WSDOT King County News - Montlake Bridge restrictions start tonight

Montlake Bridge photo courtesy WSDOT

From the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)

SEATTLE - The closure we’ve been previewing for months is almost here – and it’s a doozy.

The Montlake Bridge will close to motor vehicles from August 9 to September 3, 2021 as our contractor, Hamilton Construction Co., replaces the aging metal grid deck.

The bridge sidewalks will remain open during that stretch. Before construction can begin, crews will have to do two things: survey the bridge and set up containment.

This involves the following restrictions to traffic:

• Overnight tonight (Friday morning, July 30): The contractor will hold all traffic, including pedestrians and bicycles, for up to 15 minutes at a time from midnight to 3am. This allows crews to safely survey the bridge. Expect delays during that time.
• 2-6: Crews will begin to assemble containment on the bridge. Work will likely restrict access on the east bridge sidewalk from 6am to 7pm Monday through Friday. This means bicyclists and pedestrians will need to cross on the south end at East Shelby Street and on the north end at Walla Walla Road/NE Pacific Street.

Do you boat through the Montlake Cut? If you require bridge openings, things will looks different in August. Visit our boating information page to learn more.

"Know before you go" resources:

• Seattle area travel planner
• Seattle area traffic and cameras webpage
• WSDOT mobile app