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WSDOT – Montlake Boulevard Signage Survey(closed now) and Community Meeting (registration still open)

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The in-person community meeting ( Thursday, Oct 26 at 5:30pm @ Queen City Yacht Club – registration is required) Link to register 

Survey is now closed – deadline was Wednesday, October 18 11:59pm 

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Dear neighbors,

We have heard your concerns about the sign bridges recently installed on Montlake Boulevard. We want to work with you to evaluate options for a path forward.

Community survey and in-person meeting

After consultation with 43rd District legislators, city of Seattle officials and WSDOT leadership, we would like to invite you to an in-person meeting at 5:30 p.m. on October 26 at the Queen City Yacht Club. There will be a virtual option if you cannot attend in person. The goal of the meeting is to share design context, answer your questions, and gather your feedback for potential signage adjustments.

In advance of the meeting, please take this survey about the design of the sign bridges. The goal of the survey is to better understand your concerns and priorities, and to make sure everyone has the opportunity to share input and ideas. The survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.

If you plan to attend the meeting either virtually or in person, please RSVP via the survey so we can plan the meeting space accordingly. You do not need to attend the meeting to take the survey, and we will continue to keep neighbors informed about feedback and next steps via email.

Sign bridge installation

The reconstructed and more complex Montlake Boulevard interchange – including new transit and HOV direct-access ramps to a toll facility – needs adequate signage to clearly direct motorists where they need to go. To avoid construction delay, we plan to open the project to traffic later this fall using the two sign bridges that already have been installed, with the understanding that the community conversations could result in future changes. That said, we will pause installation of the third sign bridge north of the interchange as we work to understand more about concerns and possible signage approaches.

We know that construction timeframes are dynamic and could change due to fall weather. We are committed to communicating with you through meetings and email regarding what to expect for interim and permanent signage, once decided.

My team and I look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Omar Jepperson, PE, DBIA
SR 520 & AWV Program
Program Administrator (he, him, his)
Mobile: (206) 419-6961
999 3rd Avenue, Suite 2300 | Seattle, WA 98104
WSDOT mail stop: NB-82-99
SR 520 Bridge Replacement & HOV Program
Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program

Filed Under: 520 Tagged With:

Neighborhood meeting to address Portage Bay Bridge construction and impacts

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Please join your neighbors Thursday December 8 at 6:15 to learn more about upcoming construction of the Portage Bay Bridge and Roanoke Lid. Meeting is at the Montlake Playfield Recreation Center. The meeting will include an update on the WSDOT SR 520 construction and discussion of ways to include community input in the process.

April 20th Deadline for Public Comments to 520 Construction Noise Variance

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noise featuredTomorrow, April 20th is the deadline to submit your response to WSDOT’s application for a Noise Variance during construction (click to review application).  A few highlights requested in the application:

  • The right to do construction at higher noise levels 24 hours a day, for the next 7 years, the full scope of the 520 construction.
  • City of Seattle’s current limit on nighttime noise is 45 db, WSDOT is requesting 80 db. With decibel scales, this over 15X the current limit.

Many neighbors, including the Montlake Community Club Board, are concerned about this noise variance. As such, the Montlake Community Club has submitted a letter opposing this variance. You may view the Community Club’s response to this variance request HERE or click to view other responses by Laurelhurst, North Capitol Hill, and Senator Jaime Pedersen.

The Montlake Community Club encourages all concerned neighbors to take advantage of the public comment period which ends tomorrow, Thursday, April 20th by sending an email with your comments concerning construction noise and hours of operations here:

If you prefer to view WSDOT’s noise variance docs as PDFs rather than DOCX files, go to this Dropbox folder.

You can see all WSDOT’s material and comments already filed here. (Type in 3027364 for the project number)

 

Union Bay Watch | Dancing on The Wind!

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EB2R4763This week’s post focuses on how various Union Bay birds handled last Saturday’s fierce wind and freezing cold. I hope you find the story as inspiring as the wind was for the eagles. You can read more on:

Union Bay Watch

Larry

 

Trifecta Traffic Alert for this Weekend

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Click map to enlarge

Click map to enlarge

Per WSDOT:

A trifecta of highway closures tips off Friday evening

This weekend three major construction closures on State Route 520, State Route 99 and Interstate 5 will cause extra traffic around the greater Seattle area from late Friday, June 6, to the early morning hours of Monday, June 9. Drivers should prepare for traffic delays, allow extra time to reach their destinations, and plan trips around the closures.

Here’s what’s happening:

  • Both directions of State Route 520 will be closed between Montlake Boulevard and Interstate 405 from 11 p.m. Friday, June 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 9.
  • The two right lanes of northbound I-5 at South Spokane Street will be closed to replace aging bridge expansion joints from 10 p.m. Friday, June 6until 5 a.m. Monday, June 9.
  • Southbound State Route 99 from Denny Way to South Spokane Street will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday, June 6 until 5 a.m. Monday, June 9.

For all of the closures, and why we pack these into a single weekend, check out our latest blog.