The former residences on the site of the future underground sewer-overflow-storage tank across from Lowman Beach Park have all now been demolished. Our photo is from last weekend, looking south into the site from the corner of Lincoln Park Way and Beach Drive (map). Today, King County Wastewater Treatment Division has sent an update, saying this phase of the work will wrap up this week:

King County’s contractor has cleared the structures from the Murray CSO Control Facility project site. Crews are now backfilling the foundations with soil and installing plastic along the site’s eastern slope to maintain the site’s stability. The site will then be seeded with grass to reduce runoff and dust prior to the start of facility construction later this year. The contractor expects to complete the major remaining work by Friday.

Parking on the east side of Beach Drive Southwest is expected to be restored for the weekend. Project fencing will be returned to the edge of the site, reopening the sidewalk on the east side of the roadway to pedestrians and bicyclists. Street and sidewalk cleaning activities could create temporary access issues to these areas, and could extend into early next week.

Next Steps:

King County continues to work with the selected contractor to finalize the project contract and begin preparations for facility construction. King County will hold a public meeting later this fall to discuss the project’s schedule, construction techniques and likely impacts. Community members can continue to call the project hotline (206-205-9185) with concerns or questions about the project.

What to expect

• Work hours will be 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. No weekend work is scheduled.

• Access to Beach Drive Southwest will be maintained at all times.

• Lowman Beach Park will remain open, although street cleaners may be present for a short time late in the week.

• Project fencing extending over Beach Drive Southwest’s eastern sidewalk will return to the edge of the site by Friday, September 27. Beach Drive Southwest’s western sidewalk remains open for pedestrians and bicyclists. The eastern sidewalk will be reopened once crews complete restoration activities.

• Parking along the eastern side of Beach Drive Southwest will be reopened by the weekend, but may be temporarily unavailable when the contractor cleans the street and sidewalks.

• Increased noise and activity typical of a construction site.

• Heavy equipment including trucks, excavators, and construction containers operating on and around the project site.

The existing structures on the Murray CSO Control Facility site were removed to allow construction of the new storage facility beginning later this year. The new facility will safeguard Puget Sound by storing sewage and polluted stormwater during storms, and preventing regional sewer system overflows into the water off Lowman Beach Park.