KING

The 520 bridge is closed each year for an inspection and repairs.

SEATTLE - If you're planning on traveling between Seattle and the Eastside this weekend, be prepared for some traffic congestion because the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge across Lake Washington will be closed for the annual inspection, as well as a paving project east of the bridge.

The bridge will close Friday night at 11 p.m. and will reopen at 5 a.m. Monday.

Department of Transportation crews will also use this time to lay down a stretch of "quieter" pavement as part of a test project. The DOT says noise is a common complaint from people living near highways, so they will test the new pavement in an effort to find a solution.

In September 2006, crews installed the first test section of quieter asphalt on southbound I-5 in Lynnwood, but it will be several years before results of the test are known.

"At the beginning, asphalt pavement and quieter pavement are the same," said DOT spokesman Travis Phelps. "The real kicker is how this stuff is going to last over five or 10 years. How is it going to put up with the environment, with freezing and thawing cycles."

In the 1.6-mile section of pavement will begin at the eastern end of Medina and end just west of Bellevue Way. DOT will test quieter asphalt, which contains compounds that help reduce noise.

Quieter asphalt has mainly been used in warm climates, in states such as Arizona, California, Texas and Florida.

"They don’t have the weather factor or the studded tire factor," said Phelps.

As for cost, standard asphalt runs about $58,900 per lane mile, while quieter asphalt costs between $81,600 and $93,200 per lane mile.

DOT said they chose locations on I-5, I-405 (in Tukwila) and SR 520 because they are representative of high traffic, urban locations where quieter pavement would most likely be used.

Phelps said drivers won't really notice anything out of the ordinary when driving on the new pavement.

"All asphalt's going to be quiet from the get-go," he said. "We just want to find out how much quieter this is going to be."