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Ballard neighborhood upgrades | Maintaining & modernizing 15th Ave NW & the Ballard Bridge

by on February 20, 2025
Visualization of new crosswalks, protective median, and traffic signal at 15th Ave NW and NW 51st St. Graphic: SDOT

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At a glance:

  • Construction is underway to modernize 15th Ave NW in Ballard and maintain the Ballard Bridge.
  • We’re building a new landscaped median to calm traffic and provide safer, more comfortable travel for people walking, rolling, and biking.
  • Safety enhancements include new crosswalks, pedestrian signals, rebuilt sidewalks at intersections, and ADA-accessible curb ramps.
  • Check out the project’s unique features and recent construction updates with visualizations and photos below.
  • Nearby, our crews continue work on the Ballard Bridge, where in 2024 we replaced bridge expansion joints and repaved the bridge. Stay tuned for future updates about bridge closure dates this spring.
  • Construction on the Leary Way Bridge is also ongoing to seismically strengthen the structure north of the Ballard Bridge, with more progress planned in the coming months.
  • Be sure to sign up for our email updates to get the latest details from the team. Thank you.

Building new improvements for safer travel north of the Ballard Bridge

In addition to repairing street and sidewalks throughout the project area, we’re building a variety of travel safety enhancements. These upgrades are informed by the community and support our Vision Zero goal to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets.

Prioritizing safer travel throughout the city

While Seattle’s streets are some of the safest in the United States, we still see more than 6,000 crashes a year, resulting in an average of 26 deaths and 185 serious injuries annually since 2015. Our Vision Zero Top-to-Bottom Review outlines data that has informed the safety improvements we’re building in Ballard and throughout the city. For instance, 93% percent of pedestrian deaths occur on arterial streets, and 80% percent are on arterials with more than one lane in each direction – such as 15th Ave W/NW. You can read more about our work in the Vision Zero Action Plan.

Let’s discuss two of the enhancements in more detail, the new landscaped median on 15th Ave NW and a new bike and pedestrian signal and crosswalk at NW 51st St.

A new landscaped median between NW 50th St and NW 54th St

We’re adding a new landscaped median between NW 50th St and NW 54th St to calm traffic by narrowing the street, which lowers overall speeds, cuts down on high-speed passing, and reduces the likelihood of cars crossing into oncoming traffic.

The new landscaped median will replace the eastern southbound lane on 15th Ave NW between NW 50th St and NW 54th St. The median will include planted shrubs and new trees to add to the urban tree canopy along this busy arterial.

As part of the design, we keep the two northbound general-purpose lanes and bus lane while reducing the southbound lanes from three to two between NW 54th and NW 51st, aligning with the lane configuration north of 57th to Crown Hill and on the Ballard Bridge. 

Construction of the landscaped median is scheduled to start as early as March 2025.

An aerial visualization of a street looking north. The street is 15th Ave NW, with a cross-street of NW 53rd St. The image shows streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, buildings, cars, and people walking and rolling across the street.
The new landscaped median between NW 50th St and NW 54th St will calm vehicle speeds and reduce the likelihood of serious crashes. View looking north. Graphic: SDOT
An aerial visualization of 15th Ave NW, with cross-streets of NW 54th St and NW Market St shown. The image shows streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, trees, trucks and cars, buildings, and people walking across the street.
Future lane configuration on 15th Ave NW between NW Market St and NW 54th St. View looking north. Graphic: SDOT

New bike and pedestrian signal and crosswalk at 15th Ave NW and NW 51st St reconnects Ballard

Crews are building a new bike and pedestrian signal and crosswalk at NW 51st St, creating a better connection to the east and west side of the street on 15th Ave NW. This connection will make it safer for people to walk, roll, and bike across 15th Ave NW and provide greater accessibility for people to travel between the Ballard Ave Landmark District and Ballard Brewery District.

Adding a new east-west crossing provides another way to cross 15th Ave NW to reach businesses, attractions, and transit. These enhancements were based on robust community interest and were a top priority articulated during the project’s design outreach phase.

The new bike and pedestrian signal and crosswalk will operate similarly to the existing crossing at 15th Ave NW and NW 53rd St, where it turns on when the crossing button is pressed. The new crossing will include a ‘landing refuge’ in the middle of the multi-lane street for people walking and rolling, creating a more comfortable experience while crossing the street.

A visualization of a streetscape with people walking and biking across the street. A truck and bus are in the background as well as sidewalks, crosswalks, trees, and traffic signals.
Visualization of new crosswalks, protective median, and traffic signal at 15th Ave NW and NW 51st St. Graphic: SDOT
A visualization looking down at a street showing 15th Ave NW and NW 51st St. The image shows a bus, truck, and car, a bus lane, people crossing the street, street trees, and buildings.
Aerial visualization of the new crosswalk, a new protective median, and traffic signal at 15th Ave NW and NW 51st St. View looking north. Graphic: SDOT

Construction progress photos

Construction photo showing crews working next to the street with a large excavator. The construction workers are wearing hardhats and safety vests.
Construction crews install an underground electrical and signal base for the new pedestrian traffic signal and crossing at 15th Ave NW and NW 51st St. Photo: SDOT
Construction crews working to build sidewalks and ADA-accessible curb ramps on a cloudy day. Three people working wear bright yellow vests or sweatshirts and hardhats. A car is traveling on the street in the background.
Construction crews work to rebuild sidewalks and install ADA-accessible curb ramps. A trench stretches across 15th Ave NW where the new pedestrian signal and crosswalk at NW 51st St will be located. Photo: SDOT

Project schedule

Construction of the 15th Ave W/NW & Ballard Bridge Paving & Safety Project and Leary Way Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project started in summer 2024 and work is scheduled to continue through 2025.

Construction for the new bike and pedestrian crossing began last December and will last several months. Construction of the new landscaped median will begin as early as March 2025 and last several months.

Stay informed

Filed Under: Accessibility, Biking, Funding & Levies, Move Seattle, Pedestrians, Safety, SDOT, Signals, Traffic and Construction, Transit, Vision Zero Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,