Work Slated To Begin On New Seattle-Eastside Transit Connection

BELLEVUE, WA — Transportation crews plan to break ground this week on a new, reversible transit lane that will connect the Interstate 5 express lanes in Seattle directly with State Route 520. Initial work will be minimal, as contractors add fencing, perform erosion control and monitor soil conditions.

© Shutterstock By late 2023, a new reversible transit lane will connect Seattle's South Lake Union with the Eastside.

Once construction begins, most of the work is scheduled to take place at night or away from the road. Further along in the project, drivers can expect some lane or ramp closures on evenings and weekends.

The $68 million project should be completed by late 2023 and will provide transit riders with faster trips between Seattle's South Lake Union tech hub and the Eastside. The new transit lane will work according to the existing reversible express lanes. When the lanes express are running northbound, a new ramp will connect directly to eastbound SR 520. When the lanes run southbound, the ramp will connect to westbound SR 520.

At first, only buses will be able to use the new connection, but once work is complete on the Portage Bay Bridge and Roanoke Lid projects, the lanes will also be available for carpools.

Check out how the new connections will work below:

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