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.

After quite a long wait, construction on the final segment of the Ship Canal Trail (Phase 2, Contract 2 illustrated in purple below) is set to begin in early September and be completed by the end of the year, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation. This work would close up a long-time gap in the Burke-Gilman Trail and connect Redmond to downtown Seattle by almost entirely dedicated bike paths.

This comes as great news for Seattle bicycle commuters, who have been waiting for this project to conclude for over a decade. The first phase of work, which extended the paved bike path from the south shore of the Fremont Bridge to 6th Ave W was completed in 1996. The first half of Phase 2, extending the trail further to 11th Ave W, concluded over a year ago, in March of 2010. Before SDOT could move forward with the final phase of the project, however, a number of roadblocks had to be overcome, including the relocation of a private utility line and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks. First a construction schedule had to be agreed upon with BNSF Railway. The rail line then had to install 1,600 feet of railroad track, pave the 13th Ave W and W Blewett Way intersection, and build three new railroad crossings on BNSF right-of-way before construction on the final stretch of the Ship Canal Trail could even begin.

* Photo courtesy of SDOT

SDOT says BNSF is expected to complete its railroad track realignment work this month, after which the city can extend the final leg of the trail, from 11th Ave W to Emerson Street near Fishermen’s Terminal, eliminating what it calls a “critical gap” in the city’s urban trails system.

Once Phase 2 is completely, the 3/4 mile of new trail will connect Redmond to Downtown Seattle by almost entirely dedicated bike paths, and complete the Queen Anne Bicycle Beltway, a cycling path that encircles Queen Anne hill (and is also part of the Queen Anne Neighborhood Plan). From SDOT:

The Ship Canal Trail will connect the Elliott Bay Trail and the Interbay and Magnolia neighborhoods to bicycle routes at the Fremont Bridge, including the Interurban route on Fremont Avenue North, the Burke-Gilman Trail, and the Dexter Avenue route, and will make bike riding in the south canal area more comfortable for all levels of bicyclists.

Construction of the trail is funded through the city’s Bridging the Gap Levy, a 9-year, $365 million campaign to propel the city’s transportation effort forward through maintenance and improvement.

For more information on this project contact LeAnne Nelson at (206) 684-3897 or visit the the project website.

Starting Monday, Seattle City Light crews will begin to install new lines on the towers that are on either side of the Ship Canal at Warren Avenue.

The detour for the Burke Gilman trail while the towers are being worked on. For a larger image, click here (.pdf).

“Because a safety buffer zone must be established under the towers, a portion of the Burke-Gilman Trail and Ship Canal Trail will be closed intermittently. Bike trail detour signage will be placed in advance of our work,” the press release states.

The crews will work Mondays through Saturdays, depending on weather, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the summer. The trail detours will be in place between 6:45 a.m. and 5:15 p.m.

Before work can begin on the tower, Osprey nest material on the north tower needs to be moved.

In recent days a pair of Osprey have been apparently placing a small amount of nest material atop the north tower. City Light biologists will be checking first for young/eggs before we begin the project – and if there are none, we will remove the nest material and move forward with the project. We will continue to monitor the situation and, if warranted, investigate ways to provide safe nest sites in the area in the future.

More information on this project can be found here.

Beginning today and for the next six weeks 11th Avenue W between W Nickerson Street and W Ewing Street will go down to one northbound lane so that a contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) may relocate a water line needed before the construction on the final segment of the Ship Canal Trail begins.

From SDOT:

The change along this one block section of 11th Avenue W is necessary for safety reasons, while the roadway is temporarily narrowed. Local access will be allowed.

In March BNSF removed a set of railroad tracks in preparation for this utility relocation.  SDOT’s contractor will now install a new water line and complete earthwork for railroad track relocation.  The contractor will also remove the asphalt driveway, maintaining access with a gravel surface that will be adjusted throughout construction.  Following installation of the water main, BNSF will reinstall mainline tracks closer to the existing spur track.

For more information on the Ship Canal Trail construction project, see SDOT’s project website.

Seattle City Light crews plan to install new lines on the towers that are on either side of the Ship Canal at Warren Avenue, completing last year’s project to provide more electrical capacity and reliability from their Canal and Broad Street substations.

The work will take place between May and July and will take place on both sides of the canal simultaneously. Portions of the Burke-Gilman Trail and Ship Canal Trail will be closed intermittently.

Two public meetings are planned to discuss the project. The topics will be the same at both meetings. The first is on Tuesday, March 29, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Seattle Pacific University’s Bertona Hall, 103 W. Bertona St., Room 2. Parking is free in the lot west of the Bertona building. The second meeting is on Tuesday, March 29 from 1 to 2 p.m. at Theo Chocolate, 3400 Phinney Ave. N.

For more information, visit the project information page.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is looking for volunteers to help plant hundreds of plants along the Fremont Cut of Lake Washington Ship Canal this week. Volunteers are needed on both Friday, November 19 and Saturday, November 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m..

The two volunteers days are part of phase two of the Corps’ four-part plan to restore the historically significant aging poplar colonnade along the Fremont Cut. The Corps removed 29 poplar trees back in the spring, and planted 40 in August.

Those interested in volunteering may sign up by contacting Anna Welland, from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at anna.e.welland@usace.army.mil or 206-789-2622, extension 216.

All tools will be provided. Volunteers working on Friday, November 19 should meet in front of the dinosaur statue on the Burke-Gilman Trail in Fremont. Volunteers working on Saturday, November 20 should meet along the South Ship Canal Trail on the Queen Anne side, in front of the Seattle Pacific University track.

For more information, see the event flier (.pdf).

As of 7 a.m. tomorrow morning, Saturday, May 22 – if not earlier – Fremont and the north and east sides of Queen Anne are going to be very busy, with runners and walkers pounding the pavement from Gas Works Park to the Ship Canal trail, the Burke-Gilman Trail and the trail around Lake Union for a scenic route, finishing The Heroes Half Marathon at the place they began: Gas Works Park.

The inaugural event, which benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, aims to make a difference in the lives of children fighting cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

The course crosses Fremont Bridge and University Bridge, and works its way down the Ship Canal side of Queen Anne to 13th Ave W, where it turns around and hugs the east side of Lake Union. Water way traffic receives priority. With agreement from the Port Authority, the Fremont bridge will not be raised between 7:10 – 7:30 a.m. In the event that the University bridge is raised, arrival and departure time will be recorded and deducted from overall time.

The right lanes of North Northlake Way and N. 34th Ave. will be closed to traffic until all runners/walkers have reached the Fremont Bridge.

There will be aid stations about every 2 miles.

The 10K course follows a counter clockwise directions, on sidewalks and paved trails. The course will be well marked, with aid stations at the 2 mile and 4 miles. The course will have bike monitors.

Kids also can have fun at this event:
The Kid’s Fun Run start time is 11:00am. The course will be well marked and each child will receive a special medallion as they cross the finish line. The Tiny Tot Run (3 – 8 years old) is 200 yards (parents you may run with your child) and is flat with no hills. Kids 8-14-years-old can do Sprinter Kids: 0.4 mile, up Gas Works hill and down the other side (parents may cheer but may not run with child).

Pick up race packets and registration tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Gas Works Park, or tomorrow from 5 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., also at Gas Works Park.

Bicyclists and pedestrians in the neighborhood may have been surprised to find the Ship Canal Trail closed off yesterday between 6th Ave W and 11th Ave W. SDOT has asked the contractors who have been working on Phase 2 of the project to make a few final adjustments to the trail’s new extension–extending the fence bordering the trail and fixing damaged concrete.

Due to this work, the section of trail between 6th and 11th avenues will be closed off to through traffic until this Friday, May 14. SDOT asks that trail users follow the instructed signs and stay off the trail work zone until the freshly poured concrete is dry. To follow the Ship Canal Trail project progress, click here.

Today SDOT announced the competition of Phase 2, Contract 1 of the Ship Canal Trail, extending the paved bike path that begins on the south shore of the Fremont Bridge to 11th Ave W.

Construction on this phase of the project began back in February, and has wrapped up right on schedule, getting the path one step closer to completing the Queen Anne Bicycle Beltway. From SDOT,

The work which began in February included paving the trail, removing railroad ties and rails, installing low retaining walls, installing chain link fencing, and adding signage and wheel stops. In addition, a new portion of paving on 11th Avenue West and West Ewing Place was added. Finishing details will be completed in the next few weeks.

The second half of Phase 2 (“Contact 2″ on the above map), which will link the trail from 11th Ave to Emerson St and Fisherman’s Terminal, is expected to begin later this year, once a construction schedule is decided upon with BNSF Railway, according to SDOT Supervising Project Manager Stuart Goldsmith.

Once Phase 2 is completely, the 3/4 mile of trail known as the “missing link” will connect Redmond to Downtown Seattle by almost entirely dedicated bike paths, and complete the Queen Anne Bicycle Beltway, a cycling path that encircles Queen Anne hill (and is also part of the Queen Anne Neighborhood Plan).

This project is being funded through the Bridging the Gap Levy, a 9-year, $365 million campaign to propel the city’s transportation effort forward through maintenance and improvement.

Read more on this project here and here. See more photos of the trail and its construction on SDOT’s Flickr page.

(Images courtesy of SDOT)

Pedestrian and car traffic will be affected this week by continued construction on the Burke Gilman Trail in Fremont and the Ship Canal Trail near Seattle Pacific University in Queen Anne.

The Army Corps of Engineers “expects to continue work along the Burke Gilman trail through Tuesday, March 9, and also expects to start work this week on the south side of the canal, affecting the Ship Canal Trail.”

It is recommended that trail users follow detour signs. For more information contact Andrea Takash at the Army Corps of Engineers at (206) 764-3464.

After reading both the original neighborhood plan put out ten years ago and the updated status report released back in May this week (in preparation for taking the city’s survey, found here), I decided to do some checking up on the condition of one of the project’s the city has been attempting to complete on our Hill for years – the Queen Anne Bicycle Beltway!

The beltway has been in the works for over a decade now, and once completed will create a system of interconnecting bike paths that will encircle Queen Anne Hill. Currently the progression of the project is hinging on the completion of one part of the track, known as “Phase II” of the Ship Canal Trail, a 3/4 mile gap between the existing Ship Canal Trail (“Phase I” of the trail runs from the Fremont Bridge to 6th Ave W. and was completed in 1996) and Fisherman’s Terminal where it would meet the Emerson Street bike path and then eventually Myrtle Edwards.

The completion of this 3/4 mile stretch would make biking from Redmond to downtown Seattle almost entirely on dedicated cycling paths possible! According to the status report, the Seattle Department of Transportation was scheduled to complete this segment of the path in spring 2009, but now spring (and much of summer) has come and gone.

According to Stuart Goldsmith, Supervising Project Manager at SDOT, the city’s website is “not quite up-to-date” (but don’t worry, they’ve ensured us they’ll be updating it shortly).

He writes,

Right now, the plan is to split completion of the Ship Canal Trail into two construction contracts. The first will extend the trail from its current terminus at 6th Ave West to 11th Ave. That contract will be advertised very soon, with construction anticipated for this fall. The second contract will construct the rest of the trail, but that cannot be advertised until we can work out a construction schedule with BNSF Railway and get them to issue permits for the private utility line that needs to be relocated so that the tracks can be moved to make way for the trail.

Stuart says SDOT is working to resolve the coordination problems currently halting the project, but that it’s “highly unlikely” that the second construction contract will be public until at the very best the end of the year, but “most likely, early next year.”

Stay tuned for updates!

(Thanks to Allie and SDOT for the graphic!)