Washington DOT to celebrate Route 520 floating-highway opening in April

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said this week that it will hold a ceremony in April to celebrate the opening of its new floating bridge on State Route 520.

WSDOT said this is the world's longest floating highway bridge, and at the grand-opening ceremony, everyone in attendance will be able to bike, run or walk along the 1.5-mile-long bridge. The new highway features a shared-use path that is 14 feet wide. When completed, the bridge will extend from Interstate 5 to Redmond.

The celebration, called the 520 Go Long, will be held on top of the new floating bridge and begins April 2. There will be a community fun run and walk, sponsored by the Virginia Mason Heart Institute, that morning.

On April 3, a public bicycle ride will begin at the University of Washington, head over the  bridge, then return to the university. This includes cycling through several car-free routes in downtown Seattle.

The goal of the celebration is to encourage people to participate in community wellness and health.

“I’m encouraging everyone I see to visit our 520 Go Long website and register for the fun run, the bike ride or both,” Julie Meredith, WSDOT administrator of the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program, said. “We’re hoping to get people from all across the region to come to this event. It’s going to be a fun weekend for the whole family.”

More information on the weekend celebration is available at www.520golong.com.