That’s the result of Night 1 of overnight paving on SW Avalon Way; tonight is scheduled to be Night 2. Meantime, local bicycle riders showed support last night for Luna Park Café (as previewed in the WSB Event Calendar. Don Brubeck from West Seattle Bike Connections sent photos and a repot:

Luna Park Cafe was going to close at 3 pm yesterday due to the impact of the Avalon Paving Project. But they stayed open for a Bike-In. We filled a bunch of tables, some of them twice.

Staging for overnight paving was in full swing, with traffic restrictions, but it was not difficult to bike or take the C-line bus. Stu Hennessey of Alki Bike and Board initiated this, and West Seattle Bike Connections joined in, to support Luna Park businesses during a difficult time for them.

As work continues on the Avalon/35th repaving-and-more project, here’s the weekly SDOT progress report:

Paving is complete in Zone A and we have begun breaking the road in Zone C.

Zone A (SW Avalon Way from SW Spokane St to SW Yancy St)
To complete work in Zone A, we are continuing work on SW Avalon Way between SW Charlestown St and SW Andover St, including:

· Finishing concrete paving work on the new bus island at SW Yancy St this week

· Closing SW Charlestown St as soon as the week of August 19 to complete curb ramp and sidewalk work

· Rebuilding the sidewalk on the west side between SW Bradford and SW Charlestown streets

· Finishing work in Zone A as soon as the week of August 19

Zone C (SW Avalon Way from SW Genesee St to 35th Ave SW)
We are continuing work on SW Avalon Way between SW Genesee St and 35th Ave SW including:

· Completing rebuilding the road base on the north side of the road this week

· Paving the north side of the road on Monday, August 19. This work is weather dependent and subject to change.

o There will be no driveway access on August 19

o If you need access to your car, plan to park on side streets the night before. You will not be able to use your driveway while the pavement cures.

· Excavating the south side of the road and moving the SW Genesee St traffic signal as early as Tuesday, August 20

· Maintaining daytime driveway access when safe and feasible during the workday. If you need to leave your driveway, plan for delays of up to 1 hour. We encourage you to speak with our crews to check when excavation will take place near your property.

· Placing steel plates or building temporary driveways between 5 and 7 PM to maintain evening access

· Tentatively paving the south side of the road as early as the week of September 2

Zone E (35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St)
We are continuing work on 35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St, including:

· Beginning concrete paving on the west side tomorrow, August 16. This work is weather dependent and subject to change.

· No driveway access from Thursday to early Saturday to allow the concrete time to cure

· SW Snoqualmie St remaining closed for staging

We are monitoring the worksite on the weekends and will implement traffic control as needed.

While we are not conducting work in Zone B until we return to complete final paving, you may see private projects restricting parking and utilizing traffic control.

SDOT adds, “In early September, there will be multiple weekend closures of the intersection of SW Avalon Way and 35th Ave SW to allow us to rebuild the concrete panels in the intersection.” Plus, the weekly Q&A:

Things we’ve heard from the community
Each week, we’ll plan to address a few common questions we’ve heard from your neighbors.

When will you pave SW Avalon Way?
We anticipate paving SW Avalon Way (Zones A, B, and C) in mid-September. We will return to the corridor in late spring to complete final striping.

Are there noise permits for projects doing work at night?
Yes, there are permits to allow crews to conduct work at night. We cannot make impactful noises or jackhammer after 5 PM unless we have permission from the City’s Department of Construction & Inspections or need to complete emergency work.

Cars are cutting through my neighborhood at unsafe speeds to avoid construction. What can I do?
We have heard a lot of concerns about speeding and cut-through traffic. People driving, please be mindful of your neighbors and follow posted speed limits through the corridor and neighboring streets. If you are concerned about cut-through traffic, we can provide Vision Zero signs to post in your neighborhood. If you’re interested, please email us at avalonpaving@seattle.gov.

The weekly Avalon/35th project update from SDOT is just in. One zone of repaving is complete, another is just starting, and one closed road is reopening, among other highlights:

Paving is complete in Zone A and we have begun breaking the road in Zone C.

Zone A (SW Avalon Way from SW Spokane St to SW Yancy St)
To complete work in Zone A, we are continuing work on SW Avalon Way between SW Charlestown St and SW Andover St, including:

-Installing electrical work on the new bus island at SW Yancy St
-Opening SW Yancy St today
-Working on Saturday, August 10 to finish electrical work and begin curb ramp work
-Finishing work in Zone A as soon as the week of August 12
-Temporarily opening SW Charlestown St as soon as today, August 8. SW Charlestown St will close next week for curb ramp upgrades.

Zone C (SW Avalon Way from SW Genesee St to 35th Ave SW)

We are continuing work on SW Avalon Way between SW Genesee St and 35th Ave SW including:

-Breaking the north side of the road today, August 8
-Excavating the north side of the road as early as Friday, August 9
-Maintaining driveway access when safe and feasible during the workday
-Placing steel plates or building temporary driveways between 5 and 7 PM to maintain evening access
-Tentatively paving Zone C as early as the week of August 19
-Working on Saturday, August 10 to continue building the new road base

Zone E (35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St)

We are continuing work on 35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St, including:

-Excavating the west side of the road north of SW Snoqualmie St
-Beginning concrete paving as soon as the week of August 12
-Preparing road base which can lead to noise and vibrations
-SW Snoqualmie St remaining closed for staging
-Working on Saturday, August 10 to continue building the new road base
-We are monitoring the worksite on the weekends and will implement traffic control as needed.

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 is work in Zone C starting?
Work in Zone C has started on the north side of SW Avalon Way between SW Genesee St and 35th Ave SW. Paving is anticipated to take place on the north side of SW Avalon Way as early as the week of August 19.

When are the intersection closures happening?
Intersection closures are anticipated to begin as soon as early September. We will update you through our email updates, post a detour map and work with local businesses to help maintain access during each weekend.

Will our trash still be picked up when construction is in our area?
We are coordinating with Seattle Public Utilities on trash collection so that your trash continues to be picked up when construction is in your area.

As noted earlier today, some additional street parking has opened back up on the west side of Avalon in the Luna Park business area.

The weekly update on the Avalon/35th paving-and-more project is in. From SDOT:

Last week, crews worked to excavate the road in Zone A and are getting ready to begin work in Zone C as early as the week of August 5.

Zone A (SW Avalon Way from SW Spokane St to SW Yancy St)
We are continuing work on SW Avalon Way between SW Charlestown St and SW Andover St, including:

-Paving at SW Charlestown St as soon as August 5
-Pouring new curb ramps at SW Charlestown St, which will remain closed until the week of August 16
-Paving SW Yancy St, which will remain closed until the week of August 5
-Pouring the new transit island north of SW Yancy St
-Weekend work on Saturday, August 3 and Sunday, August 4

As crews wrap up paving, please use extreme caution if you are riding a bike through Zone A as the roadway is uneven.

Zone C (SW Avalon Way from SW Genesee St to 35th Ave SW)
We anticipate beginning work in Zone C as soon as August 5, including:

-Saw cutting and excavation on the north side of the road, followed by base repairs and then asphalt paving
-Two to three weeks of work on the north side of Zone C

Zone E (35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St)
We are continuing work on 35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St, including:

-Excavation of the road. Driveways will be temporarily impacted during this work, but we will place steels plates to provide access when safe and feasible.
-Beginning concrete paving in certain areas towards the end of the week of August 5

Upcoming intersection closures for 35th Ave SW and SW Avalon Way

Crews will use multiple weekend closures of 35th Ave SW and SW Avalon Way to rebuild the intersection. While dates have not yet been scheduled, you can expect work to take place during the weekend in early to mid-August to reduce traffic impacts. You can also expect detours to be provided during this work.

SDOT has sent its weekly update on the Avalon/35th repaving-and-more project, including word that the northernmost “zone” is close to complete:

We anticipate completing work in Zone A as soon as the week of August 5!

Zone A (SW Avalon Way from SW Spokane St to SW Yancy St)
To complete work in Zone A, we are continuing work on SW Avalon Way between SW Charlestown St and SW Andover St, including:

· Continuing work on the new Rapid Ride bus stop and transit island on the east side of SW Avalon Way near SW Yancy St

· Wrapping up water utility work at SW Charlestown St and paving SW Charlestown St as early as August 5

Temporarily closing SW Yancy St at SW Avalon Way as early as Monday, July 29 to complete bus pad construction. SW Yancy St may re-open as soon as August 6.

Zone E (35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St)

We are continuing work on 35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St, including:

· Installing remaining catch basins along the west side of 35th Ave SW

· Continuing to demolish the roadway at SW Snoqualmie St and continuing this demolition work along 35th Ave SW from SW Alaska St to SW Avalon Way

Excavation of the road: Driveways will be temporarily impacted during this work but we will place steels plates to provide access when safe and feasible.

We are monitoring the work-site on the weekends and will implement traffic control as needed.

Upcoming Work

Zone C (SW Avalon Way from SW Genesee St to 35th Ave SW)

· As early as the week of August 5, we will begin work in Zone C

· This work will include impacts to driveways

· If your property manager or HOA board would like a briefing about what to expect during construction, please email us at AvalonPaving@Seattle.gov and check our website for updates on construction and driveway impacts

· Please share this information with others who might be interested in receiving project updates about Zone C

35th Ave SW and SW Avalon Way upcoming intersection closures

· We are anticipating multiple weekend closures at 35th Ave SW and SW Avalon Way to rebuild the intersection

· Work is tentatively scheduled for Friday night through Monday at to reduce weekday traffic impacts and scheduled to begin in mid to late August

· Detours will be provided

We will provide more details about these closures on our website and in our listservs as they are scheduled.

Also:

Things we’ve heard from the community Each week, we’ll plan to address a few common questions we’ve heard from your neighbors:

Why was traffic so bad on my Tuesday evening commute? While working to install a catch basin on 35th Ave SW, our crews noticed unsafe road conditions next to our work site. For the safety of both people driving and our crews, we restricted traffic to one lane and had flaggers present to alternate traffic in each direction through the area. This restriction was in place from around 3 PM to 5 PM. Thank you for your patience as we continue to safely complete our work!

Will my driveway be impacted when you begin work in Zone C? There will be driveway impacts as we complete work throughout Zone C. We will be in touch with more information as we get closer to construction and will continue to share updates through our email updates and on our project webpage. Why is construction so loud? We recognize that construction can be loud and disruptive. The City of Seattle allows crews to do certain work activities at night with a noise variance so that we can keep traffic moving during the day. When we complete night work, crews are working with a noise variance to allow that late work. This is necessary to keep the project compliant with City of Seattle regulations and to allow us to complete the project on schedule.

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SDOT‘s weekly “what’s next” update for the Avalon/35th repaving-and-more project has arrived. Note some timetable updates, a new road closure ahead, and also, the project team addresses why 35th had a very slow morning earlier this week:

Crews have paved the west side of SW Avalon Way from SW Charlestown St to south of SW Andover St! Crews also completed the last expected water shut offs this week to connect the new water mains at 35th Ave SW and on SW Avalon Way at SW Charlestown St.

Zone A (SW Avalon Way from SW Spokane St to SW Yancy St)
We are continuing work on SW Avalon Way between SW Charlestown St and SW Andover St, including:

*Beginning roadway demolition and excavation on the east side of SW Avalon Way between SW Yancy St and SW Charlestown St to rebuild the road
*A closure of SW Yancy St due to our work on the nearby bus pad. The closure is scheduled to begin as early as Friday and last for a few weeks.

Zone E (35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St)
We are continuing work on the new drainage utilities on 35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St, including:

*Beginning roadway demolition and excavation on the west side of 35th Ave SW to rebuild the road as early as next week
*Storm drainage work at SW Oregon St and SW Snoqualmie St
*We are monitoring the worksite on the weekends and will implement traffic control as needed.

Things we’ve heard from the community

Each week, we’ll plan to address a few common questions we’ve heard from your neighbors.

Once the road is rebuilt by my home, will I experience any more impacts?
Once we have substantially completed base paving and sidewalk improvements in the road near your home, active roadwork will not take place in front of your home until we come back later this fall to pave the final, top layer of SW Avalon Way. After paving, it’s anticipated that we’ll return in spring or summer of 2020 to re-channel the road with new striping and install the protected bike lane.

Why was traffic so bad during the morning commute on Wednesday the 17th?
Crews conducted night work overnight from Tuesday, July 16 to Wednesday, July 17 on 35th Ave SW to make the final connections and water service transfers over to the new water main. This work took longer than anticipated so crews were not able to safely open the road until around 8:35 AM. Thank you for your patience and we apologize for the inconvenience on your morning commute.

Where will work start next?
Now that the water main is connected, we will work to rebuild 35th Ave SW over the next few weeks We’ll also work to build a new transit island at SW Avalon Way. We anticipate beginning work in zone C (SW Avalon Way between SW Genesee St and 35th Ave SW) as early as mid-August.

Does that mean the 35th work won’t last all the way until November? We’re asking that on followup

With the long holiday weekend about to begin, SDOT has just sent its weekly update on what’s next for the Avalon/35th repaving-and-more project:

There will be no work taking place on July 4 or 5, but traffic control will remain in place.

Over the holiday weekend, the following side streets will remain closed:

SW Andover St at SW Avalon Way
SW Bradford St at SW Avalon Way
SW Charlestown St at SW Avalon Way
SW Snoqualmie St at 35th Ave SW
Work resumes the week of July 8 with continued work on:

SW Avalon Way with
-base repairs between SW Charlestown St and SW Andover St
-tentative paving between south of SW Charlestown St and south of SW Andover St on July 12
-sidewalks at SW Spokane St
-water utility work on SW Charlestown St

35th Ave SW with
-road excavation on the west side between SW Alaska St and SW Oregon St. Driveways will remain accessible at this time.
-water utility work on the new water main

Our second water shutdown will take place the evening of Monday, July 8, from 9 PM to 6 AM. The same area that experienced the first shut down, will experience this shut down. If you are impacted by this shutdown, SPU will notify you with a flyer or door hanger. If you have questions about, or experience problems with, your water service, contact SPU’s 24/7 Operations Response Center at 206-386-1800.

SDOT says the crews working on the Avalon/35th project will take a four-day holiday weekend. Here’s what else is ahead:

Crews will not be working July 4 or 5 for the holiday but please expect traffic control to remain in place so crews can resume work on Monday, July 8. Next week crews will continue to work in the following locations:

· Zone A: We are continuing work on the west side of SW Avalon Way between SW Charlestown St and SW Andover St, including:

· Water utility work at SW Charlestown St

· Demolishing the west side of SW Avalon Way south of SW Charlestown St to south of SW Andover St in order to repair the road base

· New curb ramps on the west side of SW Avalon Way/SW Harbor St at SW Spokane St. Pedestrian detours will be in place for this work. People walking can cross at our new curb ramp at SW Orleans St. After work hours, a protected pedestrian path will route pedestrians around construction on the west side of SW Avalon Way.

· SW Bradford St and SW Andover St are closed to SW Avalon Way to excavate and rebuild the road base

· Zone E: We are continuing work on the new water main and drainage utilities on 35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St, including:

· Excavating for a new water service pipe on 35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Snoqualmie St

· Storm drain work at SW Oregon St and SW Snoqualmie St

Things we’ve heard from the community
Each week, we’ll plan to address a few common questions we’ve heard from your neighbors.

When will work in Zone A be completed?
At this time, work in Zone A (SW Avalon Way from SW Spokane St to SW Yancy St) is scheduled to be complete in mid to late August.

Where will you begin work once Zone A is completed?
Once we complete work in Zone A, we anticipate beginning work on SW Avalon Way from SW Genesee St to 35th Ave SW (Zone C). Work in Zone C will begin as soon as mid to late August.

Beyond Thursday’s notice about emergency water work, here are the weekly SDOT updates from the Avalon/35th project

Next week crews will continue to work in the following locations:

Zone A: Work continues on SW Avalon Way between SW Manning St and SW Charlestown St. At SW Charlestown St, we are conducting water utility work. As early as next week, we anticipate paving the east side of SW Avalon Way between SW Manning St and SW Charlestown St and beginning paving work on the west side of SW Avalon Way, south of SW Charlestown St to SW Andover St.

Zone E: We are continuing to work on the new water main on 35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St and utility work at SW Snoqualmie St. As we work in Zone E through November 2019, we will maintain one lane of traffic in each direction on 35th Ave SW between Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Alaska St. …

Businesses are open! Please continue to visit businesses on 35th Ave SW and SW Avalon Way during construction. Follow signs for temporary parking for the Avalon Business District near the West Seattle Bridge. Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times – please follow signed pedestrian detours.

SDOT also included some community Q&A. Two points of note:

Will parking be restored in Zones B and C?
Parking on the west side of SW Avalon Way in Zone B (between SW Yancy St and SW Genesee St) is now available. Please note that the parking area is not a travel lane and people driving and biking should be mindful of the traffic control in place. Parking on the east side of Zone B and throughout Zone C is currently restricted but will be restored as construction progress allows.

Are there pedestrian detours at SW Charlestown St?
Pedestrian detours are in place. In response to frequent mid-block crossings witnessed onsite, we are placing a flagger onsite north of SW Charlestown St to help pedestrians cross SW Avalon Way at a temporary crosswalk during work hours. After work hours, a protected pedestrian path will route pedestrians around construction on the west side of SW Avalon Way.

SDOT‘s weekly update on the Avalon/35th repaving-and-more project is in:

Crews finished base paving by SW Orleans St and continue to work in the following locations:

Zone A: We are continuing work on SW Avalon Way from SW Manning St to SW Charlestown St. Crews have started pavement work on the east side of SW Avalon Way and are conducting water utility work at SW Charlestown St.

Zone E: We are continuing to work on the new water main on the east side of 35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St. As we work in Zone E through November 2019, we will maintain one lane of traffic in each direction on 35th Ave SW between Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Alaska St.

Starting as early as Monday, June 10, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) crews will be working in coordination with our project at the southeast corner of SW Genesee St and SW Avalon Way for approximately one week to relocate a gas main. There will be sidewalk detours. Driveway access will be maintained. Please contact 888-225-5773 with any questions about this work.

Things we’ve heard from the community
Each week, we’ll plan to address a few common questions we’ve heard from your neighbors.

Why was work so loud on Tuesday night? 
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) cut the existing watermain and installed a temporary bypass in order to continue to install the new watermain under 35th Ave SW at SW Snoqualmie St. This work required a water shut off and was performed at night to minimize customer impacts from the shut off.  

Will parking be restored in Zones B and C?
Unfortunately, parking will not be restored to Zones B and C at this time. The parking removal needs to remain in place for our traffic control and for temporary bus stop relocations. 

When will work begin in Zone C? 
We anticipate beginning work in on SW Avalon Way from SW Genesee St to 35th Ave SW (Zone C) as early as August. Please note that construction schedules are highly subject to change and we will continue to keep you informed through email updates.

An important reminder: Show the Luna Park businesses some love. We’re working on a separate followup but in the meantime, note that there’s parking under the bridge and that the SW Orleans street end used as parking between The Shack and Luna Park Café/Avalon Glassworks remains open.

Just in from SDOT, the weekly Avalon/35th project update, including this map:

The best news is actually at the end of the update SDOT sent, regarding progress, so we’re featuring it first:

We are almost finished with our first large zone. We are working as efficiently as possible and are wrapping up work in Zone B (SW Yancy to SW Genesee streets) faster than anticipated. We intend to begin work throughout Zone A (SW Spokane to SW Andover streets) as early as June 3.

Some work has already begun there, as you probably know. That starts off the full update:

Crews began work on curb ramps and base repairs on the west side of SW Avalon Way from SW Manning St to SW Charlestown St (Zone A) on Monday, May 20. During construction, we will maintain access to SW Orleans St. SW Manning St will be closed through the next few weeks. Local access will be maintained to the alley. Businesses are open. Follow signs for Avalon Business District parking off SW Avalon Way.

That’s at the north end of Avalon, under the bridge, while the east side of Avalon is temporarily off-limits. Earlier this week, Luna Park Café proprietor John Bennett sent photos of those signs, including a bit of humor:

Now back to the SDOT update:

The west side of SW Genesee St at SW Avalon Way is closed through Wednesday, May 29. This will allow crews 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. We will continue to maintain one lane in each direction on SW Avalon Way.

Crews began trenching and laying the new water main on the east side of 35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St (Zone E). 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.

Crews anticipate paving the west side of SW Avalon Way between SW Yancy St and SW Genesee St (Zone B) on Tuesday, May 28 and Wednesday, May 29. Advance notice will be provided for driveway impacts.

If you’re a new arrival or just tuning in, this is all part of one big project that will result in full repaving of Avalon, plus rebuilding/repaving/water-main replacement on 3 blocks of 35th south of Avalon, and repaving of one block of SW Alaska west of 35th.