Steam had barely stopped rising from the freshly laid asphalt on California Avenue in the Junction before workers began cutting large holes in the smooth new pavement.

The cuts in the asphalt are in preparation for new midblock crosswalks to be installed where the old crosswalks were located, said Gregg Hirakawa, spokesman for the Seattle Department of Transportation. One is between Alaska and Edmunds streets and the other is in the next block north, between Alaska and Oregon streets.

While the old crosswalks were painted onto California Avenue, the Junction's new midblock crosswalks will be built about 4 inches higher to match the level of the curb and sidewalks. They'll provide a uniform walking surface for pedestrians and meet current guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

They'll have the same 10-foot width of regular crosswalks, but because the new crossings will be higher than the street surface, ramps must be built to carry traffic safely over them, Hirakawa said. Each midblock pedestrian crossing will occupy about 40 linear feet of California Avenue.

Curb ramps have to be upgraded, and some of the Junction's decorative art tiles have to be moved too.

Concrete is being poured to build the new midblock crossings. Work on the crosswalks began Oct. 16 and will continue in phases over a two- to three-week period.

Some West Seattle residents complained that it seemed wasteful to pave the street first, only to cut large holes in it soon afterward.

According to Hirakawa, it's more efficient to lay a continuous swath of asphalt and then cut holes in it than to have to stop, move, reset and restart the paving machine. Continuous installation also keeps the asphalt surface at a uniform grade, he said.

Meanwhile traffic on California Avenue through the Junction is restricted. A lane in each direction will be kept open from 4 to 6 p.m. At other times, traffic occasionally will be restricted to one lane. Some curbside parking spaces near the crosswalks may be closed temporarily during construction.

Work on the project is underway from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tim St. Clair can be contacted at 932-0300 or tstclair@robinsonnews.com