The upgrade of 148th Avenue Southeast, which also carries many students to and from Bellevue Community College, would improve commuter-hour logjams. A project manager with Bellevue's transportation department said about 2,000 cars pass through the 148th Avenue-Southeast 24th Street intersection between 5 and 6 p.m. - an average of one car every two seconds.

The City Council says it intends to seek funds from federal and state grants to help pay for the project. Traffic volume has grown to 35,000 cars a day just north of the Bellevue Community College turnoff. The proposed project would add new turn lanes and improve access on 148th Avenue Southeast at Southeast 24th Street. Traffic head west for Seattle or east toward Spokane on Interstate 405 would be able to skirt the area.