ORIGINAL 9:55 PM REPORT: Dave shared this tonight in hopes of helping fellow bicycle commuters:

I wanted to pass on some construction I unexpectedly encountered today. I bike to work from the Junction to Boeing Field via West Marginal Way. Today I encountered an SDOT crew on the bike path just south of the longhouse. On return this afternoon, I found that they had the bike path ground down to bare gravel, sand, dirt, and mud (thanks afternoon snow/rain storm). The stretch from from the long house headed southbound to where the path recrosses the railroad tracks just north of LaFarge is ground down and in this condition. Just wanted to pass on this information as that surface is very treacherous now, especially for road bikes. All of the equipment is there, so it may be paved by the end of the day tomorrow.

We’ll check with SDOT in the morning – hadn’t heard about this previously.

ADDED 9:31 AM WEDNESDAY: SDOT says the work will continue throughout the week. Read on for their news release:

Repairs are underway on the Duwamish Trail in West Seattle. The asphalt trail has been heavily damaged in places by tree roots and needs to be repaired for bicyclist and pedestrian safety. SDOT crews are grinding off the old asphalt, trimming trees, cutting roots, and placing new asphalt this week, weather permitting, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The crews are assisting pedestrians and bicyclists around the work area. Due to weather conditions, the trail is muddy in the work area. Bicyclists may need to dismount and walk their bikes in places.

Funding for this project is provided by the Bridging the Gap transportation initiative approved by Seattle voters.

The Duwamish Trail stretches from the lower Spokane Street Swing Bridge to South Park, following West Marginal Way SW on the west side the Duwamish River. The scenic views of the river from the trail are juxtaposed with the surrounding industrial area. The trail connects with the Alki Trail on the north and, after a route on streets, connects with the Green River Trail to the south.

And as a followup to that advisory, we have a little more info from SDOT’s Marybeth Turner: “Weather conditions may extend the work a day or two. The crew is working to keep the trail passable during construction, although cyclists will likely need to dismount in places. They would like to avoid a detour to West Marginal Way SW where traffic is heavy at times.”