The Nickerson/15th Ave W ramp to southbound 15th Ave W (north of W Emerson Street) will be closed for several days this week and next so that Puget Sound Energy (PSE) may relocate a gas line that runs under the intersection. The work is being done in preparation for the final phase of the Ship Canal Trail construction, which is set to begin next month.

PSE will close the Nickerson/15th Avenue W ramp to southbound 15th Avenue W from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. beginning this coming Wednesday, August 24, and continue for up to five days, resuming next Monday, August 29 and Tuesday, August 30 as needed. The roadway will remain open over the weekend.

During this utility work PSE will detour most traffic from W Nickerson Street to W Emerson Street heading east, to access southbound 15th Avenue W. Due to the tight turns, large trucks will be detoured onto westbound W Emerson Street, south along Gilman Avenue W to 20th Avenue W, and then eastbound on W Dravus Street to 15th Avenue W.

Four buildings along Elliott Avenue were evacuated this afternoon because of a gas leak.  The leak started about 1pm in the 1400 block of Elliott.  KING 5 reports that crews were doing some routine maintenance when they broke a pipe.  The southbound lanes of Elliott going past the site were also closed.  The leak was capped in about 30 minutes.

Photo courtesy of KING 5

The city of Seattle today announced a new strategy to help homeowners save energy.  The Green Building Capital Initiative offers 5,000 residential home energy audits that analyze a home’s heating and cooling systems. Funded through a partnership with Puget Sound Energy and Seattle City Light, the audits will be available at $95, a steep discount from the normal cost of $600. Call 206-684-3000 to schedule an audit. 

There is also a loan program so residents will be able to make energy-saving home improvements. The public-private partnerships is funded, in part, by $1.2 million of federal stimulus money from the Federal
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant.