SDOT Kicks Off Construction of Alaskan Way Safety Project

Project Will Enhance Safety and Accessibility on Seattle’s Waterfront

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We have started construction on the Alaskan Way Safety Project, a collaborative partnership with the Port of Seattle and Cascade Bicycle Club. Construction started on December 2, with completion expected in summer 2025. The project will improve safety, accessibility, and connectivity along Seattle’s central waterfront for people who walk, bike, and drive.

Two construction workers wearing bright yellow vests and hardhats work with equipment next to a street, with a large orange excavator to the left and smaller yellow excavator in the middle. Trees, shrubs, and a walking bridge are in the background. — *Construction crews working on early construction activities on December 10, 2024. Photo: SDOT*

Key Features of the Alaskan Way Safety Project

Protected Bike Lane: A 0.6-mile, two-way protected bike lane will be installed on the west side of Alaskan Way, between Virginia St and Broad St, providing a safer route for people who bike.
Safer Traffic Design: Alaskan Way will be reduced to two lanes (one in each direction), aligning with SDOT’s Vision Zero goals to reduce speeding and improve safety for people who walk and bike, while maintaining necessary freight access.
Intersection Safety Upgrades: Modifications will include pedestrian head start walk signals, bike-specific signals, No Turn on Red signs, and improvements to pedestrian crossings to enhance safety and visibility.
Improved Accessibility: Sidewalk repairs and new ADA-accessible curb ramps will be implemented to improve access for people who walk and people who use mobility devices.

Map of the Alaskan Way Safety Project area. The west side protected bike lane is shown in green on Alaskan Way. Other labels show where the Elliott Bay Trail is located, where the bike detour on the east side of the shared path is located when cruise sailings are taking place, and where the new park promenade and bike path is located. — *Project map showing Alaskan Way Safety Project area from Virginia St to Broad St. Graphic: SDOT*

Project Goals and Impact

The Alaskan Way Safety Project is part of ongoing efforts to enhance Seattle’s waterfront. By connecting the Waterfront Park Promenade and Bike Path to the Elliott Bay Trail, the project will provide a continuous bike route along Seattle’s central waterfront, improving mobility and accessibility for people of all abilities. This project and others like it will help people get to 2026 FIFA World Cup matches in Seattle, where SDOT is building the streets of tomorrow, today.

Collaboration and Input

The Alaskan Way Safety Project is the result of collaboration between SDOT, the Port of Seattle, Cascade Bicycle Club, and local stakeholders. Feedback from bicycle advocates, waterfront businesses, and community members has helped shape a design that balances the needs of people who bike and walk, as well as cruise and freight operators.

Two people bike on the street. One is wearing a mask and both are wearing helmets. People look out at the water view to the left. Parked cars and buildings are in the background. — *People bike along Alaskan Way on a sunny day. Photo: SDOT*

Looking Ahead

Construction for the Alaskan Way Safety Project is underway, with expected completion in summer 2025. The project is funded in part by Seattle’s 9-year Levy to Move Seattle, along with contributions from the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

The Alaskan Way Safety Project is one of several ongoing initiatives to improve Seattle’s waterfront, including the Elliott Bay Connections and Waterfront Seattle projects.

For more information, including project updates and detailed designs, visit the project website.

What People Are Saying

“The City of Seattle is thrilled to break ground on the Alaskan Way Safety Project, marking another major step forward in creating a vibrant, accessible waterfront for all. This project is a true One Seattle collaboration between the City, Port of Seattle, Cascade Bike Club, and other public and private sector partners. The project will enhance travel along the central waterfront and better connect people with many community destinations and unique businesses in the area. We look forward to completing construction in 2025.” – Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell

“The Alaskan Way Safety Project provides a safe, comfortable route for people to bike, walk, and roll along Seattle’s world-class waterfront. It balances the needs of all travelers, residents, businesses, tourism, and Port operations, while weaving together a series of bike infrastructure projects taking shape on the waterfront. We’re excited to begin construction and complete the project next summer.” – Greg Spotts, Director, Seattle Department of Transportation

“The Alaskan Way Safety Project is an excellent chance to make our streets safer, build out our sidewalk network, and give residents more reliable options to move around in the area. This project will enhance the area for all community members and improve our transportation infrastructure.” – Seattle City Councilmember Rob Saka, District 1

“The Alaskan Way Safety Project is part of the generational transformation of the Seattle waterfront that helps ensure commerce and community can coexist. With the addition of the privately funded Elliott Bay Connections greenway and its conversion of the George Benson trolly tracks to a protected bike lane, visitors, bicyclists and residents will have unimpeded access to Alaskan Way while cruise ships are at Pier 66.” – Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman

“I can’t think of a better holiday gift to the residents of Seattle than the groundbreaking of the Alaskan Way Safety Project, which will transform our city’s waterfront by making it more bikeable, walkable, accessible, and welcoming to everyone. This project brings Seattle the world-class waterfront it deserves, one that functions as both a beautiful destination for strolling and rolling, and also as a seamless transportation corridor through downtown. SDOT and the Port deserve recognition for partnering with Cascade Bicycle Club to come up with a solution that benefits everyone, and which moves the protected bike lanes to the waterfront side of Alaskan Way–with detours only during the hours when cruise ships are loading or unloading. This solution improves safety by requiring people biking to detour across the road to the eastern side of Alaskan Way only during hours of active cruise ship hours. It’s a great solution that benefits safety for everyone.” – Lee Lambert, Executive Director, Cascade Bicycle Club

“We’re thrilled to see construction start on the Alaskan Way Safety Project that will close the gap in the downtown waterfront trail network between the Aquarium and the Elliott Bay Trail. We appreciate that SDOT took to heart community feedback asking for a continuous and protected trail along the water side of the street. This collaboration resulted in a design that works for everyone, and creates a connection that thousands of people will use everyday to walk, bike, and roll seamlessly along Seattle’s beautiful waterfront. We can’t wait to see it open!” – Gordon Padelford, Executive Director, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways

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