July 17, 2007

Bellevue sewer improvement project to impact traffic near central business district

Drivers and pedestrians using Southeast Sixth Street near Bellevue’s central business district should expect traffic detours and road closures as work on a sewer improvement project begins in late July.

The construction is part of King County’s Bellevue Pump Station Upgrade project and includes installing a new 5,300 foot pipeline beneath Southeast Sixth Street to add wastewater conveyance capacity to serve west and central Bellevue.

The temporary traffic revisions are necessary to accommodate workers and equipment while protecting public safety during construction.

Through December 2007, Southeast Sixth Street will be closed from 102nd Avenue Southeast to the end of the Southeast Sixth Street Park. Traffic will be detoured north on 100th Avenue Southeast to Southeast Third Street, and a temporary sidewalk will be in place to protect pedestrian safety.

From early August through November 2007, Southeast Sixth Street will be closed to traffic between 112th Avenue Southeast and 114th Avenue Southeast east of the Bellevue Club, and sidewalk closures and detours will also be in place. Access to the Brookside and San Mar office buildings will be available from 114th Avenue Southeast.
From September through November 2007, the westbound outside lane of the Lake Hills Connector will be closed, and a construction staging area will be put in place at the intersection of 115th Avenue Southeast and Southeast Fifth Street. There will also be sidewalk closures and detours around this area.

Additional information about the project, including traffic detour and road closure maps, is available on the Web at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/projects/bellevue/traffic-detours.htm#1 or by calling 206-263-6543 or 711 TTY Relay.

People enjoy clean water and a healthy environment because of King County's wastewater treatment program. The county’s Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and water quality by serving 17 cities, 17 local sewer districts and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional clean-water agency now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for more than 40 years.