This is not the news westbound State Route 520 motorists want to hear, they will not be getting their 2nd lane back to Interstate 5 whenever soon.

When work to construct the new reversible High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane between SR 520 and the I-5 express lanes began in 2015, the professional took among the 2 lanes of the ramp from westbound 520 to southbound I-5 for a work zone. It also took among the express lanes.

SR-520 Montlake Project to hit turning point this weekend

That second on-ramp lane was set up to resume by this month, but it has actually not returned.

And it's not going to.

Drivers will not be getting that lane back for another year. The Washington Department of Transportation has chosen to leave it in place up until the project is close to conclusion next year. The professional states there's simply too much work left to do, and the lane truly offers a safe zone to get it done.

The lane that the specialist closed on the I-5 express lanes for the exact same task will not resume until October.

" We're going to need to keep the lane decreases in location mostly so we can do it for safety factors," WSDOT's Tony Black stated. "We do not wish to put employees at risk, and we do not want to put our motorists or travelers at risk either."

Postponing the reopening of that ramp lane should keep this job on schedule.

" We certainly do understand the public's desire to have actually things get done and get this job over with, and this choice is going to assist us stay on schedule," Black said.

The reversible lane between SR 520 and the express lanes is anticipated to open in about a year, and Black said it will change the landscape and sight lines along I-5.

" This is going to be a truly hectic summer season for us," he stated. "This summertime is going to be some of the most significant visual modifications the public will see."

This reversible lane will start as a transit-only lane, but it will convert to an HOV lane when the whole SR 520 project is done. That's in about eight and a half years when the extension from Montlake to I-5 over Portage Bay is arranged to open.

Motorists can anticipate a hectic year of lane closures along this corridor, including at Mercer Street, as the construction advances.

The Montlake Lid task closures will also continue.

The cover job and this reversible lane task are expected to wrap up at about the same time next year.

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