 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. You can download maps of the final project using this link.
 Bicyclist traveling beside the construction areas at Eastlake Ave E and E Louisa St.
RapidRide J Line
Here’s what is included in this email update:
- University District Construction
- Eastlake Construction
- Fairview Ave N Construction
- Supporting Fairview Ave N Businesses During Construction
- How to Stay Informed
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
Electrical and sidewalk work in the University District
Crews pour new sidewalks near the Sundodger Apartments on Roosevelt Way NE.
We are installing new traffic signals, street lighting, electrical wiring for buses, sidewalks, and other features at multiple locations in the University District. If you are driving through the work areas, we will always keep one lane open. If you are using the sidewalk, please follow the signs and directions from crews.
Our work in the coming weeks includes:
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The east side of Roosevelt Way NE between NE 43rd St and NE 41st St: Crews are continuing to progress south. They will dig trenches, install electrical conduits, wiring, and restore the sidewalks. We continue coordinating with businesses and residences to maintain access.
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The south side of NE 41st St between Roosevelt Way NE and 11th Ave NE and the east corners of NE 41st St and Roosevelt Way NE: We expect to finish sidewalk restoration next week. We will also begin demolishing the northeast corner of NE 41st St and Roosevelt Way NE in preparation to install new electrical utilities.
 A path is provided for pedestrians around the sidewalk construction on Roosevelt Way NE.
Eastlake Construction
 The map above shows where we are working in the Eastlake neighborhood. Click here to download a larger PDF of this map.
Street closures in Eastlake
As seen in the map above, we have closed several areas in Eastlake for equipment staging and construction activities. This allows us to complete our work quickly and safely. The areas experiencing closures include:
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The east side of Eastlake Ave E between Harvard Ave E and E Allison St
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The east side of Eastlake Ave E between E Shelby St and E Louisa St
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The west side of Eastlake Ave E between E Lynn St and E Howe St
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We have reopened the eastbound lane of E Garfield St. The westbound lane remains closed to traffic.
Street paving on Fuhrman Ave E
Crews smooth out new concrete at the intersection of Fuhrman Ave E and Eastlake Ave E.
Crews will pave the intersection of Fuhrman Ave E and Eastlake Ave E over several weekends, completing a different section each weekend to maintain access through the area.
Beginning Saturday, April 11, crews will demolish the southeast portion of the intersection. New street concrete will be poured on Sunday and will cure through Monday, April 13.
During this work, flaggers and uniformed police officers will guide traffic through the intersection at Fuhrman Ave E and Eastlake Ave E. Delays are expected through Monday so please plan accordingly. Additional traffic control measures will be in place on Monday morning to help keep traffic moving.
While we typically schedule intersection work outside peak travel times, there are several reasons why work at Fuhrman Ave E and Eastlake Ave E extends into Monday. First, work in this area requires King County Metro to temporarily deactivate the overhead electrical wires that power buses, which they can only do on weekends. As a result, we cannot start demolition work until Saturday and then pour concrete on Sunday. Second, the concrete requires approximately 24 hours to cure, so after we pour it on Sunday, the area must remain closed through Monday until it is ready for supporting traffic so although you may not see active construction, the roadway segments with new concrete must remain closed. We expect to reopen the intersection by the end of the day on Monday.
We do not expect to perform any work at the Fuhrman Ave E and Eastlake Ave E intersection this weekend. However, please note that the Tenacious 10 race will take place this Saturday, April 4. The race will follow a path around Lake Union and may have uniformed police officers limiting vehicle traffic on the west side of Fuhrman Ave E and Fairview Ave E. For more information on the race route and timing, we recommend visiting their website.
More information about future weekend work will be provided soon.
Sidewalk work along Eastlake Ave E
Crews begin building new sidewalks outside of Imperia Lake Union.
Between Harvard Ave E and E Allison St, crews are continuing to build the new sidewalks and foundations for bus stations. To complete these activities safely, we we will need to temporarily close sections of sidewalk and direct pedestrians and people on bikes around the work areas, or to the opposite side of the street. Please follow all signs and directions from crews.
Paving work is progressing along Eastlake Ave E
Tarps cover areas prepared for new concrete to protect them from the weather.
We are making significant progress building a new, smooth, long-lasting concrete street along Eastlake Ave E. Our crews are actively demolishing, preparing, and pouring new concrete in many areas:
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Between E Shelby St and E Edgar St: We are continuing the pour concrete on the east side of Eastlake Ave E.
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Between E Edgar St and E Louisa St: We expect to finish pouring concrete on the east side of Eastlake Ave E as early as next week.
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Between E Lynn St and E Boston St: We will begin demolishing the west side of Eastlake Ave E as early as Monday, April 6.
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Between E Boston St and E Howe St: We will continue pouring concrete on the west side of Eastlake Ave E for several weeks.
New concrete is poured at the intersection of Eastlake Ave E and E Blaine St.
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.
 Cyclists travel along Eastlake Ave E each day on completed sections of smoother road surfaces.
Fairview Ave N Construction
Fairview Ave N southbound closure between Yale Ave N and Aloha St
 Southbound Fairview Ave N traffic detours onto Eastlake Ave E. Local access remains available. Click here to download a larger PDF of this map.
Crews are widening Fairview Ave N between Yale Ave N and Aloha St. This work will create additional space to support transit operations and make room for a new mixed-use path. You can expect noise, dust, and vibrations throughout this work, which is expected to last approximately five more weeks.
During this time, we have closed the southbound section of Fairview Ave N between Yale Ave N and Aloha St. As shown in the map above, southbound traffic is detoured onto Eastlake Ave E toward Republican St. Local access along the southbound lanes of Fairview Ave N is maintained for businesses and visitors, but the closure begins at Yale Ave N. We will maintain at least one northbound lane on Fairview Ave N. Please follow all signs and directions from crews.
A path directs pedestrians and bicyclists around the construction on Fairview Ave N.
We have closed the sidewalk near our work area. Starting at Yale Ave N, a path runs along the west side of Fairview Ave N. If you are riding your bike, please dismount and walk through the construction area using this path.
As we work on Fairview Ave N, some King County Metro bus stops may be impacted. We encourage you to visit their website and the Route 70 page for more information. Our work does not impact the Seattle Streetcar.
Supporting Fairview Ave N Businesses During Construction
Sign for Fairview Ave N businesses.
Your favorite businesses on the west side of Fairview Ave N between Yale Ave N and Aloha St are still open, accessible, and ready to welcome you during construction! While work is underway, local access along the southbound lanes of Fairview Ave E remains available—simply turn right onto Yale Ave N and use the frontage road to reach your destination. You may want to plan a few extra minutes for your trip, but the shops, restaurants, and services you know and love are well worth the visit.
Businesses on the west side of Fairview Ave N between Yale Ave N and Aloha St include:
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The White Swan Public House
How to Stay Informed
Project Emails and Website
If you’re receiving this newsletter in your email, then you’ve signed up for our weekly project emails! This is one of the best ways to stay informed about the latest updates and developments on the RapidRide J Line Project. We provide information about construction activities, timelines, and any changes affecting your neighborhood. We also include these updates and additional information on our project website every week. 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 project.
Weekly Online Open House
Every Thursday from 2 to 3 PM, residents and business owners have joined our online open house to connect with the project team and have their questions answered. You can join these meetings 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
The RapidRide J Line Hotline and Email
Our team is committed to keeping the community informed throughout the project. If you have any questions about our work, please feel free to email RapidRide@seattle.gov or call (206) 257-2202. We work directly with the contractor and our project partners to get your questions answered.
King County Metro’s Resources
King County Metro is responsible for maintaining Route 70 and other Metro buses during the RapidRide J Line’s construction. They handle all topics related to bus stops, signage, and associated notifications. For information on bus stop relocations during construction, we encourage you to visit their website, the Route 70 page, and sign up for Transit Alerts. You can also use Google Maps, which will post King County Metro’s rider alerts.
Contact us
Communications and Outreach Lead
RapidRide@seattle.gov | (206) 257-2022
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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