Project overview
WSDOT and design-build contractor Graham Contracting, Ltd. constructed a new on-ramp to northbound I-405 and a new off-ramp from southbound I-405 at Northeast 132nd Street in Kirkland. This type of interchange is known as a half-diamond. Travelers now have the option to access I-405 at Northeast 132nd Street, rather than traveling to the heavily congested Northeast 124th Street or Northeast 160th Street interchanges. The project design includes roundabouts at the intersections of the new ramps to better manage traffic flow. The design also includes sidewalk and bicycle lane enhancements along both sides of Northeast 132nd Street and along connecting streets in the project vicinity. The project also improves drainage, water quality and fish barrier correction to create over a half mile of new upstream fish habitat.
What to expect
I-405/SR 167 Program celebrates completion of one project and start of another
Finishing one project and starting another was cause for a pair of celebrations today showcasing progress toward delivering on our multimodal vision of the I-405/SR 167 Corridor Program.
Agency and elected officials, corridor partners, community members, contractors and project teams gathered to mark the start of construction for the I-405/Brickyard to SR 527 Improvement Project in Bothell and the completion of the I-405/Northeast 132nd Street Interchange Project in Kirkland. Watch the video highlights from the event here.
The I-405/Brickyard to SR 527 Improvement Project broke ground with a ceremonial turning of the dirt at the Brickyard Park & Ride. WSDOT, Sound Transit, and design-build contractor, Skanska USA Inc., are working together to enhance four and a half miles of the corridor from just south of SR 522 to SR 527. When complete in 2028, the project will extend the dual-express toll lane system on the north end of I-405, add three new Sound Transit bus rapid transit stations, and improve multimodal connections to the corridor.
Following the groundbreaking ceremony, we held a ribbon cutting ceremony at Kingsgate Park & Ride to mark the completion of the I-405/Northeast 132nd Street Interchange Project. We celebrated the new on- and off-ramps to I-405 at Northeast 132nd Street, as well as the newly constructed roundabouts, improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians, and the newly established fish passage.
The project includes roundabouts at the intersections of the new ramps and Northeast 132nd Street.
The Northeast 132nd Street interchange project serves Totem Lake, the city of Kirkland’s largest employment center and designated growth area; city officials expect the residential population of Totem Lake to double by 2035. The I-405 Master Plan calls for four interchanges in Kirkland to provide travelers with better access to homes, jobs, and recreation within this urban center. The half-diamond interchange at Northeast 132nd Street completes that vision, providing a balance of northbound and southbound access to and from Kirkland while reducing cut-through traffic. The interchange also provides access to the nearby Kingsgate Park and Ride, serving existing regional transit service and Sound Transit’s planned I-405 Bus Rapid Transit.
This project also corrects a series of structures and creates a new stream channel to allow the nearby stream to flow naturally and for fish to migrate through the project area. The new 300-foot culvert creates 1,000 feet of open channel habitat and over a half mile of new upstream fish habitat.
