Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge

Updated: March 12, 2019

What’s happening now?

We’re pleased to announce that we’ve completed design and advertised for a construction contractor in late February. We completed State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews in 2018 and are working toward completing permitting.

In the spring, we’ll begin preparing for construction and will be back in touch about how to stay informed throughout the process. We expect construction to begin in mid-2019.

Email is the best way to stay up to date on project progress:
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Questions? Contact the project team at NorthgateBridge@seattle.gov

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Project Overview

The Northgate neighborhood is a major residential and employment destination that continues to grow. With the completion of Sound Transit’s Link light rail station in 2021, the neighborhood is poised to become one of the region’s most active transit hubs. Today, a 10-lane interstate divides the neighborhood, and to walk between North Seattle College and the existing transit center is 25 minutes or more.

Connecting communities on the east and west sides of I-5 in Northgate

We designed a new, accessible, all ages and abilities pedestrian and bike bridge over Interstate 5 (I-5) in Northgate. The Northgate Ped/Bike Bridge will improve access to communities, services, and opportunities on the east and west sides of I-5 in Northgate and Licton Springs, helping knit together a historically divided area. It’ll also reduce travel time for people walking and biking between the east and west sides of I-5. When complete, the bridge will help connect the neighborhood’s thriving job and retail centers with the rest of the city and region.

The new bridge will span roughly 1,900 feet over I-5, landing at North Seattle College on the west side and at 1st Ave NE and NE 100th St, near the future light rail station, on the east side.

The project consists of four main parts:

Bridge spans over I-5
Western approach between North Seattle College and wetland area, connecting to College Way N and N 100th St
Eastern approach between I-5 and 1st Ave NE at NE 100th St, near the King County Transit Center
Multi-use path along 1st Ave NE

The project will benefit the area by providing:

A new connection over I-5, decreasing travel times for people walking and biking between the 2 sides of the highway
Safety improvements and access for people walking and biking throughout the Northgate area
Better access to regional transit at the King County Transit Center and future Link light rail station, resulting in increased use of transit facilities
Improved connections between the Northgate retail center for its employees and customers and for residents and visitors to other nearby amenities, such as parks and medical and social services

Project Location

Design Renderings

The user experience walking or biking across the bridge.
Truss Passage

A view of the bridge, looking east.
Campus Pond Overlook

Recent Cost-Saving Changes

We formed a new design team in 2016 to help reduce project costs and meet project goals. The team developed a bridge design that includes the following cost-saving changes and design improvements:

Original Design (prior to 2017)	Revised Design (2017 to present)
20-foot-wide walkway on bridge	16-foot-wide walkway on bridge
2,100-foot-long bridge length	Shortened bridge length to 1,900 feet
East approach conflicted with WSDOT Park-and-Ride at 1st Ave NE	East approach modified as it touches down near 1st Ave NE, simplifying the connection and preserving the WSDOT Park-and-Ride lot
West approach included stairs at the North Seattle College, with limited sight distance	West approach modified to improve sight distances and make a more direct connection
Complicated construction approach	Standard construction approach to reduce project duration
Tube/truss design (enclosed)	More open structure and more graceful bridge transition

Finally, an added benefit of the revised design is enhanced user experience with features such as a wetland wildlife overlook and a view of arriving light rail trains at NE 100th St.

What We’ve Heard through Design

Based on community input throughout the project, we know there’s interest in:

Minimizing environmental impacts of the bridge by making sure, for example, that the project doesn’t disturb wildlife during construction and ensuring the bridge’s drainage system (for stormwater) is designed to enhance wetlands on the west end
Ensuring safety and security of all bridge travelers
Wayfinding and traffic control
The experience of people biking and using other wheeled devices (e.g., scooters, wheelchairs, strollers, rollerblades, suitcases, etc.)
Connecting the bridge to other infrastructure, including neighborhood bike routes
Separating or managing modes of traffic on the bridge

Other topics of interest included the project’s cost, the bridge’s durability, and maintaining vegetation.

We value the community input provided to date and thank you all for your continued interest.

Schedule

We expect construction to begin in mid-2019 and to be complete in early 2021, prior to the opening of the Link light rail station in September 2021.

click on image to view larger

Funding

We’ve secured funding from various sources in addition to the voter-approved Move Seattle levy. These include SDOT, Sound Transit, Washington State, and additional local funds.

Stay Informed

In the months ahead as we prepare for construction, you'll have opportunities to learn about how to stay informed throughout the process. Email is the best way to stay up to date on the project and to get notifications about outreach events.

Click here to sign up to receive project email updates

Outreach Events

Date	Audience
Past Events
January 14, 2019	Aljoya Thornton Place
October 24, 2018	Maple Leaf Community Council
July 19, 2018	Thornton Creek Alliance
July 18, 2018	Maple Leaf Summer Social
June 30, 2018	Live in D5!
May 11, 2018	North Seattle College Board of Trustees meeting
April 18, 2018	North Seattle College Earth Fair
April 18, 2018	North Seattle College Earth Fair
March 21, 2018	Drop-in session at Neighborcare Health at Meridian
March 20, 2018	Drop-in session at Aljoya Thornton Place
March 19, 2018	Drop-in session at North Seattle College
February 8, 2018	Sierra Club
November 28, 2017	North Seattle College campus meeting
November 2, 2017	Haller Lake Community Club
August 13, 2017	Idriss Mosque BBQ
August 9, 2017	Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board Walking Tour
August 3, 2017	Public open house
July 26, 2017	Maple Leaf Summer Social
July 22, 2017	Live in D5!
June 30, 2017	Department of Neighborhoods Community Conversation Meridian Manor
June 14, 2017	Maple Leaf Community Council
June 14, 2017	Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board
June 7, 2017	Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board
May 18, 2017	Seattle Design Commission
May 6	King County Metro Transit Oriented Development public meeting
April 29, 2017	Housing Affordability and Livability community open house (sponsored by Dept. of Neighborhoods)
June 22, 2016	North District Council
May 25, 2016	Feet First
May 18, 2016	Licton Springs Community Council
May 17, 2016	Victory Heights Community Council
May 16, 2016	North Seattle College (Campus meeting)
May 5, 2016	North Seattle College (students)
October 15, 2015	Public open house
September 17, 2015	Seattle Design Commission briefing
August 18, 2015	Seattle Design Commission subcommittee meeting
July 29, 2015	Maple Leaf Summer Social
July 15, 2015	North Seattle Chamber of Commerce
June 17, 2015	Licton Springs Community Council
June 17, 2015	Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board
June 24, 2015	Pinehurst Community Council
May 27, 2015	Northwest District Council Briefing
May 26, 2015	Cascade Bicycle Club: Connect Northgate
May 22, 2015	Seattle Neighborhood Expo
May 12, 2015	Meadowbrook Community Council
May 2015	Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board
April 29, 2015	Maple Leaf Community Council
April 22, 2015	North Seattle College Earth Day Symposium
October 21, 2014	North Seattle College
September 10, 2014	Public briefing
June 3, 2014	Open house
March 2014	Sound Transit open house
February 2014	Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board
February 2014	Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board