Ship Canal Water Quality Project update 07/14/22

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Ship Canal Logo’Kumi Hala’ by Toka Value is displayed at the Ballard shaft site

’Kumi Hala’ by Toka Valu is displayed at the Ballard shaft site

Check out our latest artwork!

Have you had a chance to see our most recent edition of temporary art? FLOW: Art Along the Ship Canal is a program featuring temporary and permanent art installations that tell a visual story of the water and its relationship to the community. Now that summer is officially here, it’s the perfect time to explore the Ship Canal project corridor and view some of our latest temporary artwork in Fremont, Wallingford, Ballard, and East Ballard. New temporary art will be installed in August, so check out these pieces soon!

Many of our public art pieces focus on sustainability and the love of water. The artwork showcased in this edition of FLOW include salvaged materials, native art, colorful illustrations, and stories from our community. You can walk around the Wallingford shaft site’s border while reading memories from local seniors and self-identified community elders in Clare Johnson’s piece ‘And Depths I Cannot See.’

And Depths I Cannot See

Artwork 'And Depths I Cannot See'

You can learn more about the artists and their artwork on our website. Make sure to give the talented artists some love on social media. As always, check out Flickr for the latest project photos and Seattle Public Utilities special highlights from the Pride Parade!


Ballard & MudHoney

MudHoney continues moving forward and is expected to reach East Ballard in the next month or so!

During regular tunneling activities, you should anticipate:

  • Truck deliveries of concrete segments and MudHoney equipment
  • Nighttime segment deliveries and tunnel spoils being hauled off
  • Noise and vibrations typical of a construction site

Crews are working 24 hours a day, six days a week and will continue until MudHoney reaches Wallingford in 2023. Sunday work may also occur.

Ground monitoring is ongoing along the tunnel alignment and is done from both inside MudHoney and on the surface.


East Ballard

Lane closure on 11th Ave NW

Lane closure on 11th Ave NW

Crews are building the diversion structure on 11th Ave NW that will eventually connect to the storage tunnel. Construction of this vault takes up most of 11th Ave NW just south of NW 45th St, requiring the road to be reduced to a single, narrow lane.

You should anticipate:

  • One-lane closure on 11th Ave NW through November 2022. This allows for work to occur in the eastern area of 11th Ave NW, near NW 45th St. Flaggers will direct northbound and southbound traffic as well as bicyclists during daytime working hours, and traffic signals will direct traffic during non-working hours. Directional signage is also in place.
  • Heavy equipment in the area
  • NW 45th St remains closed to traffic between 11th Ave NW and 9th Ave NW; vehicles must detour onto NW 46th St
  • Burke-Gilman Trail users remain detoured to the north side of NW 45th St
  • Flaggers will help direct traffic during daytime working hours. Please follow all detour guidance on site. For safety, bicyclists should either dismount or cross train tracks at a 90-degree angle. Please use extra caution in wet weather as ramps may be slippery.
  • Noise and vibrations typical of a construction site

Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm. Night and weekend work may occur.


Fremont

We have built a sewer bypass within the site’s east end on 2nd Ave NW.

During this time, you should anticipate:

  • Generators running during work hours to power pumps and equipment
  • Dust and grinding noise, and occasional use of vacuum trucks
  • Excavators working on-site
  • Truck traffic on Leary Way NW as trucks bring materials and equipment to and from the site
  • NW 36th St between Leary Way NW and 3rd Ave NW closed (through the remainder of the project)
  • Pedestrian detours on Leary Way NW; please follow all detour guidance on site
  • 2nd Ave NW, between Leary Way NW and NW Canal St, closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for sewer and diversion structure work at least through the end of 2022
  • NW Canal St open to two-way traffic to allow access during this closure. Please do not park at the west end of NW Canal St so two-way traffic may turn around at the closure.
  • Noise and vibrations typical of a construction site

Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm. Crews also continue to work on large eight-foot conveyance tunnel pipes underneath white tents within the site from 7 am to 10 pm on weekdays, and possibly 9 am to 10 pm on weekends, over the next few months.


Wallingford

Crews continue working on the Wallingford shaft walls, including concrete pours for the upper portion of the shaft wall.

During this time, you should anticipate:

  • Concrete trucks coming in and out of the site
  • Noise and vibrations typical of a construction site

Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm.


Queen Anne

Crews continue constructing underground vaults through the summer.

During this time, you should anticipate:

  • Trucks coming in and out of the site
  • Noise and vibrations typical of a construction site
  • The West Ewing Mini Park parking lot to remain closed through mid-2023
  • A localized Ship Canal Trail detour at least through summer 2023 (see map)
      • The trail has temporarily been adjusted for construction of the third below-grade vault through summer 2022 and will revert back to the detour shown in the linked map this fall. Our contractor will be working on both sides of the trail so please continue to remain alert when moving through this area.

Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm. Night and weekend work may occur.


Contact us

Please email SPU_ShipCanalProject@seattle.gov with questions or comments or call our hotline at (206) 701-0233. You can also find information online at spushipcanal.participate.online. To support the community during active tunneling, we have changed our hotline hours to 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday.


Construction Safety is Everyone’s Job

Check out some top safety tips at www.seattle.gov/utilities/constructionsafety


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