(WSB photo from February 13 SDOT-led tour of Alki Point sidewalk-project site)
We broke the news last Thursday that the Alki Point sidewalk/traffic-calming project would definitely start this month. Now SDOT has just sent word that Monday, March 16, is the official start date. As the city’s project page notes, no-parking signs will be in place as needed with minimum three days’ notice, so if they’re not up already, area residents should be on the lookout. As shown on the final plans (see them here) and discussed during the SDOT-led tour we covered a month ago, the city is routing the sidewalk completion along Alki Ave between 65th SW and Beach Drive so that most of the existing residential parking will remain; raised crosswalks will be installed at both ends of the project, as well as other “traffic calming” measures at 63rd/Alki to maximize the number of vehicles that head southbound on 63rd from northbound Alki – especially important since the sidewalk addition will narrow the non-arterial westernmost stretch of Alki Ave.