The extensive discussion about the Alki Point Healthy Street in the past few years has focused almost entirely on its south stretch – Beach Drive from Alki Point to 63rd SW. Some of the “permanent” features installed on its north stretch – Alki Avenue from 63rd SW to the point – have led to a problem that multiple nearby residents have emailed us about.

The photo above, from Greg, was taken near the west end of the beach park. It shows a “no parking” sign at left – and cars parked past it, despite the “wheel stops” meant to reinforce the message. He explained that “people continue to park illegally, blocking the turnaround past 64th Place. 64th Place (which has many families with children) has now become an unsafe arterial. Even without cars parked illegally on Alki, most cannot make the tight radius turn and must back up. The most dangerous issue are those who don’t understand the traffic flow past the circle and they DRIVE in the bike lane.” Greg says he had reported it to the city without response before contacting us. So we took it to SDOT, whose spokesperson Ethan Bergerson tells us:

We are considering some adjustments to help address these concerns:

-There is currently a gap between the concrete wheel stops by the bike rack which is large enough for a vehicle to drive through or park. We could add another wheel stop to fill this gap and clarify this confusion.

-We are also considering moving the “Street Closed Ahead” sign to be more visible from a distance to drivers as they approach this cul-de-sac.

For a better view of the “cul-de-sac,” here’s a photo from Jennifer:

We’ll keep watch to see what happens.

(Admiral Way Bridges from Fairmount Avenue, via Google Maps Street View)

The Admiral Way Bridge earthquake-strengthening project is now in its fourth week. Work is primarily continuing under the bridge, where Fairmount Avenue is closed to all traffic until early next year. But some work is planned on the deck, as we’ve reported. Now, though, there’s a big change in the plan. Thanks to MJ for the tip on this – SDOT confirms that it is no longer planning two weekend-long full closures of the bridge. Lane closures are still planned (no official schedule yet).

We first told you six months ago about Stu Hennessey‘s quest for a more “walkable Admiral” (District). He is a business owner in Admiral, proprietor of Alki Bike and Board, and walks the talk, not only on human-powered transportation, but also on other sustainability issues. Making Admiral more walkable would require some city changes, and Hennessey has launched a yard-sign campaign to get community support for them:

The QR code on the sign takes you to this page, which spells out the three proposals he introduced back in January:

Admiral and California All-Walk intersection. The biggest safety concern for pedestrians crossing the streets is the right turn on red. Is it wise to have cars and pedestrians using the same crossing?

Mid-block raised crossings between Lander and Admiral near the Safeway entrance at Menchie’s yogurt and between Admiral and College St. Specifically crossing to the Admiral Theatre. These crossings would eliminate one parking space and have a bulb out to the lane edge with flashing crossing signs.

Permanent closure for SW Lander St. between California Ave and 44th SW. This is an often-ignored one-way and daytime-temporarily-closed street that could be used for an emergency gathering point for Lafayette School, auto-free pickup of students, and a potential event space such as a farmers’ market.

The page also suggests emailing three city contacts – SDOT (684-road@seattle.gov), Councilmember Rob Saka (rob.saka@seattle.gov), and Economic Development director Markham McIntyre (markham.mcintyre@seattle.gov)- to voice your support for a more walkable Admiral. Hennessey has a few spare yard signs for Admiral businesses, and flyers for posting in windows – stop by his shop (2606 California SW) to ask about those.

We’ve been reporting for two years on the SDOT plan for resurfacing work on the Spokane Street Viaduct – the West Seattle Bridge section east of the Highway 99 overpass – and today, they’ve announced the dates for the closures that’ll be needed to get the work done – both lane closures and full closures of one side of the roadway. SDOT says work will start “as soon as” next Monday (July 29):

This work will require multiple weekend closures of all eastbound travel lanes and one weekend closure of the westbound travel lanes. There will also be overnight closures of one or two lanes at a time on weeknights this summer and fall.

These closures are necessary to repair damaged pavement which is prone to potholes and “alligator skin” cracking. Crews will repave the bridge deck and apply a synthetic polymer sealant to the road surface to help ensure it remains in good condition over time. Crews will also make drainage improvements and bridge deck repairs on the westbound lanes.

Weekend Directional Closures (schedule subject to change):

10 PM Friday, August 2 to 5 AM Monday, August 5: All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane closed.
10 PM Friday, August 9 to 5 AM Monday, August 12: All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane closed.
10 PM Friday, August 16 to 5 AM Monday, August 19: All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane closed.
10 PM Friday, August 23 to 5 AM Monday, August 26: All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane closed.
10 PM Friday, August 30 to 5 AM Tuesday, September 2: All westbound lanes closed.

Weeknight Overnight Lane Reductions:

Crews will close one or two lanes at a time on weeknights between 10 PM and 5 AM starting as soon as July 29, 2024. These weeknight lane closures will continue through the summer and fall of 2024.

SDOT notes that the project “is funded by a $5 million federal grant from the Federal Highway Administration Bridge Improvement Program, which is funded in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and then passed to WSDOT’s Local Bridge Program.” (We first reported on that grant two years ago.) That’s not the entirety of the funding, though, as we reported in June that Combined Construction won the project with a bid of $7.5 million.

SDOT and Metro have made a two-part announcement about transportation for eastern West Seattle and South Park: Metro Flex service is expanding into eastern West Seattle later this month. And two bus routes will add trips in mid-September. Funding for both is from the Seattle Transit Measure, the sales tax increase approved by voters in 2020.

METRO FLEX: On July 22, this on-demand service – costing riders the same as buses – will launch in Delridge and South Park, as a two-year test run.

The announcement says it will “provide an on-demand van ride to a variety of destinations within the service area for the cost of a bus fare” and lists sample destinations including:

Chief Sealth International High School
Delridge neighborhood
Duwamish Longhouse and western Duwamish Valley
Highland Park neighborhood
South Park neighborhood
South Seattle College
Westwood Village

The announcement explains you can book Metro Flex via app or phone:

After downloading the Metro Flex app from an app store on a smartphone, riders choose their desired destination. They’ll receive a nearby pick-up location to meet their driver and may share the ride with other passengers. Riders with mobility needs—such as using a wheelchair—can save this information within their Metro Flex profile. Download Metro Flex in the app store or call 206-258-7739 for a ride.

ADDED BUS SERVICE: On September 14, Routes 60 and 125 will add trips. 125 currently runs six days a week but will add Sundays; the announcement says 125 will in all add “about 50 additional bus trips each week, 26 bus trips on Sundays.” For Route 60, which serves Westwood Village and South Park, trips will be added on both weekdays and weekends, the announcement says, to “increase Route 60 bus service by over 3,000 operational hours a year.” The Route 125 additions were hinted at earlier this year, during a discussion of proposed stop closures/moves; this announcement does not mention the status of those, so we’ll be following up.

Thanks to MJ for the photo – that’s Fairmount Avenue beneath the Admiral Way Bridge, now closed for the start of work to make the bridge more earthquake-resistant. We talked again with project spokesperson Dr. Matthew Howard to get more details of how the work will proceed, especially as crews from contractor Kuney Construction move toward work on the bridge deck itself, which will require lane closures and two full-weekend closures of the entire bridge.

But not yet.

They’ll be working exclusively beneath the bridge until mid-to-late August. The work includes carbon-fiber wrapping – remember that from the West Seattle Bridge project? – and it involves some “very tall ladders,” a big reason why they aren’t allowing anyone beneath the bridge while the work is under way.

Once work moves to the bridge deck, they’ll start on the north (westbound) side first “for a month or two,” then the south (eastbound) side, then the center lanes. The full weekend closures – for which no dates are set yet – will be needed for concrete pours. They’re not repaving the entire bridge deck, Dr. Howard says – here’s the concrete work that the project will include:

*On the bridge deck, we’ll be removing a section of the deck slab on one of the farthest walls (where rainwater drains) which we will refill with concrete after placing the new drain for the bridge

*We’ll also be adding concrete bolsters to the exterior columns

*We’ll be installing a concrete infill wall within the body of a few of the bridge’s columns and body

The timing will be tricky once the fall rains arrive, as concrete needs to cure. They hope to wrap up most of the work by year’s end, though the project isn’t likely to be entirely complete until spring; “cursory work” will be happening after the first of the year, Howard says.

The biggest question remains: When the bridge does close for those two weekends, what will the detour routes be? And it remains unanswered. Dr. Howard told us again that the plan still isn’t finalized – their traffic-control plans are awaiting approval, and that includes any plans for parking restrictions during the detouring. He did say that some closures during the bridge-deck work will affect the pedestrian walkways on the bridge as well, because the rails will be reinforced.

Will the bridge look appreciably different when all the work is done? He said no – there’ll be some painting, but it’ll likely be the same sort of flat earth-tone as it is now.

Most important thing to remember right now: Fairmount Avenue is closed to all, 24/7, until the project is done. Signage at the ends notes that for those whose homes are accessed from the canyon, local access is OK, but otherwise, stay away – California is an alternate route between North Admiral and Harbor Avenue until Fairmount reopens sometime next year. The project webpage has a link you can use to sign up for email updates.