalt over the existing concrete panels. This marks a major step for this troubled section of I-5.

So why are we using asphalt instead of replacing all those concrete panels? Replacing every panel would be a never-ending project with a very high cost, meaning it would take more contracts and more years to complete as funding became available.

Here’s how the crack, seat and overlay process will work:

Crack: We start by cracking the old concrete panels. This is done using a machine that essentially breaks the concrete into smaller pieces. It looks like a small guillotine dropping a heavy weight onto the panels every few feet.

Seat: Once cracked, a large 35,000-pound steel compactor on wheels rolls over the broken pieces, pressing them down to make sure they’re firmly seated into the ground.

Overlay: We lay down a few inches of new asphalt, building it up gradually until we reach 9 inches. This slow layering is important to ensure the new overlay is packed in tightly, creating a smooth and durable driving surface.

This process will take time and every bit of dry weather we can get. Hopefully if funding can be identified in 2027, the work will continue between Ridgefield and 179th Street.

This isn’t a quick fix, and we’re looking at more years of work to finish repairing this stretch of I-5. Until then, you’ll still see Rough Road signs as we continue to do this work. We’re making progress–one crack at a time. Thank you for your patience while we work on this major improvement for Southwest Washington!

The makings of a PNW autumn include rain and returning salmon

By Olympic Region Communications

Some things in life you can set your watch to – assuming this is something people still do.

As The Byrds sang, “to everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season turn, turn, turn.” In the Pacific Northwest, that season change means our warm summers eventually fade to autumn. Rain begins to fall, filling our creeks and rivers.

There are other things you can count on in case that old Timex stops ticking: fish.

A chum run unlike any other in Chico Creek

In the waters of the Pacific Northwest fall also means fish runs. This time of year, we see salmon and other fish returning to streams to spawn and start the life cycle all over again. This year, though, we’re seeing something more: a lot of fish at streams where they haven’t been in years. We’ve heard from local communities, crews and co-workers who grew up here that it’s a chum run like they’ve never seen.

Salmon make their way upstream in Chico Creek under the new SR 3 bridge

In recent weeks, this was the case at Chico Creek in Kitsap County. The sight of salmon so thick in the creek brought tears to locals’ eyes.

We’re also happy to see the increased fish runs and to have played a part in their overall return. In many locations our fish passage projects replacing aging culverts that blocked fish migration have let fish swim more freely under state highways.

A team effort at Chico Creek

A case in point is Chico Creek near Bremerton. The restoration of Chico Creek has been decades in the making, led by Suquamish Tribe and Kitsap County. This work was preceded by multiple public projects in Chico Creek’s lower reaches that replaced old bridges with more fish-friendly designs, restored sections of stream bank and protected natural areas along Chico Creek, including Kitsap County’s 30-acre Erlands Point Park.

In 2021, we began a project to build a new bridge on State Route 3. We also began building a new 50-foot-long bridge on Chico Way Northwest. Fast forward to 2024, the project has now opened up nearly 22 miles of potential habitat for fish.

The new bridges now accommodate a rerouted Chico Creek, which flows away from two culverts and beneath the SR 3 bridge. The bridge on Chico Way removes a barrier to a nearby unnamed tributary, which feeds into Chico Creek. In other words, fish have more room and easier access.

Just as in-stream work wrapped up, the rains started to refill those creeks. Like clockwork, the fish have returned.

Salmon run at Chico Creek in October 2024

Our point is, it’s not just WSDOT projects that help restore salmon runs by correcting culverts that are barriers to fish. This particular watershed had, at one point, several barriers further upstream and a barrier downstream. It takes all of us working together to restore watersheds and fish runs.

Culverts under our highway may only be one part of the equation, but it is our duty and responsibility to play our part in restoring these habitats to a more natural state for local salmon. (It is also part of a federal court injunction for WSDOT barriers. Work like this project gets us another step closer to meeting those requirements).

24 for 24

It’s not just Chico Creek where progress is being made removing barriers to fish movement. In 2024, we opened 24 barriers to fish in seven western Washington counties: Pierce, Thurston, Kitsap, Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor and Mason.

We restored access to 76 miles of potential fish habitat. It’s a lot of work for crews. And it meant travelers had to endure detours, slowdowns and delays for this work. Here’s a snapshot of the work completed this year:

SR 16 and SR 302 Spur at Purdy Creek

In Pierce County, we are wrapping up a long-term project at Purdy Creek near Gig Harbor. We started working on SR 16 in fall of 2022 to remove a barrier under the highway. We built two 206-foot-long bridges to replace an outdated culvert. The project removed a second fish barrier under the SR 302 Spur, known locally as Purdy Drive, in 2023. We built a smaller bridge there to replace an outdated culvert. This portion of the project also included a shared-use path for people who walk and roll that was added at the request of the community.

Chum salmon in Purdy Creek at SR 16 in November 2024

SR 108 and US 101 in Mason and Thurston counties

This summer, crews removed barriers to fish at three locations under SR 108 near Kamilche, and under US 101 near the Mason/Thurston County line. The work on SR 108 included separate total closures of the highway in the Kamilche area most of July and August. It required a lengthy detour through US 101 at Mud Bay. On US 101, we kept people moving by reducing US 101 to one lane in each direction. We know detours can be frustrating, but this closure and detour allowed us to complete the overall work much faster, shortening the overall disruptions.

US 101 near Forks

In the Forks area, we started a project in the spring to remove fish barriers under US 101 at five locations. Four of them wrapped up mid-November. We will return in 2025 to complete work at the Wisen Creek site between Forks and Port Angeles. We replaced outdated culverts under the highway with a variety of structures. The most notable is an arch culvert located just south of the Clallam County line in Jefferson County. Our crews used approximately 9,000 bolts to put together the large metal structure.

In summer 2024, we built a large metal arch culvert to replace an outdated culvert under US 101 near Ruby Beach

SR 109 between Seabrook and Hoquiam

People traveling to Pacific Coast beaches this summer encountered multiple detours while crews removed five old culverts that hampered fish movement. Crews had to dig up the entire highway to install the new large concrete structures. These new structures now allow fish to swim under the highway more easily.

US 12 and SR 8 in Grays Harbor County

If you live along US 12/SR 8 in Grays Harbor County or took that route to the coast in the last year, you traveled through five fish passage sites between Olympia and Montesano. We started a project to remove barriers to fish there in fall 2023. While we still have some bridges to finish building, our contractor was able to get all stream work done this past summer. Originally, we expected the stream work to take two summers to complete. This means we will likely wrap up the project well before the end of 2025 as first expected.

Coho salmon swim through the new culvert under SR 8 east of McCleary

Making the highways more resilient

All of these projects built new bridges or installed larger culverts to replace the old culverts that blocked fish habitat. If you’re thinking to yourself, that’s a lot of new structures, we agree. But all of the culverts we are replacing were reaching the end of their useful life.

The new structures allow fish to swim freely under state highways and make our highways more resilient during floods and earthquakes. The new structures are built to current seismic standards. They also reduce flooding by allowing more water to flow under the highway. In turn, this reduces the need for emergency road closures and costly repairs from flood damage.

There is more work ahead in the coming years as we work towards meeting the 2013 federal court injunction.  

We know people had to alter their plans to accommodate the roadwork, and we’re very grateful for the cooperation in that. When you see fish returning to the streams, and you see the end result, we hope you share in the feeling that it’s worth the effort.