January 17 meeting canceled
Mari
Hello Highland Neighbors!
Our January 17, 2024, meeting is cancelled.
Our next meeting is scheduled for March 20, 2024 at 7PM in the Peter Kirk room
at City Hall. Hope to see you all there or via Zoom!
Update on 85th St on and off ramp closure:
Construction has begun in earnest on the new I-405 interchange at NE 85th St. WSDOT will FULLY CLOSE NE 85th St right near I-405 in both directions for two weekends:
Fri Jan 26th at 11 pm until Mon Jan 29th at 4 am
Fri Feb 2nd at 11 pm until Mon Feb 5th at 4 am
See the road closure notice from WSDOT that appears after the picture of the interchange in this message.
At this stage of construction, WSDOT is getting ready to remove the circular "jug-handle" on/off ramps to I-405 at NE 85th St. They will install temporary traffic lights at the locations circled in red in the picture below. All traffic on and off of the highway at NE 85th St will use the non-circular on/off ramps that funnel into and out of those new temporary traffic lights. We will use those ramps while WSDOT builds new ramps for the interchange.
Be safe on the roads out there!
From WSDOT: Northeast 85th Street Interchange
These are temporary closures that will change the on and off ramps to I-405 from 85th St. The street will re-open after each of these two weekend closures.
Why is this happening?
The closures in late Jan and early Feb will allow the crews to change the on and off ramps from the current “clover leaf” design to a diamond design. This process will involve demolishing two bridges, installing temporary signals, and remarking pavement.
After these closures, drivers will be entering and exiting I-405 differently and will be travelling through 85th St differently. Use caution and attention travelling through the area.
This work is part of the I-405/Northeast 85th Street Interchange and Bus Rapid Transit Station Construction Project. The new interchange will be a big improvement on what’s currently there. Once finished, the interchange area will include a middle transit level and offer more reliable transportation options for everyone in Kirkland.
Detour Options
There will be a few detour options for this phase of the project.
· For through traffic along NE 85th St, you can use NE 87th St to 6th St to 120th Ave NE.
· To access I-405, and to pass over I-405, travel to NE 68th St/ NE 70th Pl to the South, or NE 116th St to the North. Detour signs will be posted along the way.
Expect travel delays and plan for increased travel times. To stay up to date on travel conditions, see the WSDOT Real Time Travel Map.
Where to get more information
For more information about the project, visit the WSDOT project webpage.
Stay up to date on this project and sign up for the newsletter.
You can also call the project hotline at 425-456-8585 or email I405SR16...@wsdot.wa.gov for more information.
The City of Kirkland has a lot of volunteer programs and opportunities.
The contact person is Andreana Campbell (she/her) Special Projects Coordinator, City of Kirkland
I feel very lucky to live in such a beautiful city and am grateful to everyone who is able to volunteer.
Happy New Year!
Mari Bercaw