Bellevue Grand Connection: I-405 Crossing – Downtown to Eastrail

Project Updates

• With transportation projects—especially those that may receive federal funding—the city must conduct a formal evaluation of the potential environmental impact of this project. As part of that process a Project Purpose and Need Statement has been developed and establishes the reason why the City of Bellevue is proposing this project. You can view the statement on both the city website and the online open house
• In early December 2023, the project team held a workshop for internal city staff, adjacent property owners and key partners (such as WSDOT, Sound Transit and King County), where they shared their aspirations for the Grand Connection with the project design team. 
  • Common aspirations included making the crossing safe and welcoming to all users, celebrating and incorporating Bellevue’s diversity, nurturing public art, enhancing access to nearby retail and dining, addressing future mobility needs and creating a welcoming space for people to gather.
  • The project team will use the workshop outcomes—along with input from other public engagements-- to develop alternatives and inform the 30% design. 
• From February 26 to March 24, 2024, the public was invited to participate in an online open house hosted on EngagingBellevue.com/i405-crossing. The online open house was available in Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. 
• The city hosted an in-person open house on May 2 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Aaron Education Center at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens (12001 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98005). The project team shared an overview of project information; progress to date; what we’ve learned from the community so far; and display design and location options. See the open house engagement report for a recap of the event and the feedback we received. 

Background material

• In-person Open House Summary (May 2024)
• Online Open House Summary (March 2024)
• Design Charette Summary (December 2023)
• Concept Plan
• Feasibility Study

Please note that assumptions, renderings and designs included in these documents are purely conceptual renderings and meant for discussion purposes only. Further engineering, site planning, environmental analysis and other work will be necessary to determine the viability of these concepts and design a preferred alternative.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the Grand Connection Crossing be complete? 
Currently, the city is focused on reaching a 30% design milestone by the end of 2024. This milestone will help the city understand costs, potential impacts to city- and privately-owned properties and benefits to redevelopment in the Wilburton area. If the city elects to continue construction, next steps include an aggressive capital identification process followed by construction with a goal of opening the Grand Connection Crossing late in the decade.

Why will it take so long? 
The Grand Connection Crossing project is an extremely complex project involving at least five government agencies, numerous private property owners and an interstate freeway where significant construction will be underway in the coming years. Prior planning efforts were focused on the vision and general concept, the next phase marks the start of engineering work. Additionally, the city anticipates a substantial capital raise will be required through capital planning and collaboration, including identifying possible federal, state, local and private-sector funding to complete the bridge and ensure its compatibility with the future park lid, I-405 Master Plan and development happening on both side of I-405.

Will the city be issuing any other requests for proposals (RFP) related to the Grand Connection? 
Yes, we anticipate seeking consultants to assist with work related to Meydenbauer Bay Park Phase II operations and maintenance, capital identification and financing strategy, and planning, among other projects. Many of these become available in 2024. To prepare and be notified when an RFP is issued, please register and upload an SOQ at the city’s contracting portal Public Purchase.

When will the Grand Connection Crossing be complete? 
The city is focused completing 30% design by the end of 2024. This work will help the city understand costs, potential impacts to city- and privately-owned properties and benefits to redevelopment in the Wilburton area. The next steps include identifying and securing funding followed by construction with a goal of opening the Grand Connection Crossing by the end of 2028.

Why is this project needed?  
The project is needed to provide:

• Improved access to downtown Bellevue: This crossing would connect users of the Eastrail regional trail and new regional light rail stations with safe, high-quality multimodal connections from downtown Bellevue to Wilburton and out to east Bellevue neighborhoods.
• Improved safety for pedestrians and bicyclists: Bellevue has no crossings of I-405 exclusively for people walking, biking and rolling. Existing crossings of I-405 connecting downtown and Wilburton are designed for moving cars, sometimes without continuous protected paths for people walking or using a wheelchair and or designated bicycle lanes.
• New opportunities for community gathering, recreation, and retail: Wilburton and the eastern end of downtown Bellevue currently lack high-quality community gathering spaces, such as plazas, independent retailers, and open space. Together with planning for redevelopment of city-owned property and private redevelopment in Wilburton, the Grand Connection Crossing offers an opportunity to add substantial new high-quality public space.
• Coordination with local land use and transportation plans: The City of Bellevue has identified a need for an active transportation crossing of I-405 to seamlessly connect downtown Bellevue with the Wilburton Transit Oriented Development (TOD) area in The Grand Connection Framework Plan and the Bellevue Connector Feasibility Study Report.

How much will this project cost? 
When this preliminary design is complete at the end of 2024, the city will know more about how much it would cost to construct and maintain the crossing (excluding a park lid). Recent projects of similar size and scope have ranged from $40M to just over $200M. Cost estimating, which is part of the preliminary design process, will take into consideration likely increasing construction costs.

How is this project being funded? 
Funding for the 30% design of the Grand Connection Crossing project comes from the City’s Capital Investment Program with partnering funds donated by Amazon. Funding for final design, construction and eventually, ongoing operations, still needs to be identified. The city anticipates raising these funds through potential federal, state, local, and private-sector sources.