The first of two new Seattle Eastside transit stops on S.R. 520 opens today at Evergreen Point Road, marking the home stretch for completion of the Eastside Transit and HOV Project. The new stop will serve 575 bus trips in each direction every weekday.
By the end of summer, contractor crews for the Washington State Department of Transportation plan to wrap up major upgrades to S.R. 520 between Lake Washington and I-405, including dedicated transit/HOV lanes in both directions, direct-access ramps for buses and carpools, new highway lids and roundabout interchanges, a regional bicycle and pedestrian path along the six-lane corridor and the two median transit stops. On an average weekday, an estimated 21,000 bus riders use S.R. 520 between Lake Washington and I-405.
“Opening these new transit stops represents a significant milestone as we near completion of a major segment of our highway project,” said Julie Meredith, director of the S.R. 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program. “By fall, with the Eastside upgrades done, our efforts will focus exclusively on replacement of a vulnerable structure and improving mobility across Lake Washington with the new floating bridge.”
The new Evergreen Point Road transit stop opens early Monday, June 16, in time for the morning commute. With the stop’s opening:
- The existing outside-lane stop at Evergreen Point Road is replaced with a new, ADA-accessible facility in the highway’s median, complete with stairs and elevators for rider access from the new park-and-ride and lidded overpass above;
- The existing outside-lane 92nd Avenue Northeast transit stops also close on Monday, when the new Evergreen Point Road median stop opens. A temporary shuttle will transport local Eastside riders between the two stops until a new median stop opens at 92nd Avenue Northeast a few weeks from now; and
- A new roundabout interchange also opens today at 84th Avenue Northeast. Drivers should watch for signs alerting them to the new configuration.
In the coming weeks:
- A second new median transit stop will open at 92nd Avenue Northeast;
- New direct-access ramps for carpools and transit to and from the west will open at 108th Avenue Northeast. The new ramps will serve the busy South Kirkland Park and Ride; and
- New transit and HOV lanes will be complete by the end of summer, resulting in a wider and safer corridor.
