ROAD-WORK ALERT: New timeline for Harbor/Spokane project, as work resumes

| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

After several questions about when work would resume on the weeks-idle Harbor/Spokane Neighborhood Street Fund project, we asked SDOT about it today – and found out that work in fact had JUST resumed. Here’s the update we received as a reply to our inquiry, including a new timeline for completion:

Crews began paving today and plan to continue paving this week. Paving has been scheduled in coordination with equipment needs for other Neighborhood Street Fund projects under construction right now, which is why it has appeared that the site has had limited construction activity. Crews currently anticipate completing work for this project in mid-August.

Crews plan to complete paving at the corner of Harbor Ave SW and SW Spokane St over the course of 3 days.

Work will be completed in sections, allowing a pathway to the Alki Trail to be maintained for people walking and biking. People biking will be asked to dismount and proceed through the work area with caution. A flagger or uniformed police officer will be present to escort people through the work zone. Please take note of wet concrete in the area.

Crews have made great progress on this project to date. Once paving and installation of new sidewalks and ramps is complete, crews will:

-Install striping on the road
-Turn on the bike-only signal

Crews will need to wait approximately 3 weeks after paving before they can stripe the road. This is to ensure that the asphalt has properly cured. Once striping is complete, crews will be able to turn on the bike-only signal.

As soon as October, crews will begin replanting the area. The timing of this work is restricted by the City of Seattle’s planting season.

When work on the project started last month, SDOT had estimated it would take about six weeks – which would have had it wrapping up about now.

Really?! July 24, 2018 (10:06 pm)

Is it absolutely necessary to have Four crossways, in every wily-nily direction, in addition to a ‘bike only’ signal light, at this one intersection? Who’s brilliant idea was this?

WSB July 24, 2018 (10:15 pm)

Proposed and supported by community members in an exhaustive process. Here’s some backstory if you missed previous coverage.
https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/SDOT/NSF/2016042.pdf
Annoyed citizen July 25, 2018 (3:16 am)

The bike only signal, which apparently will prevent cars from turning, is a terrible idea. I really hope the signal requires a button push or something and isn’t automatic throughout the day, as there is very little bike traffic crossing that intersection in that direction. That’s going to make traffic headed down to Alki significantly worse while providing little benefit. Similar to the useless bike signals downtown, cars will just sit there for no discernible reason while no one is moving and there’s an empty bike path. Another poor decision from our inept city leadership.
Avalon Resident July 25, 2018 (6:31 am)

As someone who uses that intersection almost every day in my car, I support these changes. It’s a nightmare for bikes and pedestrians.
Brilliant Idea July 25, 2018 (7:05 am)

Have you ever tried to cross harbor ave on foot or with a bike while people are getting off the freeway and trying to make the light with no site lines to pedestrians and cyclists? I’ll say it’s a needed upgrade.
KM July 25, 2018 (7:21 am)

I walk and drive this intersection and it’s really a pain for everyone not in a car (and it’s debatable for drivers as well, imho). These changes are welcome.
markinthedark July 25, 2018 (9:54 am)

This is a win/win for all modes of transportation.

Mike July 25, 2018 (7:00 am)

So I wasn’t imagining things, they really just stopped working on it after tearing everything up and obstructing walk/bike traffic. I’ve seen a number of people jog across the sidewalk closed ahead area, I’ve nearly been hit by cars while in the crosswalk numerous times since they tore everything up. It’s a mess.

Kathy July 25, 2018 (7:50 am)

I hope they do a thorough job of cleaning out the vegetation that obscures sightlines for people walking and biking around that corner. Including the Giant Hogweed that is supposed to be there according to the King County Map.

anonyme July 25, 2018 (8:24 am)

The 35th Ave sidewalk project is seeing delays as well. Neighbors received a notice saying that there was a “concrete shortage”, so while some work continues, the sidewalks are not yet being poured. This doubles the construction time. I’ve been patient so far, but for those of us living at corners where all of the storage and staging occurs the 12 hr. per day noise, dust, lack of accessibility, etc. is wearing very thin indeed. Workers start arriving at 5:30 am on their motorcycles. Not pleased at this point.

WSB July 25, 2018 (8:36 am)

They sent a notice to the list we’re on last Friday, mentioning a concrete delay and saying the pouring would start
as soon as next Monday. We’ll see how it goes.
T July 25, 2018 (11:41 am)

There is a law regarding how early work can start. Also, I hope people will obey the new traffic control devices but I am not holding my breath.

Michael Taylor-Judd July 25, 2018 (12:49 pm)

I don’t think it’s “wily nily” or “inept leadership” to mark out the three or four LEGAL crosswalks that exist, but so many drivers seem to be unaware of. As for the addition of this bike crossing, I don’t see why so many drivers object to allowing another form of transportation to have the same signal access as you do. We don’t construct facilities based on how much traffic a single user sees there at a given moment in time. Trust that the neighboring community and SDOT have looked at usage there, particularly at commute times. Since we typically size our bridges or freeways for the amount of drivers at peak times — and not who’s on the Bridge or the Viaduct on a Sunday night or early weekday morning — it should not be surprising that we would do the same for bicycle facilities in our city.

MJ July 25, 2018 (6:08 pm)

Many of the changes are good, but the bike signal is going to increase delay to all users of the intersection. Bike delay in particular for the WB to SB will be significantly increased. Currently bicyclist making this movement get quick service via the existing signal operation!

Tsurly July 25, 2018 (7:45 pm)

“Currently bicyclists making this movement get quick service via the existing signal operation!”And often times nearly get ran over, by inattentive drivers, try to utilize the existing infrastructure. Wait longer is well worth reducing my chances of getting hit by a car.

MJ July 25, 2018 (10:36 pm)

I have never had a issue going WB to SB on my bike and have done the turn over a hundred times, eye contact with the driver is the key to making the movement safely!

Tsurly July 25, 2018 (11:02 pm)

Your experience at this intersection is vastly different than every other cyclist (and several motorists as noted above) that uses that intersection to go southbound. I’ve noticed that you consistently refute many of the cycling safety issues that folks bring up on this forum, which makes me think you claims of being a cyclist are total BS.
KM July 26, 2018 (4:56 pm)

It’s important that the intersection, all all bike infrastructure in Seattle, remain accessible for all levels and types of riders, not just the more confident adult riders.

MJ July 26, 2018 (4:12 pm)

TsurlyYou are out of line, I ride extensively 8 months each year. And regarding the bike safety items I take a balanced approach. I’m not clear which one you are referring too? I did not refute the Avalon revisions!MJ

MJ July 26, 2018 (4:51 pm)

And ps Tsurly you claim every other cyclist experience at this intersection is different than mine, really, I highly doubt this claim.

Tsurly July 26, 2018 (8:35 pm)

I ride every week day year round, and I’ve had more near misses at this intersection than anywhere else on my way from downtown. Drivers consistently make that turn on green without consideration as to who (cyclists or pedestrians) are in the the cross walk. Making eye contact is not an effective way to avoid being ran over. I’ve had countless drivers blow through that turn looking me right in the face as they fail to yield to me crossing that street.Bottom line, this was done because enough people raised concerns about it.

Sorry, comment time is over.