 What lies beneath: The Fremont shaft site
 Workers finish building the stairway at the Fremont shaft site.
If you’ve walked around any of our project areas, you’re likely unaware of how much of the project is underground. So much goes into building this amazing invisible system that allows you to flush your toilet and keeps our local water clean. Let’s take our Fremont site as an example so you can see just how much we build underground as part of this project. Here’s what’s going on:
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Deep Dive: An impressive 85-ft deep, 32-ft diameter vertical shaft (or drop shaft) to carry sewage and stormwater into the brand-new storage tunnel.
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Connections: We’re introducing a state-of-the-art diversion structure and conveyance pipe to seamlessly link the existing sewer and stormwater overflow pipes to the storage tunnel.
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Under the Canal: There are conveyance pipes and an air duct within the 8-ft diameter tunnel under the Ship Canal to ensure efficient flows from Queen Anne to the storage tunnel.
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Underground Operations: A sophisticated underground structure to house all the essential mechanical, electrical, and odor control equipment keeping everything running smoothly and out of sight.
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Safety and Accessibility: We’ve been installing the stairwell, lighting, air monitoring, and HVAC systems to make the site safe and accessible for our crews when they need to descend into the depths of the shaft for maintenance.
Once this construction is done, crews will put down some final pavement in the area and in 2027 we will make the final connections from the existing overflow pipes to the storage tunnel.
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
Work at the Ballard site continues to slow down as crews finish preparing the site for the next contractor. The site will be relatively quiet over the summer. Look for updates later this summer and fall as we prepare for construction of the new pump station and conveyance pipes to begin.
East Ballard
Crews continue sidewalk restoration and paving in 11th Ave NW and NW 45th St between 11th Ave NW and 9th Ave NW. 11th Ave NW will be fully open after paving is complete. The Burke Gilman Trail (BGT) between 9th Ave NW and 11th Ave NW (between the US Post Office building and the Ballard Fred Meyer store) has been temporarily moved to the newly paved area within the NW 45th St roadway and will remain for several more weeks. The trail will then be moved back to its original location along the south side of NW 45th St. This interim move is to allow for adjacent site restoration work. Trail markings and signals will remain until the road and trail are fully restored.
We expect the BGT to be relocated back to its original location by late August.
Lane closures and detours:
- 11th Ave NW is reduced to one lane of traffic, with temporary signals in place during restoration work
- NW 45th St between 11th Ave NW and 9th Ave NW remains closed until later this summer
- The Burke Gilman Trail detour remains in place
You should anticipate:
- Heavy equipment in the area
- Noise and vibrations typical of a construction site
- Paving equipment in the area
Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 4 pm.
Fremont
Crews continue installing equipment inside the shaft and buried utilities at the site. They also continue installing mechanical and electrical systems inside the vault in N 36th St.
Later this summer there will be lane closures in Leary Way NW 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 fall 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 fall 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
- 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
The sidewalk on the west side of Stone Way N between N 34th St and N 35th St is open and accessible from N 35th St.
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, continues to be closed for several weeks. Crews will be doing utility work, then paving and restoring the roadway.
See our updated detour map.
- Pedestrian crosswalk on the north side of N 34th St across Stone Way N is closed
- Local access only on westbound N 34th St from Wallingford Ave N, including access to the North Transfer Station
- Vehicles leaving the North Transfer Station must exit eastbound to Wallingford Ave N and follow the signed detour route
- Local access only on Woodlawn Ave N between N 34th St and N 35th St
Last year, this area was closed so we could install a bypass for the sewer system that would allow us to install the new pipes. This year, we need to cut off the bypass system and make final connection of the new pipes and complete final pavement restoration. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
The pedestrian crosswalk on the south side of the intersection of Stone Way N and N 35th St remains closed. The other three crosswalks continue to be open.
Within the site at the northeast corner of N 35th St and Interlake Ave N, crews continue to install equipment inside the shaft, build the above-ground electrical building, and remove the temporary screen wall on the east and north sides of the site.
Starting in early September, there will be single lane closures near the intersection along both N 35th St and Interlake Ave N for utility installation. Lane closures will occur during construction work hours and flaggers will route vehicles around the work area. The utility installation work will take several weeks. Final pavement and sidewalk restoration will follow and will also take several weeks.
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
N 34th St detour (upcoming)
- Westbound traffic detoured at Wallingford Ave N up to N 40th St. Local access will be provided to businesses and residences between Wallingford Ave N and Stone Way N.
You should anticipate:
- 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 have completed much of the site restoration. Crews are still working on minor installations and finalizing landscaping. The Ship Canal Trail is currently open in its original configuration. There may be localized trail detours in coming months as needed for crews to work. We will keep you updated on the timing of any remaining work.
Local closures and detours:
- Potential localized Ship Canal Trail detour in coming months as needed. Please continue to remain alert when moving through this area.
- West Ewing Mini Park parking closure through late summer 2024
You should anticipate:
- Trucks coming in and out of the site
Regular work hours will be Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 4 pm.
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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