SDOT sent an update today on the Highland Park Way/Holden project – paving is done, installation of the art piece is weeks away, and the new signal will follow:

(SDOT photo, west side of Highland Park Way SW)

We recently finished pouring concrete and asphalt for the Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden St Safety Project. There are now new sidewalks, curb bulbs, and ADA accessible ramps along Highland Park Way SW between SW Holden St and SW Portland St. These improvements will make this intersection safer and more accessible for people living, working, and traveling through the area. …

Last week, we moved most of the equipment and materials out of the area. We also hydroseeded the new topsoil, a process where we spread a mixture of grass seed, fertilizer, mulch, and water. You should see grass sprouting soon. We will return briefly over the next few months to complete the following:

*Remove old roadway markings and paint new ones. This is tentatively scheduled for late October but could shift based on weather.

*Install a new public art piece in early November. (Artist Matthew Mazzotta‘s rendering of “Where’s the party?” is a larger than life Steller’s jay that will perch at the SW corner of Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden St.)

*Install permanent metal traffic signals and poles at the Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden St intersection in December or January. You’ll notice there are orange barrels at the four corners of the intersection. These are protecting the exposed anchor bolts for the future poles.

The permanent signals will replace temporary signals that were hastily installed right after the West Seattle Bridge’s sudden shutdown in March 2020, after SW Holden and Highland Park Way SW became a major detour route to get to the 1st Avenue South Bridge. Community members had been lobbying for safety improvements to the intersection for many years before that.