Celebrating 520's final chapter: Construction is a go on the Portage Bay Bridge and Roanoke Lid Project!

By Allie Breyer

This past August, we broke ground on the Portage Bay Bridge and Roanoke Lid Project. This is the final major project in the SR 520 corridor. Construction on the SR 520 Program started in 2011 with the SR 520 pontoon construction project. The Portage Bay Project will complete SR 520’s reconstruction from I-405 in Bellevue to I-5 in Seattle.

Check out the highlights from the groundbreaking ceremony in the video below:

Another construction project?

We get it. You may not be celebrating more construction in this area. If we can offer a silver lining, this project brings us one step closer to completing all major construction projects on the SR 520 corridor. When the project is complete in 2031, we will have transformed the 12.8-mile-long corridor with safer bridges, dedicated lanes for busses and carpools and five landscaped lids. It will also include a bicycle and pedestrian trail from Bellevue Way to Capitol Hill in Seattle. That’s almost 6 miles.

Why do we need a new Portage Bay bridge?

We built the Portage Bay Bridge in the early 1960s using hollow concrete columns. This design was great at the time because it saved weight and materials. We now know that it’s not-so-great for withstanding earthquakes. In the event of a large quake, those columns could collapse, putting the bridge and everyone who uses it at risk.

That’s why we need to build a new one. This project will replace the old bridge with two bridges that can bear the shaking and stress of an earthquake without breaking. These new bridges will use solid foundations and modern engineering techniques so they’re safer and stronger.

Drawing of Portage Bay bridge, 1960. Courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archives, #63342, Series 2613-07.

This project also:

• Improves connections for busses, carpools and vanpools.
• Extends the regional SR 520 Trail across Portage Bay.
• Creates a new bicycle and pedestrian crossing over I-5.
• Builds a highway lid over SR 520 with three acres of landscaped open space.

All these improvements help to connect communities and support travelers of all kinds.

Major elements of the project include the new Roanoke lid, the new Portage Bay Bridge, an extension of the SR 520 Trail, and new or upgraded bike and pedestrian connections from the lid and the Bill Dawson Trail.

Since breaking ground this past summer, we’ve been getting everything ready for major construction work. This work will begin in November.

Here’s what you can expect this fall

• Piledriving in Portage Bay: As soon as November 6, we'll begin driving large steel or concrete poles deep into the ground to create a foundation for the temporary work trestle. These poles are known as “piles”. This process involves heavy machinery that either vibrates or hammers the piles into place. This is one of the noisier parts of construction. If you live nearby, you can expect to hear loud noises and feel vibrations when crews are driving piles. This will be the first of six piledriving seasons allowed on the project. Each season lasts from September – April, though piledriving may not occur each season.
• Lane closures, parking restrictions and detours: Around East Roanoke Street, Delmar Drive East and Boyer Avenue East, you may notice temporary lane closures and detours. Parking in some areas will also be restricted. It might slow you down, so give yourself extra time when traveling through these spots.
• Increased truck traffic on East Lake Washington Boulevard : You may see more trucks on the road and increased traffic. Crews will be moving materials and equipment to the site.
• Tree and vegetation removal around Boyer Avenue East: We will need to remove some trees and vegetation to make room for construction. But don’t worry – we’ve got a whole plan to replace them. For every tree we take down, we’ll plant another – and sometimes two! – when the project is complete.
• Increased barge traffic in Portage Bay: You may see boats tugging barges into Portage Bay from either Elliot Bay or Lake Washington.

Map graphic showing locations of construction work happening this fall. 

How will the bridge be built?

We’re building the project in three stages so we can maintain traffic over the bay. Over the next year, crews will build two temporary work trestles to the north and south of the current bridge. A trestle is a temporary platform that lets crews bring the material and equipment they need to build the new permanent bridges. We’ll also begin construction on the new “north” westbound bridge.

Crews will build work trestles and the new north bridge during Stage 1. In 2025, crews will start building the Roanoke lid.

Learn more about the three stages of construction and how we will build the trestles, shift traffic and remove and rebuild the bridges over the next few years.

How you can stay informed

We are committed to keeping you updated throughout construction. For the most up-to-date information about SR 520 construction activities and planned road closures, we encourage you to sign up for weekly email updates and regularly visit our Construction Corner webpage and project webpage.

We’ll also host monthly construction update meetings virtually. We’ll send information via our email list.

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to us directly by phone or email:

• SR 520 Program information line: 206-200-9484 (M-F, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
• Portage Bay project 24-hour construction hotline: 206-319-4520
• Email: sr520bridge@wsdot.wa.gov

Three lifesaving events in a week for Mukilteo/Clinton ferry route crews

 By Bryn Hunter

Hardcore Halloween fans spend October getting ready for the spookiest night of the year. But for our Mukilteo/Clinton ferry route employees, the week before the holiday was truly scary.

Thanks to the quick thinking and bravery of our crew and terminal staff, three lives were saved in one week.

Halloween heroics

Early on Oct. 31, Able-Bodied Sailor Steven Overa saw a crash at the I-5/I-405 interchange in Lynnwood on his way to work in Mukilteo. A vehicle had flipped over and caught fire. Steven pulled over, used his own fire extinguisher to help put out the flames and stayed until emergency crews arrived.

The crash at the I-5/I-405 interchange in Lynnwood that Steven Overa responded to on his way to work. 

Port Captain Jay Mooney presents a WSF Shared Value Coin to Steven Overa for his heroism on Oct. 31. 

Weekend water rescues

Just a few days earlier, our Mukilteo/Clinton route employees were busy with two water rescues in a single weekend. The same crew on Kitsap saved a person in the water and a kayaker in a span of 24 hours.

On Oct. 26, Mukilteo Ticket Taker Baylee Lane alerted the Kitsap wheelhouse that a woman was in the water near the ferry dock. Capt. Jeff Knaplund stopped the boat right away. Able-Bodied Sailors Collin Brasfield and Ian Fels then launched a rescue boat to help the woman. After about 25 minutes, with help from local police and fire department staff, the woman was safely brought onto the dock. It takes the entire crew, from the wheelhouse to the engine room, to stop a ferry that expertly. And it takes a lot of skill on the part of terminal staff to swiftly respond to an emergency.

Mukilteo terminal staff and local emergency responders wait on the dock while our crew aboard Kitsap rescues a woman in the water on Oct. 26. (Photo courtesy Mukilteo International Association of Firefighters Local 3482)

Then, on Oct. 27, Chief Mate Kevin Simmons saw a kayaker in trouble who couldn’t get back into his kayak. After notifying the Capt. Knaplund, the same two crew members from the day before launched a rescue boat. They pulled the kayaker and his gear from the cold water and brought him to safety. Once on the ferry, Able-Bodied Sailor Elbert Johnson kept an eye on the man until he was handed over to emergency responders on shore.

Able-Bodied Sailors Ian Fels and Collin Brasfield pull a kayaker out of the water and into a rescue boat off Mukilteo on Oct. 27

We have immense pride in our work at Washington State Ferries and these lifesaving events exemplify the finest ideals of the maritime profession. The safety of our passengers and those we assist in distress is part of our mission. So do not be afraid, Washington State Ferries is looking out for your safety.

In case you can’t tell, we’re really excited about our new roundabout on SR 203

By David Rasbach

Our new compact roundabout along State Route 203 at the intersection with High Rock Road and 203rd Street Southeast south of Monroe is unique, to say the least. With a long, skinny island separated from a circular island by a pass-through lane, even our designers don’t know of any similar roundabouts this small.

From above, it looks like an exclamation point, but we hope people who travel through will come to think of the roundabout as more of comma – a place to slow, take a pause when needed and then proceed on your travels.

A new roundabout opened along SR 203 in late June south of Monroe at the intersection with High Rock Road and 203rd Street Southeast.

Think of it as two roundabouts nested together, and the rules are the same as any other roundabout we’ve built:

• Slow to 15 to 20 mph as you approach.
• Move counterclockwise around the roundabout.
• Yield to vehicles approaching from your left already in the roundabout.
• Larger vehicles may drive over the center islands for tight turns.

Drivers going northbound on SR 203 traffic may need to yield twice – once when entering the roundabout and again if traffic is passing between the two islands. If you think about it, that’s just following the same rules a second time.

If you travel through the area, you may want to check out our video about driving this roundabout.

The SR 203 roundabout slows vehicles that used to approach the High Rock Road intersection at 55 mph.

Roundabouts calm traffic, improve flow and reduce the chances of serious T-bone and head-on crashes. These effects all apply to this stretch of SR 203.

Making a roundabout for everyone

OK, so why does it look so different from any other roundabout?

The design accommodates large vehicles and farm equipment making left turns, fits the existing space and avoids the nearby hill and protected wetlands.

Our engineering team found the unique design was needed to accommodate all the different vehicles that travel through this intersection.

When we began planning, our designers considered a roundabout shaped like a dog bone – long and skinny with “knots” on the ends. They quickly realized that wasn’t going to work.

A lot of large vehicles and farm equipment make left turns from 203rd Street Southeast to northbound SR 203. With a dog bone design, the turn at the southern end would be too tight for these vehicles to make.

Unlike most compact roundabouts, the new roundabout along SR 203 features two center islands with a lane passing between them.

Fitting a roundabout in a tight space

Why not build the center island bigger to create better turning angles for those larger vehicles?

In a word – geography. The new roundabout needed to be built in the same space as the old intersection.

To the east is a steep hill. To the southwest there are protected wetlands. There wasn’t space or budget to mitigate the potential impact in either direction.

With a hill to the eastside of the intersection and protected wetlands just to the southwest, engineers came up with a unique design to help improve safety and traffic flow at the SR 203 intersection at High Rock Road and 203rd Street Southeast.

Making SR 203 safer

We hope people traveling through the new roundabout will adapt quickly to the unique design and follow the same rules they should use at every roundabout. The new intersection is already performing its No. 1 goal of reducing chances of crashes that can lead to serious injuries or worse.

Before construction started, cars flew along this busy rural section of SR 203 between Monroe and Duvall at 55 mph. The intersection is on a curve, adding to the risk people turning from High Rock Road or 203rd Street Southeast could have been hit. SR 203 drivers turning left also faced challenges judging oncoming traffic speed.

National studies have shown that roundabouts create a 37% decrease in overall collisions, while reducing injury crashes by 75% and fatal incidents by 90%.

Despite its unique design, drivers using the new SR 203 roundabout at High Rock Road should follow the same rules in place at any roundabout.

We always monitor and evaluate all changes we make. This new roundabout is no exception, so we’ll be sure it’s working as designed.

Yes, we know – not everybody loves roundabouts. This one requires adjustment, just like any change. But please give this unique little roundabout a chance. Slow down and follow roundabout rules and signs on the road. Make sure you stay distraction free as you drive through the area (and everywhere). And please have patience with others still learning.

We believe you’ll soon enjoy improved safety and traffic flow in the area.

Updates on the new US 2 Trestle PEL study

By: Jennifer Rash

Last summer, we launched a study about the US 2 trestle. We’ve studied this trestle in the past, but this study is different because we’re looking at connections from the trestle to other highways, like I-5. The study will also consider how to improve bike, transit and freight trips around and across the trestle.

Expanded study area that includes the US 2 trestle and other connecting highways, including I-5.

This kind of study is called a PEL—that stands for Planning and Environmental Linkages. One of the most important benefits of this type of study is early input from agencies, tribes, and community members so we can get thoughts on issues and priorities before we develop plans. In fact, we recently collected input from the public and others just to write the study Purpose and Need statement.

What is a Purpose and Need statement?

This statement does two things. First, it explains why we are studying improvements at this specific location. That’s the “purpose” part. Second, it explains the issues that need to be fixed. That’s the “need” part. A bonus benefit is that this Purpose and Need statement can be re-used for the environmental review. That review starts right after the PEL is complete, and having the Purpose and Need statement pre-approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) can speed things up.

Public input informed the final Purpose and Need statements

This spring, we hosted an online open house and survey to gather feedback on the draft Purpose and Need statements. Through survey responses and comments, we learned more about how the community travels on or near the trestle.

Over 10,000 people visited the online open house website, and the survey received nearly 4,000 responses. The following graphs and statistics represent a small sample of the data collected. The full online open house and survey summary is available in the study document library.

Most people (around 70%) in the survey said they live on the east side of the trestle.

Most people said they use the trestle to access essential services like grocery shopping and medical visits. Commuting to work was the fourth most popular type of trip.

We wanted to learn about the biggest challenges to traveling on or around the trestle. Traffic back-ups and unreliable travel times were the biggest issues. Lack of detour options and safety were also common answers.

We then asked folks to review the draft Purpose and Need statements. Over 70% of people supported the statements as written. Some people gave us feedback that led to edits. For example, some people were confused about how we used the word equity. People also wanted to include more eastbound trestle concerns. We revised these statements before sending them to FHWA for approval, acknowledging that public input influenced these revisions.

You can view the draft and final Purpose and Need statements in the study document library.

Feelings about tolling

One of our big takeaways was community opposition to tolling, with 75% of survey takers against it. Many were concerned that tolling could negatively affect the cost of living in communities on the east side of the trestle. Around 15% of survey takers supported tolling the trestle, with some saying it could encourage transit use and others that users should pay for improvements to the trestle—as long as the toll is reasonable.

We will consider tolling as a way to address study needs, though we don’t know yet what types of tolling or the potential toll rates we’ll study.

In general, WSDOT is involved in planning, construction, and operations of tolling projects. The Washington State Legislature authorizes toll facilities and determines how to spend toll revenue. The Washington State Transportation Commission sets toll rates and exemptions with an extensive public input process.

What’s next?

We will work with FHWA and our PEL Study advisory groups to develop a list of possible improvements. We’ll start with a lot of ideas and whittle them down to a few concepts to study in the environmental review. The concepts are first evaluated at Level 1. If they meet the Purpose and Need criteria, as well as more detailed criteria, then they are evaluated in Level 2. We plan to share concepts between Level 1 and Level 2 for public comment in early 2025.

To follow along with the study, consider signing up for the WSDOT Snohomish County Newsletter email updates. We also regularly update our study web page and document library. Thank you again to everyone who participated in our online open house and shared their thoughts with us!