Latest Seattle streetcar project shows shifting priority on First Ave.
Nov 2, 2016, 7:12 AM | Updated: 12:42 pm
(Seattle DOT image)
(Seattle DOT image)
Preliminary work to connect the South Lake Union and the First Hill streetcar lines begins Wednesday.
Drivers on First Avenue in Seattle are going to start seeing lane restrictions and closures between Jackson and Stewart streets. Seattle Department of Transportation spokesperson Emily Reardon says there will be parking restrictions. Sidewalk closures are also possible.
Reardon says these lane and parking restrictions will continue for about a month as workers probe the ground to make sure they know where all the utilities are located.
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“We basically want to confirm what is down there,” she said. “We are basically doing our due diligence to make sure we know what is down there before we start digging.”
Reardon says commuters shouldn’t see too much of an impact during this phase of the project. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
The work will be suspended Monday afternoon so it won’t interfere with Monday Night Football. Work will also be called-off on Nov. 20 and Dec. 4 so it won’t interfere with Sunday Seahawks traffic.
To make room for this streetcar, which will run down First Avenue, drivers will lose a lane in each direction. The trains will run in a dedicated lane down the center of the street. Drivers will also lose about 200 parking stalls.
The city says First Avenue is now shifting its priority to walking and transit. There is a dedicated bike lane on 2nd and transit-only restrictions on 3rd.
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