 A water project connected by art
 Vaughn Bell’s ‘Saltwater Streets’ in Wallingford at N 35th St and Stone Way N
When you think about wastewater infrastructure, art might not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, at Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), we believe in integrating art and culture into a variety of public settings, including wastewater systems. We have an opportunity to make the invisible visible and dedicate 1% of our resources to do just that. To us, our vast network of tunnels and pipes have their own unique beauty and artist Vaughn Bell gets it. As Artist-in-Residence at SPU, Bell created the SPU Drainage and Wastewater Art Master Plan. Bell designs interactive projects and immersive environments that explore how we connect to our environment.
On our project, Bell’s work Saltwater Streets, which Bell describes as portals to the Salish Sea, links water and street infrastructure, helping the public be aware of and understand the underground networks and their connection to the Salish Sea. Portals will be located in sidewalks in Wallingford, Fremont, and Ballard, and will include art designs created by Bell and other artists from our project. The first piece of this Connective Thread art was just installed at N 35th St and Stone Way N in Wallingford. Stop by and check it out in person!
You can see more of Vaughn Bell's artwork on Instagram @vaughn_bell or visit her website at www.vaughnbell.net.
In our previous email update, we announced the opening of N 35th St in Wallingford. Please see our detour maps for the most recent updates to pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle traffic. Read more about Wallingford work below and keep an eye on our email updates as there will be temporary lane closures this summer for paving.
Please visit our project website to get the most up to date information about the Ship Canal Water Quality Project, a partnership between Seattle Public Utilities and King County Wastewater Treatment Division. Check out our Flickr albums for recent construction photos as well.
Ballard
Crews continue to perform work inside the shaft and on the surface to prepare the site for the next contractor.
You should anticipate noise and vibrations typical of a construction site. Crews are now working one 8-hour shift, five days a week. Some work may occur on Saturdays.
East Ballard
Crews installed overhead power lines and are installing sidewalks and curbs and continue grading along NW 45th St and 11th Ave NW to prepare for paving. They are also preparing for ADA ramps on the southeast corner of 11th Ave NW and NW 45th St.
Lane closures and detours:
- 11th Ave NW is reduced to one lane of traffic, with temporary signals in place to coordinate two-way traffic
- NW 45th St between 11th Ave NW and 9th Ave NW remains closed until summer 2024
- The Burke Gilman trail detour remains in place until summer 2024
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 6 pm. Night and weekend work may occur.
Fremont
Crews continue building the permanent structure inside the shaft and installing buried utilities at the site. They also continue installing mechanical and electrical systems inside the vault in N 36th St.
The contractor has opened 3 of 4 lanes on Leary Way NW after storm drainage and conveyance pipe installation. The final lane will reopen after next week. There will be additional lane closures this summer for final paving.
Local closures and detours:
- On 2nd Ave NW, between Leary Way NW and NW Canal St, the street remains closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic until summer 2024
- NW Canal St is open to two-way traffic during this closure
- NW 36th St, between Leary Way NW and 3rd Ave NW, remains closed until summer 2024
- Pedestrian detours are in place on Leary Way NW; please follow all detour guidance
You should anticipate:
- Truck traffic on Leary Way NW as trucks bring materials and equipment to and from the site
- Concrete trucks entering and leaving the site
- Fans running during work hours to provide fresh air to crews working in the shaft
- 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 6 pm; and some Saturdays from 9 am to 6 pm.
Wallingford
Crews continue to work inside the shaft and the electrical building and started excavation for electrical systems.
N 35th St and the intersection of N 35th St and Stone Way N are open. Interlake Ave N, north of N 35th St, will remain closed for several more weeks for crews to complete pipe connections to a deep maintenance hole in the intersection. Traffic lanes in N 35th St have been shifted to maintain two-way traffic. Our contractor is using flaggers to route traffic around their work area at N 35th St and Interlake Ave N. This work is planned to be completed by the end of next week. This summer, that area will close intermittently to allow for more utility work and roadway restoration.
This summer, there will be several weeks where the north half of N 34th St at Stone Way N, including the left turn lane from N Northlake Way onto westbound N 34th St, will be closed for utility work followed by final paving and roadway restoration. We will keep you updated on the timing of the work in N 34th St as we have more information to share.
Within the site at the northeast corner of N 35th St and Interlake Ave N, crews continue to build permanent structure inside the shaft and the above-ground electrical building. Crews have removed portions of the screen wall on the east side of the site to make way for buried utilities and a permanent retaining wall.
The pedestrian crossing on the south side of the intersection of Stone Way N and N 35th St remains closed. The other three crosswalks have been fully opened when N 35th St reopened. The northern sidewalk along N 35th St has reopened for public use.
See our updated detour maps for vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Stone Way N closure vehicle detour
- Traffic is detoured via N 40th St and Wallingford Ave N, and via Woodland Park Ave N and N 34th St
- The all-way stops remain in place at Woodland Park Ave N at both N 35th St and N 34th St, and at Wallingford Ave N and N 35th St
- Stone Way N between N 34th St and N 35th St remains closed to vehicles and bicycles
- Please adhere to Road Closed, Local Access Only, and Traffic Revision Ahead signage and follow marked detour routes
Stone Way N closure bicycle detour
- Bicyclists are detoured to the west on N 35th St and Woodland Park Ave N
- Access to the Burke Gilman Trail is on N 34th St at Stone Way N and at Troll Ave N
You should anticipate:
- Interlake Ave N is closed north of N 35th St
- The sidewalk on the west side of Stone Way N between N 34th St and N 35th St will be replaced, meaning that it will need to be temporarily closed; we will share more information about this in a future update
- Trucks coming in and out of the site
- Heavy equipment in the area
- Vibrations typical of a construction site
- Road and periodic sidewalk closures
Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, 7 am to 6 pm. Night and weekend work may occur periodically.
Queen Anne
Crews continue site restoration. The Ship Canal Trail is currently open in its original configuration. There may be localized trail closings and detours in coming months so crews can finish work in the area. We will keep you updated on the timing of the work as we have more information to share.
Local closures and detours:
- Potential localized Ship Canal Trail detour in coming months to accommodate future work. Please continue to remain alert when moving through this area.
- West Ewing Mini Park parking closure through mid-2024
You should anticipate:
- Trucks coming in and out of the site
- 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 6 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.
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