Good news for drivers as 520 bridge drawspan closures come to an end

There’s good news for drivers going across the 520 bridge. Nearly three years of frustrating drawbridge delays while boats pass through are coming to an end.

The Washington State Department of Transportation has opened the drawspan of the old floating bridge more than 600 times for boats since construction began on the new 520 bridge in spring 2012.

But next Tuesday, Feb. 17, crews will finish moving new pontoons into place for the project, permanently blocking boat traffic through the old bridge.

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That means the maddening closures of up to 30 minutes that have been going on for nearly three years will be a thing of the past.

“This is a major milestone, both for the bridge and for our region,” said Construction Engineering Manager Dave Becher in a release. “When these pontoons are connected next week, the new floating bridge will stretch nearly a mile from the Medina shoreline. We’d like to thank drivers and boaters for their patience as we continue to build the new bridge.”

Crews will still be opening the drawspan every month for late-night maintenance work. And high winds could also require openings to relieve stress on the existing bridge, WSDOT says.

The end of the drawbridge openings will also make for big changes for boaters. The east navigation channel will reopen to marine traffic, but the height clearance is temporarily lowered to 58 feet. The clearance will increase to 70 feet once the old bridge is removed, matching the height of the I-90 East Channel Bridge. The new bridge won’t have a drawspan.

The new bridge is scheduled to open in spring of 2016.