Published February 5 2016
One of the city's busiest, most inconvenient intersections is about to get straightened out, literally, but before that happens crews must close some lanes to complete their work.
The heavily-traveled intersection is at 120th Avenue Northeast and Northeast Eighth Street. From Monday, Feb. 8, to Wednesday, Feb. 10, workers at various times will close the northbound lanes of 120th, just south of Eighth Street. Other closures will be in the eastbound lanes of Northeast Eighth, just west of 120th Avenue. The lane closures are needed to complete asphalt grinding and paving. Work will be from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Work at the intersection is part a larger, multi-phased project to widen and improve 120th Avenue Northeast. The new configuration where the road crosses Northeast Eighth Street will make it a four-way intersection. It will eliminate the existing, skewed alignment that requires northbound drivers to make a jog to the west before continuing north on 120th Avenue.
The new intersection is expected to open to traffic on Feb. 16 with temporary striping and a temporary U-turn on Northeast Eighth Street from the eastbound to westbound direction. Access to the Mercedes dealership will be from the newly re-aligned 120th Avenue.
Work on the roadway is weather dependent, so the construction schedule could change. Drivers and others in the area are urged to be aware of the changes, exercise caution, and obey construction flaggers and signing.
To stay informed about this project and for other transportation news, check these online resources: 120th Avenue Northeast, Northeast Eighth to Northeast 12th Street, Stage 2, project webpage; Bellevue Traffic Advisories; Real Time Bellevue Traffic map and cameras; Interactive map of citywide capital projects; Transportation Department Twitter page; and MyBellevue App, which tells how to access more information using your mobile phone or tablet.