Published March 14 2013
Drivers heading south on West Lake Sammamish Parkway will need to detour from the roadway beginning March 19 as work continues on a long-awaited project to improve safety and upgrade the pavement.
The detour, which will be in effect 24 hours a day for approximately seven months, will route southbound motorists onto Southeast 34th Street and take them to the Eastgate area where they can access Southeast Newport Way, Southeast Eastgate Way and ramps to Interstate 90. Travel will be limited to one lane in the northbound direction, between 179th Avenue Northeast and Southeast 34th Street. Pedestrians and bicyclists will still have access in both directions.
Officials urge all roadway users to exercise extreme caution as they travel through the work zone. The southbound detour is designed to maximize safety, maintain more consistent travel times for commuters, and minimize the overall construction schedule by allowing the contractor to work more efficiently in the closed lane.
Standard work hours for the project will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. However, unforeseen circumstances may require the contractor to sometimes extend work hours in the afternoon to secure the area and insure public safety.
The stretch of WLSP under construction is the first of five anticipated segments, each about one mile long. Plans call for widening the shoulder on the east side of the road, and a paved, wide multi-use path on the west side, separated from vehicle traffic by a landscaped buffer.
Bellevue's Traffic Advisories offer up-to-date, weekly information traffic impacts from construction. West Lake Sammamish Parkway offers specific project updates. Current day-to-day information is available on the electronic message signs at the north and south ends of the project. Another option for up-to-date construction information is available Bellevue's Transportation Department Twitter page.