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Westlake bikeway construction will happen in phases starting January

aeebfa49-1ac1-4d27-8289-4a9b1722ce6fThe construction crew building out the Westlake Bikeway has outlined their schedule, beginning with phase one in January.

For the first six months or so of 2016, construction will happen in four seemingly out-of-order segments in the sprawling parking area as crews significantly modify the planting areas and parking alignments in order to create a continuous two-way bikeway between the Fremont Bridge/Ship Canal Trail and Lake Union Park.

The first thing you will notice is the removal of trees from the parking area (*teardrops*). But the plan is to move some trees and replace others two-to-one.


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The map on the right shows the order you can expect work to happen.

Here’s the construction notice:

Westlake Cycle Track construction activities are scheduled to begin in early January and continue through early summer 2016.

Phase 1 of work begins between Crockett St and the south end of Railroad Park, shown on the map in orange.

What to expect during Phase 1

  • Tree removal, primarily on the east side of the parking area
  • Saw cutting, which requires temporary parking restrictions
  • Pavement breaking and removal
  • “No Parking” signs will be installed
  • Equipment and materials will be placed in an established work zone
  • Parking will generally only be restricted in the active work zone
  • Increased noise and dust from large equipment working within the construction zone
  • Typical work hours from 7 AM to 4 PM, Monday to Friday; some activities may require work outside of these hours


When work begins, construction crews will be working on the east side of the Westlake parking area adjacent to the sidewalk. Work will progress in phases along the corridor. 

Contact us

Email[email protected]
Hotline: 206-909-8578
Websitewww.seattle.gov/transportation/wct.htm

Visit our project website for the latest construction information. We’ll also continue to send regular updates to this email list.


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7 responses to “Westlake bikeway construction will happen in phases starting January”

  1. Hopefully having the south end scheduled well into 2016 means the construction near Westlake and 8th Ave N will be finished before the waterfront sidewalks are torn up. The east edge of Westlake can be confusing even when there’s no construction; I’ve seen people confuse the concrete pavers in the east-most lane for sidewalk pavers, for instance. The construction crews are doing their best, but with crosswalks sparse, the west sidewalk often closed, and the east sidewalk hidden from view behind the parking aisle, it’s hard to get around on foot at the moment.

    With any luck, we’ll get the roadway of 8th Ave N repaired at some point. I really think Highland-8th-Roy-Dexter will become a popular route downtown from the new cycletrack, due to relatively favorable traffic conditions and signal timings along this route (compared to the long wait to cross Westlake at Aloha and heavy car traffic on streets like 9th, or narrow park paths the end of the cycletrack). The potholed condition of 8th, however, doesn’t help with this. Maybe the best time for that will be after private development on surrounding blocks wraps up… which could be a few years down the road.

  2. Sal Ponce

    I am excited the giant pothole before the hill onto the Fremont Bridge will be repaired.

  3. […] Almost here: The Westlake Bikeway project will begin phased construction in January. […]

  4. Southeasterner

    I still don’t understand what happens at the North end of the trail where it supposedly “connects with the Ship Canal Trail.” Looking at the plans (p. 61) http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/docs/wct/WESTLAKECYCLETRACKPLANS.pdf it appears that when you reach this point – https://www.google.com/maps/@47.6444828,-122.3455116,3a,75y,297.69h,73.33t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYBflmFY87XL65tkqhdsRfg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1
    instead of being able to go straight on through the parking lot to the Ship Canal Trail it looks like you will be diverted left to the sidewalk with the rest of the Fremont Bridge users? I can’t imagine anyone taking that option and going up the hill just to immediately go back down another hill to connect with the trail before the bridge near Blue North.

    Does anyone know why the project stops short of the parking lot under the Aurora bridge which would have provided a seamless connection between the two trails? Is the property not owned by the City? I’m guessing most people will continue to use it even if the signs direct you otherwise, or if they block access – which appears to be the case in the plans?

    1. jay

      I can’t imagine anyone thought it would be worth the fight, not to mention the cost. This far West of where the Amazon “hide and ride” (or more like hide and hike) people will be parking, traffic will probably be light. It doesn’t look to me like there is enough width to do anything anyway unless one virtually eliminated parking, perhaps going to parallel parking could get enough space, but that would still be a large loss of parking for residents , so not worth the fight, it’s one thing to take parking away from Amazonians, but from residents is not so politically viable. Also much the existing pavement, such as it is, is in really bad shape, repaving the whole thing would be expensive.

      I don’t see any indication that access will be blocked, sure the cycle track per se has a different route, but the street (such as it is) still seems to be open for traffic, and bicycles are (at least for now) “traffic”

  5. Mike

    Has a plan been developed for the southern connection of this Westlake Bikeway to the Mercer and/or Dexter bike facilities? As far as I can tell, there’s still a 3-block gap on either 9th or Westlake Ave.

    1. SDOT released some vague mumblings that it’s hard, and that they’ll have to proceed carefully.

      There won’t be a good connection from the end of the cycletrack (around Aloha) to anywhere unless they really rework the traffic signals at Aloha/Westlake/9th Ave N, Westlake/Valley, and 9th/Roy to favor pedestrians and cyclists moving east-west. Fat chance of that. But the signal at Highland isn’t too bad, so southbound you can leave the cycletrack for Westlake Ave at Highland then immediately keep right onto 8th (you’ll turn before any traffic comes up behind you), then take Roy to Dexter (or 9th). Northbound I think the easiest route is taking 9th, then veering right at the far side of the intersection.

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