After months of watching construction crews on Interstate 405 in Renton, commuters now have new ramps, lanes and an interchange to help reduce congestion at one of the worst bottlenecks in the state.
Today, the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) unveiled Exit 3 – the new Talbot Road South interchange that will reduce I-405 congestion through Renton. New lanes were also built to connect the new interchange to state routes 167 and 169. More than 140,000 vehicles travel daily along I-405 through this area.
“This project strategically adds capacity to reduce gridlock in an area that sees up to 10 hours of congestion a day,” said Paula Hammond, Secretary of Transportation. “Now that the project is complete, commuters will experience a safer and faster commute into and through Renton, especially near SR 167.”
The project, called Renton Stage 2, opened to traffic nine months earlier than originally expected. The $83.6 million design-build construction project was funded by the 2003 and 2005 gas tax packages. Design-build is a type of contract that combines project design and construction together into a single contract.
The Renton Stage 1 project opened new lanes in each direction of I-405 from I-5 to SR 167 in December of 2009. Since then, evening travel times have decreased by 19 percent in the southbound direction from Coal Creek Parkway in Bellevue to I-5.
Crews from Corridor Design-Builders worked around the clock under traffic congestion and unfavorable weather to deliver this project. Crews reached a significant project milestone in July when they removed the old Benson Road S. Bridge to make way for new lanes and on- and off-ramps. Since the bridge removal, crews spent the last five months building the new Talbot Road ramps to and from I-405, completing retaining walls, and putting the finishing touches in the area.
“I can’t wait to use the new ramps,” said Tami Green of Renton. “It was like they made it just for me.” Green lives on nearby Benson Hill and believes using the new interchange will shave 10 minutes off her commute from Renton to Bellevue because she won’t have to travel through the city streets to get onto I-405. Residents farther south in Renton will likely use the ramps to avoid the SR 167/I-405 intersection – a chronic chokepoint in the area. The off-ramp provides a better alternative for many drivers headed to Renton and will likely siphon other motorists from the heavily congested Rainer Ave S. exit.
“I want to thank local residents and I-405 users for their patience during construction,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Lisa Hodgson. “We also want to thank Corridor Design-Builders and the City of Renton for being such good partners before and during construction. Together, we delivered a high-value congestion-relief project to the region.”
For more information on this project please visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I405/SR515Interchange/.
