Seattle City Council Considers 520 Project Requests

Even though work on the Highway 520 bridge project is underway, it hasn't been quite clear as to what path the bridge would take from Lake Washington to Interstate 5. But on Tuesday, that path became a little clearer. The Seattle City Council’s Special Committee on the SR 520 Project discussed a series of possible recommendations for the state transportation department.

The draft resolution asks the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to shift the Portage Bay Bridge portion to the north. The city says that would speed up construction time.

The proposal also asks the state to keep the Portage Bay Bridge as narrow as possible. It requests more studies of a bike and pedestrian path on that bridge and on the lid that would cover the interchange in Montlake.

Fran Conley, a resident of north Capitol Hill, used to be opposed to the project. But she is a lot happier now after seeing the city’s wish list. “They’re big changes, it really amounts to a re-thinking of the west side,” she said.

Conley was one of the Seattle homeowners behind an unsuccessful lawsuit that sought to stop the project.

The City Council is expected to vote on the recommendations on February 4. The state still needs to find $1.4 billion to build the entire highway and fill in the funding gap.