Seattle City Light is preparing to replace old clay conduit and underground power lines along 1st Avenue between Columbia and Cherry Streets and could start work as soon as Sept. 17.
WHAT: Trenching alongFirst Avenue to lay new conduit
WHEN: As early as Sept. 17, lasting up to nine weeks.
TIME: Most days work will be between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. There will be some after-hours work.
The Seattle Department of Transportation has approved Seattle City Light’s revised traffic control plan for this project.A streetuse permit for the construction is still pending with SDOT. We will provide an update when permitting is complete and a start date is finalized.
Under City Light’s proposal, crews would work most days between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. with some extended- or after-hours work expected. Work could last until the mid-November holiday construction moratorium begins.
A map of the construction zone is attached, detailing the traffic and parking restrictions.
The construction zone will take up the western parking lane along 1st Avenue. This is where workers will be trenching and replacing old clay conduits, which are called ducts. Crews will start the trenching work at Cherry and work north toColumbia in three sections.
One lane of southbound 1st Avenue will remain open throughout the project. Northbound traffic will have fewer disruptions. The primary travel lane will not be affected.
The parking lane on the east side of the street — which serves as a travel lane during morning and evening peak use — will have some restrictions during the final weeks of the work. Three to four parking spots near Columbia Streetwill be restricted when crews reach that end of the work zone. All parking spots south of that area along the east side of 1st Avenue will remain open when they are not affected by regular peak traffic restrictions.
Additionally, reduced-price parking is available at the 1st and Columbia Garage for $3 an hour. Whenever you’re wondering where to park on Seattle’s Waterfront of in Pioneer Square, visit www.DowntownSeattleParking.com to locate a $3 per hour space near your destination.
“No Parking” signs will be set up, prohibiting parking from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday to ensure that all vehicles are removed from the area in time for the next day of work. Existing peak hour parking restrictions already prohibit parking along 1st Avenue from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Construction-related no parking signs are being labeled to match the existing peak hour restrictions. When work is done for the day, crews will cover the excavated trench with metal plates and traffic flow will be returned to normal.
Sometime in 2013, other crews will install new cable over several days. This work will be much less intrusive, involving up to two trucks and lineworkers pulling cable into place and working inside the underground vaults. The trucks will take up some parking space and the work will impact traffic flow, but is not expected to require extensive lane closures. We will update you when that work is scheduled.
This project does not involve any scheduled power outages. We do not anticipate any sidewalk impacts. There will be some noise as crews open up the street with machinery and remove the ducts.
Additionally, after City Light finishes its work, Comcast plans to install two small access vaults for their cable lines in the area, which could affect sidewalk access. We are coordinating with them to minimize interruptions to the neighborhood. Their work could last an additional two to three weeks. Look for additional details from Comcast regarding their project.
Thank you for your patience during this construction. For more information, contact John Harvey, Electrical Service Representative at (206) 386-4275 or (206) 459-6113 or Bob Hansen, Project Manager, at (206) 684-3387. You can also visit our website at: http://www.seattle.gov/light/aboutus/construction/
Construction overview