Big changes are ahead for drivers who get on State Route 520 in Redmond.

Crews will switch westbound traffic to the newly built on-ramp from eastbound SR 202 early Wednesday morning, Jan. 6, part of a $89 million project to widen the highway between SR 202 and West Lake Sammamish Parkway.

The new on-ramp is the first phase of a plan to add new lanes to improve travel times and safety on SR 520 between SR 202 and West Lake Sammamish Parkway.

At 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5, crews will completely close the eastbound SR 202 to westbound SR 520 ramp to spend the night grinding the old paint from the road, restriping, installing barrier and installing new speed limit and directional signs. When the ramp reopens at 5 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 6, drivers will see new signs directing them to the new on-ramp that runs parallel to SR 520 from SR 202 to West Lake Sammamish Parkway.

“We expect everything to go like clockwork,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Hein Trinh.

This work is a milestone in project that adds a merge lane and HOV lane in each direction of SR 520 in Redmond. Once traffic moves onto the new ramp, crews will bring the existing roadway up to grade with the new roadway and double the number of lanes. They will also build new walls and drainage systems for the wider and higher road.