 Our RapidRide J Line project will make it easier and more convenient for you to get around the University District, Eastlake, South Lake Union, and Belltown. Whether you’re commuting to work, heading to class at the University of Washington, visiting the doctor, or shopping at local businesses, these upgrades will help you travel faster and more reliably.
As part of the project, we’ll upgrade streets, sidewalks, pedestrian ramps, streetlights, and traffic signals. We’ll also add protected bike lanes and replace the water main on Eastlake Ave E. These upgrades will support our local businesses, make it easier for you to get to housing, and help create safer, more connected neighborhoods for everyone.
 The Route 70 travels down Eastlake Ave E.
RapidRide J Line
Here’s what is included in this email update:
- University District Construction
- Eastlake Construction
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Fairview Ave N Construction
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Article Spotlight: “As fewer in Seattle work remotely, here’s how people are getting to work”
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Meet the Project Team: U District Chow Down and Street Party
We are working in many locations at once. Our work involves heavy machinery, loud noises, vibrations, and dust. We usually work from 7 AM to 5 PM, but we may start as early as 4 AM to allow enough time for new concrete to cure. We may also need to work weekends and nights to complete certain activities.
University District Construction
We are working on several activities in the area, including:
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Paving on the east side of Roosevelt Way NE between NE 43rd St and NE 42nd St. We will keep one southbound traffic lane open during our work. If you are riding a bike, you will need to use the sidewalks.
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Constructing new sidewalks and finishing paving on the north side of NE 43rd St between Roosevelt Way NE and 11th Ave NE. One side of the sidewalk will be open during this work. Please note that NE 43rd St between 11th Ave NE and Roosevelt Way NE remains fully closed to traffic. NE 43rd St between 11th and 12th Ave NE will remain open for westbound traffic.
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Constructing new sidewalks on the east side of 11th Ave NE between NE 43rd St and NE 45th St. During this work, you can use a temporary northbound bike lane, and pedestrians can access the west sidewalk.
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Building pole foundations on 11th Ave NE between NE 41st St and NE 43rd St. During this work, parking will be temporarily removed, and sidewalks will be closed where crews are active.
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Building pole foundations on Roosevelt Way NE between NE 43rd St and NE 42nd St. This work will require temporary sidewalk closures, but access to businesses and driveways will be maintained. Traffic will be shifted around the work area.
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Paving the east side of Eastlake Ave NE between NE Campus Pkwy and NE 41st St for several weeks. One northbound lane will remain open during this work. We will also finish paving the east side of 11th Ave NE north of NE 41st St, which has required us to fully close 11th Ave NE between NE 41st St and Eastlake Ave NE.
Eastlake Construction
 The map above shows where we are currently working in the Eastlake neighborhood. Click here to download a larger PDF of this map.
Sidewalk work on Fuhrman Ave E
Crews are finishing sidewalk construction on the west side of Fuhrman Ave E at the intersection of Eastlake Ave E this week. We will open the intersection back up as early as October 10. Thank you for your patience as we addressed several underground utility conflicts.
Paving work along Eastlake Ave E between Harvard Ave E and E Shelby St
We are continuing to demolish the roadway and pave the east side of Eastlake Ave E between Harvard Ave E and E Shelby St. This work is expected to continue for several more weeks. Our team will coordinate with businesses and residents before any driveway impacts occur.
Water main replacement on Eastlake Ave E
Crews dig trenches to reach underground water lines.
We are continuing to install the new water main along the east side of Eastlake Ave E in multiple areas. On the north end, crews are working between E Shelby St and E Edgar St, and farther south, work is happening between E Lynn St and E Newton St. During this time, traffic will shift around the construction zones.
Crews supporting Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) will work at night over the next week on the east side of Eastlake Ave E between E Louisa St and E Newton St. SPU will complete the following connections and service transfers to the new water main.
On Tuesday, October 7, the buildings highlighted in yellow on the map below will experience a water outage from 10:30 PM to 6:30 AM as crews connect the new water main.
The properties highlighted in yellow will experience water outages on the night of October 7.
On Wednesday, October 8, and Thursday, October 9, crews will transfer water services for individual buildings to the new water main. Each of the buildings highlighted in the map below will experience a 1-to-3-hour water outage on one of these days, sometime between 5 PM and 3 AM. We will coordinate with businesses to schedule outages outside of their operating hours.
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Buildings highlighted in purple on the map below will experience their outage on Wednesday, October 8.
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Buildings highlighted in yellow on the map below will experience their outage on Thursday, October 9.
The properties highlighted in purple will experience water outages on the night of October 8, and properties highlighted in yellow will experience water outages on the night of October 9.
Crews will begin installing the new water main on the east side of Eastlake Ave E between E Edgar St and E Louisa St as early as October 15. We will coordinate directly with nearby businesses and residents before any driveway impacts and water outages.
Please be aware that planned water outages may be changed or canceled. You can view SPU's Water Outages map for more information on affected properties and the outage status. If you have any questions or concerns, call our project hotline at (206) 257-2202 or email RapidRide@seattle.gov. We are committed to working with businesses to coordinate planned water outages. Our project website also has answers to frequently asked questions about water outages.
Concrete pours on Eastlake Ave E between E Garfield St and E Howe St
Crews consolidate paving equipment and materials in their staging areas.
We are finishing paving on the east side of Eastlake Ave E between E Garfield St and E Howe St. During this work, we will shift traffic around the construction zone, and you can continue to use the sidewalks.
We will begin demolishing the west side of Eastlake Ave E between E Garfield St and E Galer St as early as Tuesday, October 7. This work will take several weeks to complete before we begin paving. Our team will coordinate with businesses and residents before any driveway impacts.
We have opened the east side of E Garfield St. We appreciate your patience as crews addressed several unground utility conflicts.
In addition, crews have closed the access to the east side of E Blaine St from Eastlake Ave E to use as a material staging area. We also plan to establish a staging area on the west side of E Garfield St from Eastlake Ave E early next week. During this time, vehicles will not have access to this area from Eastlake Ave E. Local access to the parking lot will be available from Fairview Ave E. We will reopen this area once construction on the west side of Eastlake Ave E between E Garfield St and E Galer St is complete. Please see the map below for more details.
 Staging area on the west side of E Garfield St.
Construction
Frontage road closure near Fairview Ave N and Aloha St
Crews continue to install new communication utility systems along the frontage road between Aloha St and Fairview Pl N. We have moved our work area to the driveway at Aloha St. During this work, half of the driveway will remain open to allow traffic in and out. Flaggers will help facilitate access. This closure will occur during our crew’s working hours, from 7 AM to 5 PM, and reopen at the end of each workday. We do not expect to work during the weekend.
Electrical work near the east side of Aloha St
We continue to install new sidewalks and foundations for light poles on the east side of Fairview Ave N near Aloha St. This work will require us to close the curb lane. If you are walking near the work area, please follow our detour signs.
Article Spotlight: “As fewer in Seattle work remotely, here’s how people are getting to work”
Did you know that in 2025, up to 32% more Seattle residents biked to work compared to 4? Gene The Seattle Times highlighted that among the 50 largest U.S. cities, Seattle ranks third in its share of bike commuters—just behind Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. This growing trend is one of the many reasons why the RapidRide J Line project is building protected bike lanes in the University District, Eastlake, and South Lake Union neighborhoods. Whether you’re commuting to work, heading to class, or visiting local businesses, these upgrades will help create safer, more connected neighborhoods for everyone.
Meet the Project Team: U District Chow Down and Street Party
Attendees at the U District Chow Down and Street Party. Photo courtesy of the U District Partnership.
Join the RapidRide J Line team on Saturday, October 4, at the U District Chow Down and Street Party! The U District Partnership has brought together local eateries, entertainers, and businesses to create a fun day with live music and contests in the U District. Stop by the project’s booth to learn more about construction, ask questions, and pick up free RapidRide swag!
Online Drop-In Session
Every Thursday from 2 to 3 PM, residents and business owners have been actively joining our online open house to connect with the project team and have their questions answered. These sessions have been a fantastic way for the community to engage directly, and we’ve received great feedback about how valuable and accessible they are. Whether you want to share your thoughts, ask questions, or simply listen, we encourage everyone to join us and be part of the conversation. Your input truly makes a difference!
You can access the online meetings with the details below:
Meeting link
Meeting ID: 237 305 138 093
Passcode: mBSfNf
How to Stay Informed
To ensure you're informed of the latest updates and developments on the RapidRide J Line project, we encourage you to sign up for our project emails. This will give you detailed information about construction activities, timelines, and any changes that may affect your neighborhood. Please feel free to share the details of our website and project emails with friends, family, or anyone who might be interested in knowing more about this exciting initiative. You can sign up for the emails and find more information on our project website. Thank you for your continued support and engagement!
For more information on bus stop relocations during construction, please visit King County Metro’s website.
Contact us
Communications and Outreach Lead
Need Translation?
For information on our work to upgrade the Route 70 bus route to a RapidRide bus line, in your language, please leave a voicemail in your preferred language at (206) 257-2202
Para obtener información en su idioma sobre nuestro trabajo para convertir la Ruta 70 del autobús a una línea RapidRide, llame al (206) 257-2202
若想通過您的語言了解有關 70 號公車路線升級為快速線 (RapidRide) 的工程資訊，請致電 (206) 257-2202
若想通过您的语言了解有关 70 号公交路线升级为快速线 (RapidRide) 的工程信息，请致电 (206) 257-2202
70번 버스 노선을 RapidRide 노선으로 업그레이드하기 위한 당국의 작업에 대한 정보를 귀하의 언어로 확인하려면 (206) 257‑2202로 전화하십시오
Route للحصول على المعلومات حول عملنا لتطوير مسار الحافلة 70
(206) 257-2022 بلغتك، اتصل بالرق م RapidRide إلى خ ط
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