  Steam rises from a soil stabilization site in East Ballard on November 30, 2020. As days get shorter, construction sites continue to remain active during non-daylight hours.
Stay alert as it gets dark, stormy, and spooky
At Seattle Public Utilities, we strive to keep our crews and the community safe. After another amazing Seattle summer, it’s hard to accept that we live somewhere with more nighttime than daytime in the winter months. Now that the rain and earlier sunsets are here, we thought we’d share some reminders about construction safety.
Our biggest tip is to stay alert around general construction areas! If you find yourself near one of our many construction sites, slow down and follow instructions on signage or from work crews, even if you have goblins or zombies chasing you. Also, look and listen for any construction trucks or machinery that may be entering or exiting our sites. Increased rainfall will make surfaces, including metal plates near active construction zones, slippery. If you are a cyclist, pedestrian, or using a wheeled device, exercise caution in these areas. Construction safety is everyone’s job.
If you have any construction safety-related questions or comments, please get in touch! We staff a 24/7 project hotline (206) 701-0233 during tunneling and can always be reached via our project email. And if you’re staying in more as the seasons change, download our construction safety coloring sheets for a fun indoor activity!
To learn more about the project, visit our project website. We also continue to update our Flickr albums with recent construction photos.
Show your love for Gas Works Park and our waters!
Participate in the Washington State Department of Ecology’s public comment period and online public meeting about in-water sediment cleanup at Gas Works Park. Learn more on their website.
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MudHoney
MudHoney, our 18-ft diameter tunnel boring machine, has currently tunneled over 6700 feet! Follow along with our tunneling tracker on our project website.
Ground monitoring is ongoing along the tunnel alignment and is done from both inside MudHoney and on the surface.
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Ballard
Our Ballard shaft site near Shilshole Ave NW will continue to be busy with tunneling activities until MudHoney reaches Wallingford in 2023.
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. Sunday work may also occur. The Ballard shaft site is also the site of the future pump station.
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has started utility relocation work on NW 56th St between 28th and 24th Avenues NW.
Neighbors should have received notification directly from PSE. Please contact Eric Liaw at eric.liaw@pse.com if you have any questions.
East Ballard
Crews continue building the mechanical and electrical vault on NW 45th St and the diversion structure on 11th Ave NW.
Local closures and detours:
- 11th Ave NW, south of NW 45th St, is closed for the next few weeks for ground improvements. Once this work is complete, the one-lane closure on 11th Ave NW will resume through November 2022. Traffic signals will direct traffic at the intersection of 11th Ave NW and NW 45th St, similar to the setup during the summer. During working hours, flaggers will assist with construction vehicles entering and exiting the site. Directional signage is also in place. 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.
- 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 remains detoured to the north side of NW 45th St through the project area
You should anticipate:
- Heavy equipment in the area
- 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
Crews continue working on the diversion structure on 2nd Ave NW, including building forms for the structure’s concrete walls. Preparations continue as we plan to resume tunneling our 8-ft diameter tunnel beneath the Ship Canal in early November. Noise levels during working hours will increase for tunneling.
Local closures and detours:
- On 2nd Ave NW, between Leary Way NW and NW Canal St, the street is closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic through mid-2023. NW Canal St is open to two-way traffic to allow access during this closure.
- NW 36th St, between Leary Way NW and 3rd Ave NW, is closed through 2023
- Pedestrian detours are in place on Leary Way NW; please follow all detour guidance on site
You should anticipate:
- Truck traffic on Leary Way NW as trucks bring materials and equipment to and from the site
- Generators and fans running during work hours to power pumps and equipment, and to provide fresh air to crews
- Crane on-site to lower pipe segments for tunneling
- Noise and vibrations typical of a construction site
Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm.
Wallingford
Crews have begun removing the remaining contaminated soils in the southwest corner of the site.
You should anticipate:
- 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 5:30 pm.
Queen Anne
Crews are installing a large conveyance pipe between the diversion structure and the shaft.
Local closures and detours:
- Localized Ship Canal Trail detour at least through summer 2023 (see map). Please continue to remain alert when moving through this area.
- West Ewing Mini Park parking closure through mid-2023
You should anticipate:
- 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. 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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