Design-build teams interested in building transit and safety improvements for a key stretch of State Route 520 on the Eastside of Lake Washington are being asked to submit statements of qualification by May 20.

The SR 520 Eastside Transit and HOV Project contract price is approximately $325-$425 million and will include highway and environmental improvements from Medina to Bellevue. In March, Gov. Gregoire and the Washington State Legislature gave the go-ahead for the project by allowing toll revenue collected on the floating bridge to be spent within the SR 520 corridor.

“We want to take advantage of the favorable bidding environment and are moving swiftly to begin building improvements on the Eastside,” SR 520 Program Director Julie Meredith said. “We plan to have a design-builder onboard by the end of the year and break ground in 2011.”

The request for qualifications is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/biz/contaa/DesignBuildContracts/SR520medinatoSR202.

In June, WSDOT will issue a request for proposals for the project. Technical proposals and bids for the project are due in September. WSDOT will choose the design-build team with the best apparent value based on their technical proposal and bid price.

The current transit and carpool system on SR 520 east of Medina is incomplete and includes an HOV lane that was added to the westbound shoulder of the highway. Highway merge lanes and sight distances don’t meet current design standards, and existing culverts are barriers to migrating fish.