FAUNTLEROY BOULEVARD: If you’re wondering when work will start…

(Fauntleroy Boulevard ‘final design’ – click here to see full-size image on city website)

Since SDOT has long been saying that work on the Fauntleroy Boulevard project could start in “early 2018” but has yet to announce a date or even the final construction-routing decision, we’ve been asking about the status, noting that the timeline must have slid since there’s been nothing official. (When the rechannelization-and-medians project was “re-initiated” a year ago, the estimated start was “late 2017.”) More than two weeks after our first inquiry, we finally got a response:

You are correct, there haven’t been any recent communications about the project; only because there haven’t been project changes or updates to inform people about. The most current information is still what is included on the SDOT website. We’re in the early construction planning phase and continuing to coordinate with Sound Transit on timelines. The project team plans to send a year-end update by the end of December to the email list and stakeholders.

The most-recent update was two months ago, when SDOT announced the final design, including a left-turn break at 37th SW. The announcement at that time had included “This fall, we’ll begin pre-construction outreach, including sharing more information about traffic routing during construction,” but with SDOT’s word of a “year-end update,” that outreach has slid to winter. (The Junction Neighborhood Organization has told us they’re expecting a briefing at their quarterly meeting in January.)

The last formal public briefing about the project in West Seattle was this one at the Chamber of Commerce’s May lunch. In June, SDOT had said they’d share the construction-routing decision when the final design was revealed, but that didn’t happen. The alternatives have been described as keeping one lane open each way, which would lengthen the construction process, or detouring eastbound traffic while keeping Fauntleroy open westbound.

23 Replies to "FAUNTLEROY BOULEVARD: If you're wondering when work will start..."

  • West Sea Commuter/Taxpayer December 6, 2017 (12:38 pm)

    Here’s hoping work starts with the ST3 construction!  Such irresponsible waste to complete these projects separately…

    • Peter December 6, 2017 (1:53 pm)

      Why? Sound Transit isn’t rebuilding the road. SDOT isn’t building the light rail. They’re different agencies building different things on different timelines.

    • Jon Wright December 6, 2017 (4:39 pm)

      So you advocate SDOT delaying this project 10 years because the ST3 routing might involve Fauntleroy?

      • WSB December 6, 2017 (4:45 pm)

        I’m not WSCT. But I thought the ST reference – when I hadn’t asked them about ST in the inquiries that finally brought the response above – was interesting. According to current timelines, there would be more of a 5-year gap – with the start time for Fauntleroy Boulevard now sliding more, it won’t be complete till perhaps late 2019, and as you know, ST is now saying it expects to start WS construction in 2025.

  • Triangle Resident December 6, 2017 (2:10 pm)

    It’s beyond time for this stretch of road to be re-engineered into a safe for all that travel there by car, bike or by foot.  I look forward to the day we can walk not run across the current Fauntleroy freeway! 

    • Azimuth December 6, 2017 (9:13 pm)

      Huzzah!

  • TJ December 6, 2017 (3:35 pm)

    We’ll see how this ends up affecting traffic. Keep in mind this is a main artery to the freeway. I’m sure it will look nice, but it seems we are sacrificing some core functionality for a beautification project. A little strange to devote money to this when so many roads are in terrible shape.

    • Jort December 6, 2017 (4:28 pm)

      The West Seattle Bridge is not a freeway. 

      • WSB December 6, 2017 (4:41 pm)

        FYI, that old term for it continues to be used by some official sources, and it’s still on the SFD 911 log when bridge incidents come up.

      • Ron Swanson December 6, 2017 (5:28 pm)

        Actually, the section connecting to 35th was originally the Fauntleroy Expressway.  And the overall roadway was known as the West Seattle Freeway until Charlie Chong insisted on a name change.  But it’s still a freeway in all but official name.

  • KM December 6, 2017 (3:55 pm)

    So excited for this. Cannot wait until it is completed!    

  • TreeHouse December 6, 2017 (5:02 pm)

    This is exciting news. I can’t wait for this new entrance to West Seattle. Thank you SDOT! 

  • Mark December 6, 2017 (6:21 pm)

    Keeping the existing right turn channelization from Fauntleroy onto Avalon was off the charts warranted.  SDoT failed once again to heed to the data

    • KM December 6, 2017 (8:22 pm)

      * scheduled comment *

    • TreeHouse December 6, 2017 (9:13 pm)

      Mark, SDOT used data that showed that their decision was safer. I am proud of our city and their Vision Zero goal. 

      • Kshamiot Savant December 8, 2017 (10:28 am)

        You might be on to something. Once the traffic slows down to a crawl on every single inch of the few remaining semi-functional lanes, fatalities will approach zero. It will take an hour to move five miles, but we will all be safer. Now, if we could only pass a law mandating 24 hour safety helmets for everyone, we’d be all set

  • Joe Puckett December 6, 2017 (7:59 pm)

    Over a month ago I sent a message to SDOT asking that they consider delaying the project because of the two construction projects that are just beginning in the east side of Fauntleroy between Edmunds and Alaska.  These projects will reduce Fauntleroy to one lane as happened during construction of the Whittaker.  Unfortunately, I have not received a response from either SDOT or Councilmember Herbold who was copied on my message.

  • WTF December 6, 2017 (9:39 pm)

    I love all the SDOT plants on here. Cheer on people. Cheer on.

  • Don Brubeck December 6, 2017 (10:01 pm)

    Really glad to see this project finally starting. The improvements for traffic safety and for people walking to bus stops and shopping, and for trips using bikes, will be good before and after light rail (I should live so long). This area is becoming really dense, so it needs to be a good street for people who live and shop in the area, as well as for through traffic. It will make it easier to use transit and bikes. That helps with traffic by reducing the number of trips that have to be made by car.

  • Alex December 6, 2017 (10:44 pm)

    Joe, did you reference the impact of construction on pedestrian or bicyclists? I fear that if you only pointed out the impact of construction lane reductions on car traffic, the SDOT and city council person will likely see that as a good thing, not a bad thing. 

  • Mark December 6, 2017 (10:46 pm)

    TreeHouse

    Just like at 59th and Admiral, SDoT ignored the data that clearly stated that all way stop was not warranted.  This error only cost thousands of dollars, the Fauntleroy project is multi million

    MJ

  • chemist December 6, 2017 (10:59 pm)

    Here’s what the seattle bike advisory board recommended to SDOT about this project back in February.

    http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/SeattleBicycleAdvisoryBoard/Correspondences/170201SBABltrFauntleroy.pdf

  • RS December 11, 2017 (6:23 pm)

    This whole project is INSANE.

    Safety for the pedestrians and bikers. This is the main concern of all parties right?

    Repave the road, designate clear bike lanes, paint giant bright neon yellow crosswalks, maybe even raise them ever so slightly to encourage a slower speed and install the super visible L.E.D. flashing walk signs to alert drivers. The whole project as currently designed should have been put on hold once light rail was approved for West Seattle. 

    Medians with trees? These will just be cement weed holders like the ones that currently exist where you enter the Admiral district from the bridge. Those maybe get cleaned up twice a year along with all the blackberry bushes that smack your car alongside the Fauntleroy approach into West Seattle. Again, waste of money under the guise of aesthetics. Safety and functionality should reign supreme.

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