FOLLOWUP: 3 Avalon/35th project questions, answered

Back on Sunday, we reported that the next big SDOT project in West Seattle – repaving/rechannelization of SW Avalon, plus repaving on three blocks of 35th SW and one block of SW Alaska – will start as soon as next month, and that a pre-construction open house is planned for next week. Questions arose in comments and we took them to Adonis Ducksworth, capital-projects coordinator who is speaking for this project. First question – how long will the construction last and will it be split into “two seasons” this year and next as previously suggested? Ducksworth’s reply:

We anticipate construction starting in mid-April and lasting about 14 months and expect it to be continuous from start to finish. The 2 seasons you mention align with our paving windows. It’s more difficult to pave during the rainy and cold seasons. With this in mind, we expect to do some paving in 2019 and some in 2020 during the drier and warmer seasons. There is a whole host of other work that will be going on while the paving is on hold.

Another question was about what’s to keep the newly repaved street from being torn up for construction-related work, given how much redevelopment is happening in the area. Reply:

This is a good question and one that often comes up when we start construction projects in rapidly developing neighborhoods. Here I would refer your reader to Seattle Municipal Code 15.32.050 (SMC 15.32.050). Essentially it says a five-year pavement moratorium shall be placed on streets that have been resurfaced or reconstructed to preserve the City’s assets and reduce disruption to the traveling public. Note, we updated the code in 2016 to extend the moratorium from 3 to 5 years. With that said, a developer can apply for a waiver; however, we would require them to make significant restorations to the street cuts.

Your reader may also be interested to know that we worked with our Project Coordination Office to alert private developers about the new paving and how important it is that they complete their necessary underground utility work before paving begins this summer.

We also asked if SDOT knows yet where along the project zone the work will begin. Ducksworth’s reply: “In the next couple of weeks we will have a better understanding of the contractor’s plan for sequencing the work.” In the meantime, if you have questions, bring them to the project open house on Thursday, March 14th, 5:30-7 pm at American Legion Post 160 in The Triangle (3618 SW Alaska).

P.S. Lots of new information has just emerged about another major SDOT project in the works – the Delridge repaving/rechannelization, and more, accompanying the Route 120 conversion to RapidRide H Line. That story’s coming up this afternoon.

2 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: 3 Avalon/35th project questions, answered"

  • TSurly March 6, 2019 (6:54 pm)

    The only question that needs to be asked: Will the redesign and construction of this corridor improve the safety and travel efficiency of bicycles, pedestrians, and transit users?Answer: Yes

    • KM March 7, 2019 (7:11 am)

      I’m so excited for this to be done. I currently walk it most frequently, but will start biking it once improvements are done. I hope the sidewalk widening/reconstruction does a lot to prevent reckless right turns from Avalon east to Spokane. I’m sick of begging and pleading to cross the street when I have the right of way—I’ve almost been hit several times.

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