Travel Alert: Construction along detour routes in West Seattle and Georgetown

There are a handful of roadway construction projects happening in and near West Seattle this month that you should be aware of, some of which directly impact the High-Rise Bridge detour routes.  

Though some of these projects that we’re highlighting are being carried out by the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT), King County, or other agencies and companies, SDOT has been coordinating with each of them to minimize the impact on people traveling in these areas. 

Ensuring that people can travel in and through West Seattle and neighboring Duwamish Valley communities is one of our top priorities right now.  

That’s why we’ve implemented more than 80 projects on the ground to keep people moving, why we’ve launched our West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force which held their first meeting this week, and why we continue to engage the community.  

That’s also why we’ve implemented our Construction Hub model in South Park and Georgetown to coordinate private and public projects impacting streets and sidewalks. This is the same model we use in the downtown corridor where we proactively identify and mitigate potential conflicts and coordinate timing of projects so they have reduced impact on the traveling public. 

We know that roadway construction poses an inconvenience, but the safety features, improved access to transit, and restored streets are needed and will benefit the community in the long run.  

Here’s an overview of what’s happening and what to expect: 

Delridge Way SW in West Seattle 

In partnership with King County Metro, this month we started construction on Delridge Way SW as we prepare for the new RapidRide H line. This much-needed project will add a new rapid transit line, improve safety, enhance bike infrastructure, and repair roads in poor condition. 

This week, we began conducting storm drain and utility work along three sections of the road, outlined on the map in orange. Towards the end of the month, we will begin some demolition work in the northern part of the corridor.  

One lane of traffic in either direction will be maintained along Delridge Way SW with traffic shifted to the east side of the street. There will also be bus stop closures. Please sign up for Metro Rider Alerts for more information.

Visit the Delridge Way SW project website for more information. 

Fourth Ave S and S Michigan in Georgetown 

King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division is building a new wet weather treatment station in Georgetown at the corner of Fourth Ave S and S Michigan St. As part of this project, they’re doing road restoration work on S Michigan St and E Marginal Way S.  

Construction is happening over four weekends starting as soon as June 20^th. This work is weather dependent and timelines could likely change.   

• The weekends of June 20-21 and June 27-28, there will be one lane open each direction on E Marginal Way South – Friday 9:00 pm thru Monday 5:00 am. 
• The weekends of July 11-12 and July 18-19, there will be a full closure of S Michigan St. between 4th Ave S and E Marginal Way South – Friday 9:00 PM thru Monday 5:00 AM 

Find out more information the King County project website. 

First Ave S Bridge/ SR 99 Duwamish River Bridge 

WSDOT is replacing steel deck grids along on the Duwamish River Bridge, also known as First Ave S Bridge, to keep the bridge in good condition and avoid future emergency repairs. 

Beginning July 12, the bridge will be closed to northbound traffic nightly (Sunday – Thursday) between 10 pm and 5 am. Southbound traffic will remain unaffected, and the bridge will remain open on Friday and Saturday nights.  

We’re working closely with WSDOT to keep people moving during the nighttime bridge closures and provide alternative routes. Between July 12 and Aug. 1, on nights the First Ave S Bridge is closed, we will open up the Lower Spokane Street Bridge to the driving public. This could change, however, based on access needs for emergency vehicles. Other detour routes include the 14th Avenue South Park Bridge, Tukwila International Boulevard, East Marginal Way and Interstate 5. 

Find out more information about the First Ave S/Duwamish River Bridge project on the WSDOT project website. 

Other projects in the area that are not directly on the detour routes: 

Construction on 6th Ave S at Front St on June 15-19.  

• Two way traffic will be maintained.   
• Work is weather dependent. 

Paving on Cloverdale between 10^th Ave S and Duwamish Trail in June 

• They will be restoring concrete sidewalks and concrete road panels at multiple locations.  Part of their work is to restore all utility cuts made by the contractor at 827 S Cloverdale.   
• On June 17^th, the work will switch from day shift to night work.  Restoration is expected to be complete by the end of the month.  
• Work is weather dependent. 

Emergency sewer repair near 6900 Fox Ave S  

• Work is scheduled to be complete June 19^th. 

For more information about these projects, please contact SDOTConstructionHub@seattle.gov. 

We know this is a challenging time for all in and around West Seattle with the high-rise bridge closed. There is no perfect time to for road work to happen, and we appreciate everyone’s patience and flexibility.