After three weeks of work on Avalon, a new phase for the first segment of paving work starts tomorrow. Tonight we have the latest official update – followed by new information on traffic issues resulting from the 35th SW segment of the project that started this week. First, SDOT’s update:
We have wrapped up base paving on the east half SW Avalon Way! Tomorrow, May 10, we plan to move traffic to the east side of SW Avalon Way as we shift work to the west side of SW Avalon Way from SW Genesee St to SW Yancy St (Zone B). As part of this work, we will be demolishing the west side of SW Avalon Way all the way to the centerline.
Starting Friday, May 10, we plan to close the west side of the intersection of SW Avalon Way and SW Genesee St to conduct utility work and pavement reconstruction. Similar to the previous closure on the east side of the intersection, crews will need to work across multiple lanes of traffic in the intersection for a few weeks.
Potholing has begun on 35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St (Zone E) to prepare for water main work. We will maintain one lane of traffic in each direction on 35th Ave SW between Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Alaska St through approximately November 2019. See below for more information about what to expect.
Heads up for future travel: SW Alaska will be closed to 35th Ave SW from Saturday, May 18 to Sunday, May 19. This will allow crews to conduct maintenance on the water main.
Businesses are open! Please continue to visit businesses on 35th Ave SW and SW Avalon Way during construction. Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times.
Things we’ve heard from the community
Each week, we’ll plan to address a few common questions we’ve heard from your neighbors.
Where will my bus stop be?
We’re working with King County Metro (Metro) to coordinate temporary bus service reroutes and stop relocations during construction. On Metro’s website, you can find more information about construction reroutes and sign up for Metro Transit alerts. If a stop is going to be relocated, Metro will post signs along the corridor.
(WSB editor’s note: Metro’s “alerts” webpage still does not include this informatinn. We called this to Metro’s attention yesterday and again today.)
It’s difficult to bike along the corridor
We recognize that construction makes biking along the corridor difficult, especially when bike and vehicle traffic merge. We also recognize that the geography of the area makes it difficult to find alternatives. We will continuing to assess the safety of people biking through our work zone and work with West Seattle Bike Connections to identify future alternative routes during construction.
How long construction will last:
Construction in Zone B is anticipated to wrap up in mid-June. Work in Zone E is anticipated to continue through November. Thank you for your patience as we strive to complete this work safely and efficiently!
Also addressed by SDOT today – a resident’s concern about the 35th SW constraints and backups resulting in cut-throughs on narrow nearby side-streets south of SW Alaska. Kevin cc’d us on his original note and SDOT included us in today’s reply:
Thanks for your email and letting us know about the cut-through traffic on 36th Ave SW and 37th Ave SW. We’ve included details below about a few changes we’ve made to signage onsite today. In addition, we’ve also included a few options that we can offer for your specific side streets if cut-through traffic continues to be an issue.
Signage adjustments on 35th Ave SW
Crews evaluated signage onsite this morning to ensure the messaging on the boards and the closure was as clear to people driving as possible.(WSB photo – we were headed SB; the messaging faces NB traffic)
They added a message board about the closure at 35th Ave SW and SW Myrtle St in center-turn lane, and kept the current message boards in place at SW Snoqualmie St and SW Alaska St. We will continue to evaluate traffic and the best locations for these message boards as the closure continues.
Additional mitigation options
We are looking into speed mitigation tools and will get back to you soon.
We will be adding a note to our email updates to let people driving that we have heard from neighbors about speeding and concerns around safety on side streets. Particularly as we head into sunny, warmer weather, we’ll highlight a reminder to slow down and watch for people biking, people walking, and kids playing and walking to school.
In addition, if you do not already have vision zero signs for your street, we would be happy to bring you some reminding people driving through that “20 is plenty.”
The project team’s contact info is on the right sidebar of this page.
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