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Transportation

Lake City Way Northbound Closed This Weekend

Get ready for a traffic snarl this weekend in North Seattle – Lake City Way is going to be closed starting Friday, November 18 at 7pm and will not reopen until Monday, November 21 at 5am.

This is a part of an ongoing project by SDOT to increase pedestrian accessibility in the notoriously devoid of sidewalks North Seattle.

Source: SDOT

Here’s the blurb from SDOT (Source):

Both Northbound lanes of Lake City Way NE will be closed for weekend work starting November 18 at 7 PM, and will reopen by 5 AM on November 21. Uniformed peace officers will be on site for the duration of the closures to facilitate the detour onto westbound NE 125th St for northbound traffic on Lake City Way NE. Pedestrian detours will be located at the north crosswalk of the intersection of 125th and Lake City Way. Follow detour signage on site. This work is weather dependent and could be postponed if the forecast isn’t favorable.

Buses will be rerouted, for details on bus information please visit King County Metro website at: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/alerts-updates

Here are the details of the project, also on the same page:

In 2018, the southbound bus stop on Lake City Way at NE 125th was expanded to give access to two buses at the same time. Now, SDOT will improve the bus stops along the route for better transit and pedestrian accessibility. Here are the planned changes:

  • New sidewalks will be constructed on both sides of Lake City Way between 30th Ave NE and NE 125th St
  • Widened sidewalks will make a better pedestrian environment for customers
  • Moving the bus stop closer to 125th St will make it easier to transfer to or from westbound and eastbound buses
  • New bus loading is important since a bus comes to this stop every 3 minutes during the PM peak
  • Improved traffic circulation by allowing two buses to load and unload simultaneously. The new stop will be able to fit two buses at a time, so that buses don’t have to wait and slow down traffic for everyone
  • Adding new pedestrian lighting for safer and easier access
  • Expanding the bus stop requires removing 6-8 one-hour parking spots along the east side of Lake City Way, but loading zones for businesses will remain.
  • Removing 6-8 one-hour parking spots along the east side of Lake City Way NE
Transportation

Sand Point Way Closure Update

Quick update to the closure of Sand Point Way

From Art Brochet, City of Seattle:

This is an update on the emergency replacement for a retaining wall in the 8500 block of Sand Point Way NE.  Please feel free to share with others.

As of noon on Tuesday February 23rd the contractor had set 8 steel I-beams into the slope just east of the shoulder of Sand Point Way NE.  Each I-beam is 60 foot long, 24 inches across and weighs 11,568 pounds.  The steel beams are set into 36 inch diameter holes, partially filled with concrete.  After the concrete sets, wood timbers are fit in between the steel beams to hold back the slope – and the roadway.

The cranes which bore the holes and set the steel beams block the entire width of the road – which is the reason for the detours on Sand Point Way NE.  However, even after the remaining steel beams are set and the cranes moved off site, further work will be required – restoring the water main, rebuilding the road shoulder and repaving the road surface.  Crews are continuing to work 6 days a week, typically 10 hours a day, in an effort to restore Sand Point Way NE to use as soon as possible.

Traffic along the detour route – along NE 70th Street, 35th Avenue NE and NE 95th Street – has been very congested, especially during peak travel hours.  Please be considerate of pedestrians attempting to cross at intersections along this route and be patient with everyone.  The Seattle Police Department has been requested to provide speed enforcement patrols in the area to enhance everyone’s safety.

For those unfamiliar with the project or its schedule, or are interested in photos of the project, please refer to the website http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/sandpoint_retainingwall.htm . If you have specific questions about the project itself, or if you would like to be added to the list for receiving this construction update bulletin, please email me at art.brochet@seattle.gov .

Thank you for your interest and please travel safely.

Here are a few photos of the replacement (All Courtesy the City of Seattle):

Sand Point Way Closure | Courtesy City of Seattle

Sand Point Way Closure | Courtesy City of Seattle