Starting next Monday, Southeast Eastgate Way in Bellevue is set for a six-month closure, spanning from Richards Road to 139th Avenue Southeast. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has confirmed this planned shutdown to pave the way for an ecological endeavor focused on clearing barriers for fish at Sunset Creek. As the roadway shuts down, the work of replacing the culverts beneath with a bridge begins.
"Extended roadway closures are never our first choice," WSDOT Project Engineer Thomas La Bolle said, in what amounts to a testament to necessity over convenience. La Bolle's words were captured in a statement cementing the reason behind the decision, "But in this case, closing Southeast Eastgate Way proved to be the quickest and most efficient way to build a new bridge in this area." Truck-laden work zones need room to maneuver, and the depth of the excavation down to Sunset Creek, nearly 40 feet beneath, does necessitate such spatial allowances.
For those who frequent this route, a detour will be in place via Richards Road, Southeast 26th Street, and 139th Avenue Southeast – signs will shepherd traffic accordingly. Local access won't be stifled completely; driveways and local routes to the east and west of the work's epicenter will remain in service through the duration of the closure. Thoroughfare traffic, usually meandering between Richards Road and 139th Avenue Southeast, will find said passage impermissible.
WSDOT reports that bridge construction efforts will take place within the workweek's confines, between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m as the majority of work will press on beneath the imposing I-90 in the forthcoming year. What lies ahead could include "some intermittent night work," especially as project phases wane toward completion. The shifts in patterns, the detours, they will likely bring additional traffic through alternative routes during peak hours, so a modicum of patience might well be prescribed.
Adjustments extend beyond the road, with King County Metro strategically relocating its bus stops to work around the temporary barricade that construction has effectively become. All things running smoothly, Southeast Eastgate Way will, by the calendar's decree – come fall 2025 – welcome travelers once more. Atkinson Construction, the lead on this project, aims to leverage this period of inconvenience for a future graced with infrastructural and ecological betterment.
