Long-term fixes for Interstate 405 congestion will be discussed at an open house tomorrow. Officials plan to pare that list of choices by the end of the month. Environmental analysis will begin in May and be completed early next year.
Congestion reflects the growth in the area, state officials say.
Between 1970 and 1990, employment in the area increased 200 percent while the population rose 66 percent. Traffic in the corridor bogs down most heavily in Bellevue, where Interstate 90 and State Route 520 link the Eastside to Seattle. Roughly 210,000 vehicles travel along the corridor each day. Also contributing to congestion is the new economic growth of office buildings and possible waterfront development. Build an additional freeway, long dubbed Interstate 605, of up to three lanes in each direction in east King County.