In 2006, Seattle voters passed a transportation maintenance initiative – Bridging the Gap (BTG) – and one of the major pieces of the levy was paving. Since then, the Seattle Department of Transportation has been working hard to make paving upgrades and needed repairs to Seattle’s roads. More than 205 lane miles of roadway across the city have been repaved or reconstructed. This helps provide a smoother and safer trip for all of us.
Some major roadways that have seen repaving include Airport Way S, 15th Avenue NE, Dexter Avenue N, Columbian Way S, First Avenue S, Fourth Avenue S, Fifth Avenue S, 15th Avenue N, NE Ravenna Boulevard, 14th Avenue S, NE 125th and Sandpoint Way and Delridge Way.
One project that began in 2013 will carry over into 2014. The paving of N 105th Street and N/NE Northgate Way from Greenwood Avenue N to First Avenue NE is about halfway done and is expected to wrap up later this year. In addition to the 105th Street project, SDOT will also be repaving Holman Rd. from NW 87th to Greenwood Avenue N. These roadways were in need of major repair work and provide key links to neighborhoods in the Seattle’s north end.
Paving projects are, by nature, disruptive and can frustrate drivers, transit riders, pedestrians and cyclists. Unfortunately, it is a part of the project. We do our best to keep disruptions to a minimum; however, they cannot always be avoided. It’s important to remember that in the end, all roadway users will have a smoother and safer road on which to travel.
Along with the major Arterial Asphalt and Concrete projects discussed above, SDOT will also be doing a lot of smaller repaving work as part of the Arterial Major Maintenance Program. Smaller projects, throughout the City, will repave more than 16 lane-miles helping to preserve and extend the lives of those roads.
For information on the Arterial Asphalt & Concrete Paving projects please visit the web site. For more information on BTG please visit the webpage.