35-day closure of eastbound I-90 HOV ramp to Bellevue Way starts tonight, Dec. 1

Beginning tonight, Dec. 1 at 10 p.m. crews from MidMountain Contractors, Inc. will close the HOV off-ramp from eastbound I-90 to Bellevue Way around the clock for 35 days to realign the ramp.

Crews will also close the express lanes tonight, Dec. 1, from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. the following morning for signing work. The HOV ramp from eastbound I-90 to northbound I-405 will also be closed overnight.

Eastbound I-90 drivers heading to Bellevue Way should not use the I-90 express lanes the closure as they will be unable to exit to Bellevue Way from the center roadway. Instead they should use the mainline to exit at Bellevue Way or follow a signed detour via Eastgate Way and westbound I-90. The HOV ramp is expected to reopen by 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 6. However, a portion of the work is weather dependent and heavy rain or cold weather could delay the reopening of the ramp.

This work is in preparation for the final stage of the Washington State Department of Transportation and Sound Transit’s I-90 Two-Way Transit and HOV Operations project, which is adding carpool lanes to both directions of I-90 between Seattle and Bellevue. This collaboration will preserve the number of general purpose lanes for solo drivers while adding all-day carpool lanes to I-90. Building the new HOV lanes on the outer roadway of I-90 will enable construction of Sound Transit’s 14-mile East Link light rail extensionfrom Seattle to Redmond.