Image: WSDOT Flickr pool

State Route 520 will close this weekend — from 11pm Friday, June 1st until early Monday morning — between Montlake and I-405. Crews will set the final 34 girders for the Evergreen Point lid and demolish a couple of Eastside overpasses, work that requires closing the entire floating bridge corridor.

When the bridge closes for construction, why not take the opportunity to open it for pedestrians and bicyclists from the westside? Imagine being able to walk or ride across Lake Washington, experiencing a space otherwise seen from inside a car or bus. When WSDOT opened the Alaskan Way Viaduct to the pedestrian public during demolition last fall, thousands of people showed up to walk the freeway lanes on a windy and wet Saturday morning. The event was a huge success.

Construction closures could be a chance to use the bridge to watch herons, count turtles or even talk at length with the 520 bald eagles. If this sounds good, take a minute to email WSDOT a request to make the bridge available to pedestrians when it has to close to cars: sr520bridge@wsdot.wa.gov.

Image: seattlepi.com