Totem Lake Interchange Work Begins This Weekend

KIRKLAND, WA — Drivers in the Totem Lake area should prepare for changes along Northeast 132nd Street, with work slated to begin this weekend on a new "half-diamond interchange," featuring new ramps and roundabouts to manage traffic flow entering and exiting Interstate 405.

Beginning in the overnight hours Saturday, vehicles heading under I-405 on Northeast 132nd Street will notice work zones, shifted lanes, and limited left turns.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, once complete, the $47.75 million project will allow drivers to access I-405 from 132nd instead of using the more congested interchanges at Northeast 124th Street and Northeast 160th Street.

Other work will entail installing new signage, installing erosion control, removing trees and vegetation, painting temporary striping, making signal adjustments, and building a new sidewalk. Contractors will also improve drainage and water quality and construct a new fish channel to allow migration to continue naturally through the project area.

Most work is scheduled on weekdays, but occasional nighttime and weekends may be necessary, along with some full closures. On the whole, officials said traffic conditions are projected to remain "similar to existing conditions" during peak hours while construction continues.

The new interchange is part of WSDOT's broader "master plan" for I-405, due in part to estimates that Totem Lake's population will double by 2035. Officials expect the project will open to traffic late next year.

Learn more about the new interchange on WSDOT's website.