Kennydale News

Improved Design for I-405 Exit 7
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) recently awarded the I-405 Renton to Bellevue Widening and Express Toll Lanes Project to the Flatiron-Lane Joint Venture (FLJV) to complete the design and construction of the project.
At the Kennydale neighborhood meeting on January 28, FLJV representatives presented their initial design for the Exit 7 interchange; at that time their plan was to have NE 44th Street and its proposed three roundabouts positioned above the I-405 north- and south-bound lanes.  
Subsequent to that meeting, FLJV has created significant design innovations in which NE 44th and its roundabouts would be underneath and the I-405 mainlines would go above . There are a number of benefits to this new proposed design.
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New Design of I-405/Exit 7 Birds-eye view
Benefits During Operation
  • Flatter grade on Northeast 44th Street for better pedestrian, bicycle and paratransit access
  • Increased green space and planting in and along the interchange
  • Northbound bridge width compatible with the I-405 Master Plan, requiring no future widening
  • Traffic flow and operations unchanged
Benefits During Construction
  • ​Total closures reduced by 30%
  • Fewer construction closures of Northeast 44th Street
  • Fewer construction closures on I-405
  • Reduced nighttime construction
  • Reduced truck hauling on local streets
Online Open House
FLJV was seeking input to understand any concerns regarding the design change. They had intended to host an open house where community members could provide feedback and speak to subject-matter experts to learn about the proposed changes. Following guidance from the King County Department of Public Health regarding COVID-19, they instead had an online “virtual” open house which served as FLJV’s alternative meeting method. 
​Two important features of the online open house were 1.) an informative video and 2) a feedback link.  The video shows exactly what the new proposed interchange design will be, the benefits, and more.  It runs about 25 minutes but it is well worth your time to watch.  The feedback link was used to collect comments through April 10th.  Feedback will help FLJV and their local partners to come to a final decision on the design for the interchange.  
To watch the WSDOT Open House Video, please go to the following site:
 https://engage.wsdot.wa.gov/i-405-renton-to-bellevue-widening-and-express-toll-lanes/
Last Updated: 9/16/2023