Ground has been broken on the Interstate 405/State Route 167 Interchange Direct Connector project in Washington, US.

The project will include the construction of a new flyover ramp connecting the high occupancy toll lanes on SR 167 with the carpool lanes on I-405.

The Direct Connector represents the initial phase of major improvements between Renton and Bellevue, which also involves the addition of new highway capacity between the SR 167 interchange and downtown Bellevue.

The Washington State Department of Transportation has recently awarded a $115.9M design-build contract to Guy F. Atkinson Construction to deliver the project.

Washington governor Jay Robert Inslee said: "This new, direct connection will make trips easier for commuters and provide traffic relief through this vital corridor.

"This is the first project in King County to break ground with funding from the historic, bipartisan Connecting Washington transportation package that I signed into law last summer."

The project is set to open to traffic in mid-2019.