Interstate 405

Interstate 405 Auxiliary route of I-5
RCW 47.17.595
Length:	30.30 mi[1] (48.76 km)
Formed:	c. 1970-71
South end:	I-5/SR 518 in Tukwila
Major junctions:	SR 167 in Renton SR 900 in Renton I-90 in Bellevue SR 520 in Bellevue SR 908 in Kirkland SR 522 in Bothell
North end:	I-5/SR 525 in Lynnwood
Numbered highways in Washington < SR 401 SR 409 > Interstates - U.S. Routes - State Routes (Pre-1964)

Interstate 405 (abbreviated I-405) in Washington is a 30-mile loop route that bypasses Seattle east of Lake Washington. The northern terminus is in Lynnwood and the southern terminus is in Tukwila. The highway runs through what has since become the "Eastside" technology center of Bellevue and Kirkland, making it an often congested commuter path. I-405 is known for its meandering "S-curves" through Renton. It intersects with Interstate 90 and a number of major state routes. Its official name is "Renton Freeway," though it is not so signed. Interstate 405 was laid over historic Secondary State Highway 2A. The speed limit for the entire freeway is 60 mph (96.6 km/h).

The highway is referenced in the Death Cab for Cutie's song "405", on their 2000 release, We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes.

Future

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.

I-405 is one of the most congested freeways in Washington State, particularly the segment between State Route 169 and I-90, which is the most congested highway segment in Washington.^[2] Many traffic and civil engineers over the past 10 years have questioned the future of this crowded bypass.

Currently underway is the Nickel Project, which is part of a master-plan to widen I-405 to be able to accommodate the ever-growing traffic problem on the Eastside of Seattle. Originally intended as a bypass to the already crowded I-5, I-405 has become just as commercially congested. The plan is expected to go through phases: adding HOV access lanes to Park & Rides, widening all of I-405 from its northern terminus to the southern terminus by at least one lane, and improving traffic flow on the freeway by widening overpasses and other freeways that converge into 405. This is particularly needed at 405's southern terminus where traffic on both 405 and Interstate 5 merge together and traffic is usually at a standstill for several hours during the evening commute.

Construction of the Nickel Project has already started in spring of 2006, and will go through several different phases. Two of the phases are expected to be underway in 2007, one of them between 112th Ave and I-90 adding a lane in each direction to the six-laned backed up freeway. The other is in Renton, where they will be widening the freeway with one lane in each direction from the southern terminus (I-5) to SR-169]. Both projects are estimated to be completed by 2009. The first new lanes of the project opened on Thursday, October 12 2006, southbound between NE 116th Street and NE 85th Street, adding an additional general purpose lane for a total of one HOV lane and four general purpose lanes.^[3]

Plans have been made to include a ballot measure in the scheduled November 2007 local election to provide funding for adding still more lanes. However, the outlook for this measure is not clear, as it could ultimately cost as much as $20 billion and take two decades, according to its critics.^[4]

Critics also point out that years of costly widening projects have failed to improve traffic flow to date despite official promises, and congestion has only gotten worse. Moreover, there is little prospect of relief from further widening. There is also growing concern about increased air pollution and more toxic runoff that will pollute the region's waterways as a result of the increased traffic that will result from the widening.

The web site Road to Ruin ranks the widening of I-405 as the fourth most wasteful highway project in the United States.^[5] Also, Eastside Rail Now!, a local grassroots organization that promotes balanced transportation, classifies it as a major boondoggle and instead advocates the starting of rail transit service on the under-utilized railroad (the Woodinville Subdivision) that runs roughly parallel to I-405.^[4]

Exit list

County	Location	Mile	#	Destinations	Notes
Southern terminus of Interstate 405 Interstate 405 southbound continues as State Route 518 westbound
King	Tukwila	0.00		Interstate 5, Southcenter Boulevard – Tacoma, Seattle, Southcenter Mall	Stack-like interchange, includes a left HOV ramp from I-405 southbound to I-5 northbound
		0.96	1	State Route 181 – Tukwila, Southcenter Mall
	Renton	2.30	2	State Route 167 – Renton City Center, Kent
		3.99 4.47	4	State Route 169, State Route 900 west, Maple Valley Highway
		4.87	HOV exit only (planning)	N 8th Street
		5.37	5	State Route 900 east, NE Park Drive – Issaquah
		6.48	6	NE 30th Street – Kennydale
		7.44	7	NE 44th Street – Kennydale, May Creek
	Bellevue	9.23	9	112th Avenue SE – Newcastle
		10.15	10	Coal Creek Parkway – Factoria
		11.02	11	Interstate 90 – Mercer Island, Seattle, Spokane
		12.76	12	SE 8th Street, NE 116th Street
		13.54	13A	NE 4th Street
		13.68	HOV exit	NE 6th Street
		13.81	13B	NE 8th Street
		14.82	14	State Route 520 – Seattle, Redmond
	Kirkland	17.43	17	NE 70th Street
		18.08	18	State Route 908 (NE 85th Street) – Redmond, Kirkland
		19.82	20A	NE 116th Street	Northbound exit, southbound entrance
		20.30	20B	Totem Lake Boulevard / NE 124th Street
		~20.7	HOV exit	NE 128th Street – Totem Lake Freeway Station	Interchange under construction, scheduled for completion spring 2007[6]
		22.61	22	NE 160th Street
	Bothell	23.52	23	State Route 522 to U.S. Route 2 – Bothell, Seattle, Monroe
		24.46	24	NE 195th Street / Beardslee Boulevard
Snohomish		26.73	26	State Route 527 (Bothell-Everett Highway) – Canyon Park
		30.30		Interstate 5 – Seattle, Everett
Northern terminus of Interstate 405 Interstate 405 northbound continues as State Route 525 northbound

References

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