 Reflecting on 2025 as we prepare for 2026
 The lineup of competitors in the 2025 Combined Sewer Storage Tunnel Waterfowl Flotation Endurance Race--- just one of our highlights from last year!
Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed a safe and joyous holiday season. As we turn the page to 2026, we want to look back at some of our highlights from the past year:
- On January 24, 2025, our contractor, Flatiron, hosted a rubber ducky race inside the new Ship Canal Tunnel to test the 42,000-gallon flushing system that will clean out the tunnel after sewer events. Five ducks (Named: Release the Quacken, Patty Fowl, Lane Duck, Lord Mallard of Ballard, and Typhoon Loon) competed in this prestigious event, with Lord Mallard winning by a beak! Get the full breakdown of the race in our February 9, 2025 update.
- We wound down work in East Ballard, Fremont, Queen Anne, and Wallingford as we finished up site restoration and equipment installation. We want to express our enormous gratitude to our neighbors in both Wallingford and Fremont for your continuous support during construction, especially during the extended road closures and detours. We’ll be back in these neighborhoods in 2027 for testing and final touches as the storage tunnel becomes operational.
- Ballard Conveyance system construction ramped up last year. This work has mainly involved laying the groundwork for small-diameter tunneling and placing a new pipe that will convey stormwater from Ballard to the storage tunnel. Just like in Wallingford and Fremont, we acknowledge the disruption this work brings and appreciate your continued support during construction to help us ensure clean water quality for all.
- We launched our new website in October! This newly redesigned website connects seamlessly with other Seattle Public Utilities webpages while continuing to provide the most up-to-date information about the Ship Canal Water Quality Project.
- We unveiled new public art at various project sites that honor the connection between the built and natural worlds, and weave nature and cultures together. At the Fremont and Queen Anne shaft sites, new art paddles speak to the Indigenous origin stories of our rivers, streams, and waterways. In Fremont, Queen Anne, and East Ballard, exhaust vents have been transformed to reflect the connections between water, community, and culture. We invite you to experience the art pieces in person!
 New public artwork created by Justin Gibbens at the Fremont shaft site.
A friendly reminder that project updates are now quarterly; our next update will be in March/April. But much more action is happening in Ballard! If you’d like to get monthly updates focused on Ballard, just send us an email at SPU_ShipCanalProject@seattle.gov and we will add you to the email list.
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.
Ballard
Crews at the Ballard Pump Station continue work placing rebar and conduits for the concrete tower walls. The Ballard Conveyance contractor continues work along 24th Ave NW, NW 56th St, and 28th Ave NW.
Crews have set up a work area at the intersection of 24th Ave NW and NW 56th St to support upcoming small diameter tunneling operations. The work area is in place until spring 2027. Throughout this construction phase, northbound and southbound traffic on 24th Ave NW will be maintained.
 Map of traffic control plan showing northbound and southbound traffic on 24th Ave NW at the intersection of NW 56th St. Also showing work zone and shaft construction area at the intersection of 24th Ave NW and NW 56th St in place until spring 2027.
You should anticipate:
- Parking restrictions, intermittent road closures, and local access only along 24th Ave NW, NW 56th St, and 28th Ave NW
- Trucks bringing materials on-site and off-site
- Noise, dust, and vibration typical of a construction site
- Vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle detours around the area
- Increased traffic in the area as residents and commuters adjust to detour routes
Please watch for equipment and signs in the area. Travel slowly through active construction areas and follow directions from flaggers and signs.
Other project sites:
East Ballard, Fremont, Queen Anne, Wallingford
Work in these neighborhoods has been steadily winding down. Crews may still be in the areas periodically as minor restoration work wraps up. We will be back in 2027 when the storage tunnel becomes operational.
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 https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/ShipCanalProject.
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