Here’s what is included in this email update: 

• University District Construction
• Eastlake Construction
• Fairview Ave N Construction
• Designing Safety on the RapidRide J Line 
• How to Stay Informed

Starting this afternoon, Friday, March 6, crews will pour new concrete for the driveways on the east side of 11th Ave NE between NE 43rd St and NE 45th St. This work will require temporarily closing the entrances and exits to the University of Washington’s WA45 parking garage and the University District Building’s parking garage on 11th Ave NE. The closure is expected to begin at 6 PM. 

Crews will remove the old driveways, pour new concrete, and allow it to cure over the weekend. We will also replace the sidewalk next to each driveway. During this time, pedestrians will be directed to the opposite side of the street. We plan to reopen the parking garages and sidewalks by 6 AM on Monday morning. Some construction noise is expected during this work. 

In other locations, we are continuing to perform electrical and sidewalk work. If you are driving in the work areas, we will always have one lane of traffic open. If you are using the sidewalk, please follow signs around the work zones and follow directions from crews.  

Our work in the coming weeks includes:

• The southeast corner of NE 43rd St and Roosevelt Way NE: We will begin sidewalk restoration on the corner next week. Afterwards, we will install new sidewalks along the east side of Roosevelt Way, moving from NE 43rd St toward NE 42nd St.   

• The southeast corner of NE 42nd St and Roosevelt Way NE (near Allegro Apartments): Sidewalk demolition will begin as early as the week of March 9.  

• The south side of NE 41st St between Roosevelt Way NE and 11th Ave NE and the southeast corner of NE 41st St and Roosevelt Way NE: Electrical wire upgrades continue. We expect to start sidewalk restoration in mid-March. 

Crews smooth out new concrete near The Victor Tavern. 

We’ll continue coordinating with property owners and residents to maintain driveway access and schedule closures. Traffic in both directions will be shifted to the opposite side of the street from where the crews are working. 

Fairview Ave N southbound closure starting as early as March 16

As early as March 16, we will begin widening the west side of Fairview Ave N. We will detour southbound Fairview Ave N traffic onto Eastlake Ave E. Local access will remain available. Click here to download a larger PDF of this map. 

As soon as March 16, we’ll close the southbound section of Fairview Ave N between Yale Ave N and Aloha St. As shown in the map above, southbound traffic will detour onto Eastlake Ave E. Local access will be maintained but detours will begin at Yale Ave N. This work is expected to last up to four weeks. We’re collaborating with local businesses to provide updated timelines and messaging throughout. We will also update our project website with pedestrian detour maps in the coming days. Thank you for your patience as we work to improve the RapidRide J Line corridor! 

First responders pass a King County Metro bus. 

A group of Eastlake residents recently asked if the design along Eastlake Ave E was intentionally created to incorporate the needs of first responders, and the answer is “yes.” 

When planning the RapidRide J Line, community safety was a top priority. The project team worked together with the Seattle Fire Department to ensure the design for the Eastlake neighborhood protects residents while improving infrastructure and transit. 

The updated street layout features low-level concrete buffers for the new bike lanes. These buffers help keep cyclists safe, separate pedestrians from vehicles, and allow emergency vehicles to drive over them when necessary to access adjacent buildings. 

Placing a bike lane on each side of the road was also a strategic choice. This positioning allows fire trucks to navigate around overhead electrical bus wires more easily. By avoiding these wires, crews can deploy their outriggers and quickly extend ladders to reach the rapidly growing number of taller buildings, helping reduce response times. 

The project also retains the middle turn lane in most areas along Eastlake Ave, which can act as an open third lane during emergencies, allowing police, fire, and medical teams to bypass regular traffic. Left turn lanes are maintained on Eastlake Ave E at most intersections which allow opportunities for vehicles to clear paths for responding emergency vehicles.  Another consideration is that the bike lanes on either side of Eastlake Ave E provide first responders with immediate access to the curb in critical situations. 

By incorporating feedback from first responders throughout the design process, the RapidRide J Line project helps ensure that the communities benefiting from this project remain safe, accessible, and prepared for the future. This is one of the many ways in which the design of the RapidRide J Line project will improve the overall safety of people living in, and visiting, the neighborhoods along the RapidRide J Line route.  

The final plans for the RapidRide J Line remain easily accessible on the homepage of our website. 

Contact us     

If you have any questions, please contact us at RapidRide@seattle.gov.       

Sincerely,     

Darrell Bulmer    

Communications and Outreach Lead    

RapidRide@seattle.gov | (206) 257-2022