Find Posts By Topic

Construction begins on Bell Street pedestrian and bicycle improvements

City of Seattle and Belltown community leaders came together to break ground on Bell St. From left to right: Councilmember Bob Kettle, Co-Chair of the Belltown United Portal Park Committee Holly Decker, Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects Director Angela Brady, Mayor Bruce Harrell, Belltown United Chair Tom Graff, Deputy Mayor Jessyn Farrell, and SDOT Interim Director Adiam Emery.

Blog stats: 650 words | 3-minute read

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.

View of a street and sidewalks with parked cars and trees in the background and middle of the image. A red DO NOT ENTER sign is posted with a One Way sign below it.
View of Bell St at Western Ave, looking east towards 1st Ave in the Belltown neighborhood

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.

Map graphic showing a two-block new work zone on Bell St between Elliott Ave and 1st Ave. Other elements are shown such as elevators, pedestrian paths, and other work areas, with Pier 66 to the top and parking locations throughout.
Map showing the work zone on Bell St between 1st Ave and Elliott Ave

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.

An artists rendering of a streetscape with large trees, people walking and sitting, sidewalks, a person walking a dog, and a large structure over the street, as well as a planted median and protected bike facility.
Rendered view of Bell St at Western Ave, looking east
An artist's rendering of a sign bridge over the street, in the evening time. People walk on the sidewalks nearby and buildings and trees are in the background.
The historic Alaskan Way Viaduct sign bridge will be illuminated at night, serving as a gateway to 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.

A map of Seattle's Center City Bike Network. Routes which are all ages and abilities bike network are shown in green such as along 2nd Ave and 4th Ave. Future construction is shown in dotted green and current construction or coming soon is shown in dotted orange, including along a part of Alaskan Way next to the waterfront.
Seattle’s Center City Bike Network. Graphic: SDOT

Want to learn more?