Fueled by a big funding boost from Microsoft, Corp. and a little surge of stimulus money, a new, slick-looking bridge will span SR 520 in Redmond’s Overlake neighborhood by next summer.

“I think the community will be very pleased when it is completed, what it looks like and how it functions,” said Ron Grant, City of Redmond Public works assistant director.

The construction machinery in the middle of SR 520 is working on setting up large support beams, which will help hold up a pedestrian-friendly bridge deck that connects Northeast 36th Street on the west side of 520 with Northeast 31st Street on the east side.

Support beams — or piers — will also be built on the west and east side of the highway, Grant said. People will see the support beams up by the end of the year and the bridge deck work should be done sometime during the summer of 2010, he said.

“It’s a big project,” Grant said. “It’s arguably one of the largest projects we’ve administered from the public works side.”

The 315-foot long overpass will accommodate a two-lane road including bike lanes, sidewalks, lighting, utilities, landscaping, a roundabout at the east approach. The area around Northeast 31st Street and 152nd Avenue Northeast is closed during construction as workers build the roundabout at the east approach. In addition, the overpass provides a connector to the bike trail that runs along 520.

This project, designed to provide a transportation alternative in the region, is expected to reduce vehicle miles travelled (VMT) by approximately 135,000 miles per year, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The total cost for the project is $30.5 million — which includes land acquisition — with construction cost at around $22 million, Grant said. Microsoft is forking out most of the funding with a $17.5 million contribution. The city will provide $5.5 million. Another $5 million of federal stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will help fund the project, along with $2.5 million from the Federal Highway Administration.

The Puget Sound Regional Council gave the bridge project the highest rating for stimulus money because it was ready to go and it was a huge need for the city — and the region, according to Redmond Mayor John Marchione.

Marchione said the new bridge will provide a much-needed alternative for people to cross 520 and get around in Overlake, one of the biggest technology centers on the West Coast, anchored by Mircosoft and Nintendo. In addition, Overlake has been designated as an urban growth area, with several new housing, retail and commercial developments slated for the neighborhood in the coming years, Marchione said.

“This is a key feature in making this neighborhood function properly,” said Redmond Mayor John Marchione. “Overlake is a neighborhood that has a freeway through it and that makes it even more challenging to connect, that’s why a bridge here is important.

“We are adding capacity to our road system,” he added. “This bridge is going to give you a more pedestrian and bike friendly way of crossing 520.”

Most importantly, the bridge will help alleviate traffic congestion in the area.

“The bridge will ease traffic flow throughout the Overlake employment area which does affect regional traffic,” said City Councilmember Hank Myers.

The bridge will give people an alternative to the gnarly gridlock at 148th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 24th Street, right at the Redmond-Bellevue border, Marchione said.

The new bridge is “a big part of well-managed, smart growth,” according to City Councilmember Kim Allen.

“I support this project because we have designated Overlake as an urban center where we intend to focus new growth,” she said. “To accomplish this, we must provide the infrastructure needed to support that growth. … If we can increase connectivity there, especially for bikes and pedestrians, everyone wins.”

The new bridge is something that the city has talked about for almost 10 years, according to Bill Campbell, public works director, but the city could not generate enough funding to get the project started. But with the help of Microsoft and the federal stimulus grant, the project was able to get off the drawing board.

Tri-State Construction, Inc. of Bellevue is the general contractor and Kulchin Foundation Drilling of Redmond is major subcontractor of the project. Cadman Inc. is providing the concrete out of its Redmond location.

“The project is proceeding very well,” Grant said. “We are extremely pleased with the activities.”

Longtime City Councilmember Richard Cole said the project is “critical for mobility, including bikes, pedestrians, transit and cars.”

The bridge will help make the Overlake Transit Center/Park and Ride more accessible for people on the west side of 520, Marchione said, adding that the project created enough room underneath the bridge for light rail, which has a planned route to the Overlake Transit Center.

Cole said the bridge will not only benefit Redmond, but Bellevue also.

“The project is very close to the Bellevue city limits and as far as mobility in the area, it will help Bellevue just as much as Redmond by providing alternatives for Bellevue travelers.”