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Editor’s Note: This is a blog post from the Waterfront Seattle Program. The Waterfront Seattle Program is a collaboration between the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects and other Seattle departments including the Mayor’s Office, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Planning and Community Development, and Parks and Recreation.
On Tuesday, February 4, Mayor Bruce Harrell and Councilmember Bob Kettle joined the City of Seattle’s Office of the Waterfront and community leaders to celebrate the start of construction on the Bell Street project, which improves connections between Belltown and Waterfront Park, between 1st to Elliott avenues. Once the project is complete, traffic will be calmer, more space will be dedicated to plants, and it will be more enjoyable to explore the area on foot or by bicycle. A restored historic Alaskan Way Viaduct sign bridge, complete with lighting, will serve as a welcoming gateway over Bell St, east of Western Ave.

What to expect during construction
Work will take place on Bell Street between 1st and Elliott avenues. The project will close these two blocks of Bell St to vehicles (local access is maintained) for the duration of construction, which is expected to take approximately 5 months to complete.

During construction:
- Work hours are typically Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM.
- Bell St between Elliott and Western avenues and between Western and 1st avenues will be closed to vehicle access, with the exception that local access to parking garage entrances on Bell St will be maintained.
- Pedestrian and business access will be maintained at all times.
- Sidewalks may be narrowed and loading zones may be temporarily relocated to accommodate shifting work zones.
- Alleyways adjacent to the work zone will be accessible from at least one end at all times.
- Early activities will include potholing and pavement breaking which may cause increased noise and vibration.
Once complete, there will no longer be street parking between Elliott and Western avenues. Parking will be maintained on the south side of Bell St between Western and 1st avenues.
Check out this construction flyer to learn more.
Improved pedestrian and bicycle connections
Waterfront Seattle, with input from over 850 community members, is bringing a shared vision to life. This feedback emphasized the need to prioritize people walking, rolling, and biking, including adding a protected bicycle facility and improving pedestrian spaces for accessibility and activation purposes. We also heard the call for more visual appeal to draw visitors into Belltown.


Bell St will be narrowed to one lane providing additional space for pedestrians and greenery and will continue to operate with traffic moving in both directions towards Western Ave. The project will build a two-way protected bike lane between Elliott and 1st avenues, strengthening connections to downtown Seattle, where the expanding Center City Bike Network makes biking easier, more comfortable, and fun for everyone, no matter their age or ability.
This project also widens sidewalks, plants native flowers and grasses, and creates seating areas for a moment of rest at the intersection of Bell St and Western Ave. An old Alaskan Way Viaduct sign bridge, which the City salvaged years ago with assistance from WSDOT, will be restored and installed to arch over Bell St, east of Western Ave. The structure will include lighting and serve as a gateway to the Belltown neighborhood.

Want to learn more?
- Visit the project webpage
- Learn more about the project design in this narrated guided PowerPoint
- Contact the Waterfront Seattle team at info@waterfrontseattle.org or call or text at (206) 499-8040
- Sign up to receive Waterfront Seattle’s bi-weekly construction email to stay up to date on the project and what to expect during construction