Northeast Spring Boulevard Opens In Bellevue

BELLEVUE, WA — A brand new, half-mile stretch of road opened in Bellevue on Tuesday, putting a cap on four years of work in the BelRed area.

The first section of Northeast Spring Boulevard consists of four lanes of travel, five new traffic signals, two bridges over the new East Link light rail tracks. and dedicated paths for pedestrians and cyclists. Other improvements include new landscaping, more than 150 new trees, new utility papes and thousands of feet of communication lines.

According to the city, the new road will serve as the east-west connector between downtown Bellevue and the BelRed area — two of the city's fastest-growing areas — making travel easier for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and transit riders.

The first section runs from Northeast 12th to 124th Avenue Northeast. In early 2021, construction will begin on the next stretch, running from 130th to 132nd Avenue Northeast. After that, a final segment is planned from 124th to 130th Avenue Northeast.

The $57 million project was designed to complement the East Link, with stations near 120th Avenue Northeast in the Spring District and at 130th Avenue Northeast. The new light rail line is scheduled to begin service in 2023, connecting Redmond and Bellevue to Seattle with 10 new stations. Another 3.4 miles is expected to open the following year, extending service into downtown Redmond.

Learn more about the Spring Boulevard project on the city's website.