520 Bridge

Bridge drivers will see first signs of replacement taking shape

Keith Seinfeld — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:53:47 +0000

If you drive across Lake Washington this week on the SR-520 floating bridge, you may notice some construction in the water. That’s the first step in building a new floating bridge across the lake--running parallel to and just north of the existing floating bridge.

This week, a large crane will move into place, along with some barges. Then, steel piles will get pushed into the soft soils in the lake-bed, just off-shore of Medina.

Traffic slowly returning to 520 toll bridge

The Associated Press — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:01:18 +0000

The Washington Transportation Department says drivers are gradually returning to the Highway 520 floating bridge since tolling was imposed in late December.

Tolling spokeswoman Patty Michaud said Friday the bridge that handled about 100,000 vehicles a day now typically handles 60,000 to 65,000. Traffic had dropped by nearly half when tolling went into effect.

Bald eagle, popular with commuters, killed on 520 bridge

The Associated Press — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 20:40:58 +0000

A bald eagle was struck and killed Tuesday on the Highway 520 floating bridge in Seattle. The eagle is believed to be the male of a pair that nests at the nearby Broadmoor Golf Course in Seattle.

Frequently seen perching on bridge light poles, it was popular with commuters.

When will tolls start on 520? Delays leave state with no date

Charla Bear — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:19:03 +0000

People who drive over the State Route 520 floating bridge will likely have a few more months before tolls kick in. The latest estimate of when charges would begin is now August, but the Washington State Department of Transportation won't commit to a date.

The new system has faced a string of delays. It was originally scheduled to be up and running in April. Then it was pushed back to June. Then late July.

Preparing for tolls, get your "Good to Go" pass early

KPLU News Staff and The Associated Press — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:38:51 +0000

Tolls on the old 520 bridge across Lake Washington are coming soon--likely starting in April.

It's an all-electronic system, so there won't be an option to just throw some coins into a box. You'll need a special pass on the windshield of your car. The price of driving over the floating span between Seattle and Bellevue will vary, depending on the time of day.

State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond put on a happy face as she reminded folks to get ready to pay as much as $3.50 each way at the height of rush hour.

Mobile app for ridesharing could ease pain of 520 tolls

Bellamy Pailthorp and KPLU News Staff — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 23:06:32 +0000

Tolls on the 520 bridge are set to start this spring and they could be as high as $3.50 each way.

Frustrated? There's an app for that.

An Irish company called Avego created a new smart phone app for "real-time ride sharing." Company leaders say it encourages more carpooling.

Tolls coming to Lake Washington's SR-520, with unintended impacts

Keith Seinfeld — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:00:09 +0000

Tolls costing $7 for a peak-period round-trip are coming to the highway-520 floating bridge across Lake Washington. The tolls, approved Wednesday night, will pay for a new, wider bridge – although that bridge won’t open until 2014, at the earliest.

Wednesday morning's headlines

Gary Davis — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:17:06 +0000

A toll plan for Highway 520 bridge, Four Loko aims for less loco, and 787's test planes come home.