Construction is substantially complete.  City Council acceptance of the project is expected in December or January.

Here are a few of the recent images of the newly converted NE 85 Street:

New on-street parking.		Near the library.		New dual lefts onto 158.

New planters on bridge.		In front of post office.		Bus only lane.

What are some of this project's previous milestones?

Construction for the four to three lane conversion on NE 85 Street began after Labor Day weekend.  Work started around the NE 85 Street bridge.  Traffic signal work started in mid to late September.  Variable message signs were deployed to help alert motorists to upcoming detours and other construction activity.

Daytime detours were planned for each individual intersection as it was being changed to the three-lane configuration with the actual schedule dependent upon the contractor and the weather.  As an example, one day NE 85 Street at 160 Avenue NE was closed to through traffic, but NE 85 Street on either side of 160 Avenue NE (and 160 Avenue NE on either side of NE 85 Street) remained open for business access and there was a detour to NE 90 Street for through traffic.  The next day, NE 85 Street at 161 Avenue NE was closed with similar detour and business access accommodation.  The intersections at 154 Avenue NE and at 164 Avenue NE had police officers directing traffic, instead of planned detours, while changes were made.

Read the pre-construction flyer that was distributed to businesses along NE 85 Street, explaining project details about the specific conversion on NE 85 Street as well as general information about four to three lane conversions.

NE 85 Street Project Status (July 2007)
Final design of the NE 85 Street rechannelization was complete, and the construction contract was awarded to DR Craig Construction, Inc. of Redmond, Washington in June 2007.  Construction was then scheduled to begin in Summer 2007.

The project included construction of channelization and signal improvements along NE 85 Street from 154 to 164 Avenue NE.  Improvements that were part of the construction contract included the following:

• Restriping of pavement from a four-lane to three-lane section with bike lanes and parking lanes on both sides of NE 85 Street.
• Installation of eastbound right turn lanes at the post office and 164 Avenue NE.
• Pavement overlay from 154 to 158 Avenue NE.
• Installation of new traffic signal controllers and cabinets at 161 and 166 Avenue NE, and new LED signal displays at all intersections from 154 to 164 Avenue NE.
• Installation of landscape bulbs at the NE 85 Street bridge, and removal and replanting of the adjacent planter beds.
• A transit/loading/right turn lane in the eastbound direction from 160 to 161 Avenue NE in place of parking.
• Rechannelization of 161 Avenue NE to allow more room for transit vehicles turning right from NE 85 Street.

164 Avenue NE Rechannelization Status (July 2007)
Channelization plans have been prepared for Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) approval, and were submitted this summer.

Do you want to know more?

If you want to read more about four to three lane conversions, go to www.walkablestreets.com/diet.htm.

For more information about the NE 85 Street and 164 Avenue NE projects, contact Jeanne Justice, P.E., Project Manager, by email at jjustice@redmond.gov or by calling 425 556-2887.

This page was last updated on November 29, 2007.