FOLLOWUP: When and where Avalon/35th/Alaska work will start

| Transportation | West Seattle news

(Display from last week’s project open house)

Just in from SDOT – the official construction notice for the start of work on the Avalon/35th/Alaska repaving/rechannelization project, elaborating on some details we picked up at last week’s open house:

As soon as the week of May 1, our plan is to begin construction on 35th Ave SW between SW Avalon Way and SW Alaska St. We are currently working with the contractor to finalize the sequencing along SW Avalon Way between Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Spokane St that is set to begin the week of April 15. Once we finalize this detail we’ll provide you with that information …

Key project elements:

*Repave and install new sidewalks and curb ramps on SW Avalon Way, 35th Ave SW, and SW Alaska St
*Install protected bike lanes on SW Avalon Way
*Replacing the water main underneath the street along 35th Ave SW between SW Avalon Way and SW Alaska St
*Improve RapidRide bus line
*Center turn lane removal 
*Spot parking removal 

What to expect during construction:

*Construction to start as soon as the week of April 15 and end mid-2020
*Daytime, nighttime, and weekend work. Typical daytime work hours are 7AM to 3PM.
*Multiple closures of major intersections at night to minimize traffic impacts
*Temporary bus reroutes and bus stop closures, follow King County Metro Rider Alert for more information
*Multiple, short-term driveway and sidewalk closures. Advance notice will be given.
*Temporary parking restrictions due to construction, please follow no parks north and south of the project corridor
*Lane or full closures of side streets between SW Avalon Way or 35th Ave SW and the nearest alley or driveway access point. These closures will impact the following side streets:
SW Orleans St
SW Charlestown St
SW Bradford St
30th Ave SW (permanent closure)
SW Snoqualmie St
3 Temporary water shut-offs. Advance notice will be given.
Noise, dust and vibrations while crews are working

You can see project specifics online, including exactly which type of paving is planned where, and how lanes will be reconfigured on Avalon.

Mel March 22, 2019 (12:01 am)

Sometimes I don’t know whose fifth-graders are doing the planning here:”Closing 30th Ave SW at SW Avalon Way to prevent cut-through drivers”??Do they even realize that will cut off an entire neighborhood from the arterial? Do they realize this will drive more northbound/bridge-bound traffic from that neighborhood to Yancy, which is NOT configured for it (in fact, as it has the signaled crosswalk and RapidRide immediately to the right as it comes out to Avalon, it’ll be snarled even more)?And that’s in addition to the additional congestion on Genessee – which will be even worse when it’s blocked off for light rail work. And all of that could be avoided simply by placing some speed bumps and a traffic circle or two on 30th, thwarting “cutters” while allowing the neighbors to come and go without having to use a circuitous route around their neighborhood. Wasted money, and problems that could have been anticipated by a minute or two of critical thinking.

TSurly March 22, 2019 (6:12 am)

From the SDOT project website:“We’ve done work for many years to make this complex intersection safer for people walking and biking. Removing one “leg” of this 5-way intersection will simplify it and make it easier and more predictable for everyone, especially people walking and biking along SW Avalon Way.”Place your blame where it belongs: on reckless, impatient cars drivers that have forced SDOT to reconfigure this intersection to make it safer for peds and cyclists. If it makes traffic worse, too damn bad.

zark00 March 22, 2019 (11:12 am)

Nice, that 30th to Avalon mess is finally going to be over. Doesn’t cut off an entire neighborhood, not even close. They have Yancy and Genesee like 2 blocks in either direction. If they have to wait behind a bus, sorry not sorry. Now they just need to close the Manning to Avalon debacle – that is a hot mess every morning – Seattle drivers have proven without a doubt that they will not follow traffic rules if they think they can save 30 seconds.

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