Public Meeting to Discuss the 520 WABN Construction
Thursday, April 10th
6:30-8:00pm
Queen City Yacht Club
The Washington State Department of Transportation will start construction on the WABN phase of 520 replacement this summer. WABN stands for “West Approach Bridge – North” and will build three new lanes of highway between the new floating bridge and Montlake Blvd. This is the last section of the 520 project for which there is currently funding. The state legislature’s failure to pass a transportation package with funding to replace the rest of 520 in Seattle means we may have to live with this interim solution for a while.
There was a public meeting in January with the WSDOT team and Seattle Department of Transportation and Seattle Parks staff. The presentation reviewed WABN’s design features including the relocation of the westbound Lake Washington Blvd exit ramp near the Arboretum to the 24th Ave overpass near the old MOHAI (soon to be demolished). WSDOT has been contacting property owners along Lake Washington Blvd to get easements for enlarging sidewalks and making changes to local traffic lanes.
At the January meeting there was much discussion of the damage to Madison Park condos and apartments along the shoreline closest to the pile driving. WSDOT reported that while the pile drivers are out in the lake working on bridge supports for the West Connection Bridge (connecting the new floating bridge to the future WABN), some preparation activities such as moving utility poles in Montlake will occur later this spring and summer. Montlake homes near the construction zone may also experience high levels of vibration and noise during WABN construction. I urge property owners to attend the April 10th meeting and gather current information about what to expect and what can be done if damage occurs.
About the meeting on April 10th: neighbors in Portage Bay and Roanoke Park are organizing this meeting. They are inviting residents of Montlake, Madison Park and neighboring areas. Some of the questions which will be asked of WSDOT staff relate to the Environmental Impact Statement and the Memorandum of Understanding with the city and whether those documents are being followed. There will also be inquiry about the mitigation projects that have been promised. Anyone who has a burning question for WSDOT staff can contact me and I’ll forward it to the meeting moderator (president@montlake.net).
For background and analysis of the WABN, look at the website of the Coalition for a Sustainable 520.
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