Ballard Traffic Watch

Wed, 01/30/2013

Part of West Commodore to close for siphon project work

Beginning Monday, Nov. 11, a small section of West Commodore will be closed for approximately three weeks due to work on the Ballard SIphon Replacement Project. This work is weather dependent. Traffic will be detoured around the road closure via 23rd Avenue West, West Jameson Street and 24th Avenue West. The road closure is necessary to repave West Commodore Way in front of the project area.

What to Expect During the Road Closure:

Traffic control signs and staff to ease congestion through the area
Parking restrictions along the detour route (see map)
High levels of activity involving crews, trucks, materials, grinding and paving equipment; noise and dust typical of a construction site
Increased truck traffic along the detour route
Typical work hours Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m.; longer weekday hours and Saturday work possible

Landscaping work to close one lane of Holman Road Saturday, Nov. 2, and the following Saturday

Urban Forestry crews of the Seattle Department of Transportation will cut back ivy and prune trees on Holman Road from North 105th Street/Greenwood to Third Avenue Northwest tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 2. They will close the southbound, outside lane from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

On Saturday, Nov. 9, Urban Forestry crews will support volunteers from the neighborhood, including residents and businesspersons, to continue removal and cutback of ivy. As the on the previous Saturday, the southbound, curb lane of Holman Road will be closed from approximately 11th Avenue Northwest to Northwest 87th Street.

Removal of invasive vines is important to the health of trees. Ivy will quickly grow up the trunk of a tree, smothering the tree's branches, and eventually killing the tree. Even when kept only around the base of the tree, ivy still robs the tree of nutrients and can cause rot in the trunk which can lead to tree falling over. Also, trees that have their canopies covered with ivy may not be able to withstand the additional wind or snow load caused by the extra leaf area of the vines.

Major street improvement project starting on N 105th St

Beginning on Thursday morning, July 25 and continuing until November, SDOT will be installing storm drains and reconstructing the roadway on N 105th St between Holman Rd NW and Aurora Ave N. For this work, the contractor working for SDOT will detour eastbound traffic on Holman Rd NW and N 105th Street at Greenwood Ave N.

Two signed detours will be established for eastbound traffic:

Option 1

South on Greenwood Avenue North
East on North 85th Street
North on Aurora Avenue North
East on North Northgate Way

Option 2

North on Greenwood Avenue North
East on North 130th Street
South on Aurora Avenue North
East on North Northgate Way

Large trucks eastbound on Holman Rd NW will be detoured at Greenwood Ave N, north to North 145th Street, then east on North 145th Street, or south on Greenwood Ave N and east on N 85th St.

At least one lane of westbound traffic on N 105th St will remain open at all times. Access to businesses will be maintained. While sidewalks are being constructed, pedestrians will have access on at least one side of N 105th St.

In addition, transit will be re-routed, and bus stops may be closed or re-located. For information on bus service, look for Rider Alert notices at bus stops, see Metro Online, www.kingcounty.gov/metro, or call (206) 553-3000.
At the completion of Phase I, the construction activity will move east to the Phase II section of N Northgate Way between Aurora Ave N and Corliss Ave N.

Improvements will include roadway repaving, new sidewalks and curb ramps, drainage improvements, street lighting and traffic signals, and Intelligent Transportation System components. When it is completed in the summer 2014, it will have significant benefits for the public and motorists, including:

Improved safety for pedestrians
Elimination of potholes
Eased traffic congestion
Improved water quality
Improved transit speed and reliability
Real-time information for travelers

Below you will find current pictures of traffic cameras around Ballard. Click refresh to update them.

For a detailed traffic map of Seattle, including traffic alerts, travel time and real-time traffic cameras, click here. For more traffic cameras, click here.

How can we be more useful? Let us know at zachb@robinsonnews.com

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