ROAD WORK ALERT: Here’s what’s about to happen in South Alki to prepare for overflow-preventing generator project

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A county-operated pump station in South Alki is getting a standby generator so that power outages won’t lead to overflows. Some preparatory work near the 63rd Street Pump Station will start as soon as next Monday (March 10), and since beachgoers (and other Alki Point Healthy Street users) will need to know, as well as the residents who’ve likely already been notified, we’re publishing this notice about it:

King County will be digging holes to locate underground utilities … Crews will use a truck to dig up to 42 holes, about 12 inches wide and up to 9 feet deep each. After this work is complete, the holes will be filled in and the street will be repaired with temporary asphalt patches. This work helps us verify sewer, water, and gas utility lines before we start the main construction project.

King County will also replace three concrete panels along Beach Drive SW, adjacent to the 63rd Avenue Pump Station to meet Seattle Department of Transportation requirements. To ensure everyone’s safety, please do not approach the crews while they are working.

(Utility-locating work route)

SCHEDULE AND DATES

-Utility locating work is expected to begin as early as March 10 and take approximately 2-3 weeks to complete.

-Concrete slab replacement work is expected to begin as early as May and take approximately 4-8 weeks to complete.

LOCATION

Utility-locating work will start at the 63rd Ave Pump Station and follow the route marked with red dots, ending at the Alki Wet Weather Treatment Station (Alki WWTS). See map above for approximate route.

Concrete panel replacement work area is located near the intersection of Beach Dr SW and SW Spokane St. See Figure 2 for approximate work area.

(Concrete panel replacement work area)

ABOUT THE PROJECT

This clean-water project will ensure the 63rd Ave Pump Station has reliable power to help prevent stormwater and wastewater from overflowing into your neighborhood and Puget Sound. We will install conduit under the road along the dotted line in Figure 1. This work will involve excavation and lane closures.

Once construction is complete, all work areas will be restored to meet City of Seattle requirements and standards, including improved pedestrian ramps at Beach Dr SW and 64th Ave SW.

2025 Construction Overview

-March to May – Utility locating & concrete panel replacement work.
-Beginning as early as May 2025, crews will trench in the street to route the conduit starting from 63rd Ave Pump Station toward the Alki WWTS. Trenching and conduit installation is estimated to be completed by Fall 2025.

2026 Construction Overview

-The installation of the generator at the Alki WWTS may begin as early as Fall 2025 and is estimated to completed by Fall 2026.
-Beginning as early as May 2026, crews will construct the transformer vault and cabinet at the 63rd Ave Pump Station. -This project is estimated to be completed by Fall 2026.

For more details on the work schedule starting as soon as next week, see the flyer here.

Tawanda March 4, 2025 (5:17 pm)

Infrastructure strengthening! What a concept. Keep that In mind when you’re feeling inconvenienced.

bolo March 4, 2025 (5:49 pm)

This will be a welcome needed upgrade.

Hoping they can avoid any copper wire theft during the conduit installation phase.

Currently I am seeing fresh mounds of stripped wire insulation littered along the W Seattle Bridge Trail (maybe it’s called the Alki Trail there?) near where it intersects with the north end of Marginal Pl. SW (near adjacent to the scrapmetal salvage yard).

Coincidentally (or not) NEARLY ALL the streetlamps on the multipurpose trail are nonfunctional, especially long strings between the lower bridge and E. Marginal Way S.(Alaskan Way S).

I dejectedly gave up reporting these outages. If they do get fixed, it is only temporary.

Tryharder March 5, 2025 (9:30 am)

I would suggest you keep’stepping up’ the chain of command until you get action. I have found that approach to be extremely effective.(up the chain of supervisors or even a department head or even the mayor.) you could start off with the Find It, Fix It app (take a photo. … also identify from the tag on the light with the pool number is at your Find It, Fix It entry. . It does have voice texting if you want to go that way instead of typing everything in ) it’s the last selection. : select customer service.. I have found them to be responsive and find the correct person. If that doesn’t get it done, then go online and Google : who is the head of Seattle City light. That should supply you with contact information of Dept. Head…and you can write them via email.. the mayors office is also very responsive in making sure these departments for city of Seattle are operating with great customer service and completion. Please do this. It helps everyone.
- CarDriver March 5, 2025 (10:36 am)
  
  To add to Tryharder’s post. I put in a find it fix it request. Not seeing anything i called the number for SDOT. The person looked it up and discovered that the department that could deal with it didn’t get it. She routed it correctly. Moral of the story: ALWAYS follow up by phone to make sure the people that can actually deal with the request have it in front of them.
- bolo March 5, 2025 (7:23 pm)
  
  “… also identify from the tag on the light with the pool number is at your Find It, Fix It entry.”
  
  Nope, not going thru all that again. Last time they refused to continue unless I supplied all the tag numbers. There’s at least a couple dozen out along that stretch and continuing further north. So 1-2 hrs. work there for me and some don’t even have readable tags and therefore fall thru the cracks. All for temporary results– until the copper thieves attack it again.

Sorry, comment time is over.