November 13, 2014

520 closing again for demolition on ramps

Photo courtesy of WSDOT [enlarge]

Crews for the state Route 520 West Approach Bridge North project will work through the weekend on demolition of the “ramps to nowhere” and other construction activities.

The 50-year-old ramps are part of the never completed R.H. Thomson Expressway.

WSDOT announced last month it would begin razing the ramps in mid-October during a weekend highway closure. The contractor, Flatiron West, will give it another shot this weekend.

All lanes of SR 520 across Lake Washington will be shut down between Montlake Boulevard 92nd Avenue Northeast from 11 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.

Crews hope to remove a section of the ramp shown in this photo on the left under the crane.

A spokesman for WSDOT said the ramps won't be completely gone until next summer.

The ramp removals will provide space for a work platform for a 1.2-mile-long approach bridge that will carry three westbound lanes of traffic from the new SR 520 floating bridge to Montlake, and connect a new bicycle-pedestrian path from the floating bridge into Seattle.

Flatiron West is completing the work under a $199.5 million contract awarded in July.

Work on the approach is scheduled to finish in 2017. The new floating bridge is expected to open in the spring of 2016.

WSDOT will also close the eastbound SR 520 ramp to southbound Interstate 405 from 10 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday this weekend to repair a barrier on I-405.