STAIRWAY WORK: Fauntleroy/Director closed for SDOT project; see which West Seattle stairways are next

| Fauntleroy | Transportation | West Seattle news

12:24 PM: Discovered this morning that the stairway at SW Director Street/upper Fauntleroy Way, between the Fauntleroy fish-ladder viewpoint and northbound RapidRide C Line stop, is closed for SDOT work. Further research turned up this map, which reveals it’s one of four city-owned stairways on the list scheduled for work this year, along with:

-SW Hill St between 42nd Ave SW & California Ave SW
-SW Holly St & Beveridge Pl SW to 46th Ave SW
-California Ave SW & SW Willow St

We’re checking with SDOT to see how long the work is expected to last, and which West Seattle stairway project will be next up.

3:33 PM: SDOT’s Greg Funk has replied with the info:

-SW Director “just started” and could reopen February 19th if all goes well
-California/Willow is expected to start February 26th, “substantial completion” March 16th
-Hill/42nd is expected to start April 30th, “substantial completion” June 8th
-Holly/46th is expected to start June 11th, “substantial completion August 17th

“Substantial completion” means “stairway will have temporary handrail and (will be) opened to the public until our rail fabricators finish the install of new rail.”

Two other stairway projects will be in “design options” mode this year – SW Thistle (east of Lincoln Park) and Bonair SW.

VN January 30, 2018 (4:28 pm)

Right now, there is no way to access the north bound C line
bus at this stop with the stairwell closed.
Crossing Fauntleroy in the dark and rain is dangerous during the
week. Why didn’t Metro and SDOT
coordinate so that the street closure at the Ferry dock which will result in
the temporary movement of these bus stops coincide with the temporary closure
of the stairs?

Bill January 31, 2018 (2:27 pm)

@VN, really this is SDOT tearing up the stairs, and SDOT tearing up the road next week. Reports are that SDOT didn’t even tell Ferries or Metro about tearing up the road. I suppose it’s too much to ask SDOT to work with Ferries and Metro if they can’t even work with themselves.