SEATTLE — Drivers should try to steer clear of Seattle's Montlake neighborhood this weekend as Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) crews continue work on SR 520.
Montlake Boulevard will be closed between Roanoke Street and Hamlin Street starting Friday, Aug. 27 at 10 p.m. All SR 520 on and off-ramps serving Montlake Boulevard will also be closed, according to WSDOT.
The closure will continue until Monday, Aug. 30 at 6 a.m.
WSDOT crews will be shifting Montlake Boulevard onto the new Montlake lid so they can remove the old street crossing over SR 520 and build a new, improved overpass. The work will be happening around the clock.
"We know there are a lot of pedestrians and bicyclists that come through this area and we will have a path for them to go through, but needless to say, this will be something you'll want to avoid at all cost this weekend," said Steve Peer with WSDOT, Wednesday.
The closure of the SR 520 ramps serving the Montlake neighborhood comes as the area also handles the ongoing closure of the SR 513 Montlake Bridge, which has been closed since Aug. 8 while it undergoes repairs. The Montlake Bridge is scheduled to reopen Sept. 3.
The SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program is reconstructing SR 520 in phases, primarily working from east to west, WSDOT said. The changes are meant to enhance public safety and mobility by replacing the highway's aging, vulnerable bridges and making significant transit and roadway improvements throughout the corridor, according to WSDOT.
Built in stages, the construction program's completed and planned improvements extend from I-405 in Bellevue to I-5 in Seattle.
The Montlake portion of the SR 520 project is expected to be completed in 2023, according to WSDOT.