The SR 520 bridges are vulnerable to earthquakes and windstorms and must be replaced. The Bridge Replacement and HOV Project will replace the SR 520 bridges and include other transit, HOV and community enhancements.
Wetlands in the Lake Washington area.
Design options for the Bridge Replacement and HOV Project have been developed through a mediation process by a dedicated group of neighborhood, government, and agency stakeholders. The mediation group’s recommendations represent the ongoing involvement of west side communities and organizations. WSDOT is evaluating the operational and environmental effects of each design option.
There are four milestones in the Bridge Replacement and HOV Project environmental process:
1. Publish draft EIS. In the summer of 2006, WSDOT published a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) describing how the Bridge Replacement and HOV Project could affect the environment in the project area and how WSDOT would avoid, minimize and mitigate these effects.
2. Publish supplemental draft EIS. We have published the supplemental draft EIS, which builds on the findings of the draft EIS. This is an interim document between the draft EIS and the final EIS. The supplemental draft EIS will evaluate new design options proposed through the west side mediation process, as well as provide more details about construction effects and mitigation.
3. Publish final EIS. Our next step is to prepare a final EIS, which will include a response to comments received on both the draft and supplemental draft EIS documents.
4. FHWA prepares Record of Decision. After the final EIS is published, the Federal Highway Administration will prepare a Record of Decision, a public document that describes the project’s course of action and specific mitigation measures. Once the Record of Decision is issued, WSDOT will have completed the environmental review process and can begin seeking construction permits.
WSDOT will deliver the Bridge Replacement and HOV Project in partnership with Sound Transit and the Federal Highway Administration.
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