Information from Seattle Department of Transportation

The 15th Ave W/NW and Ballard Bridge Paving Project is at present at 60% design and SDOT expects to begin construction Summer 2023.

What's happening now?

The 15th Ave W/NW and Ballard Bridge Paving project has reached its 60% design milestone. The work we’ve identified in the new design plan includes:

• Paving areas on 15th Ave W/NW from W Emerson to NW 57th St
• Improving sidewalks, driveways, and storm water drainage in selected areas with the project paving area. 
• Refreshing pedestrian crosswalk signs and markings with new paint on existing locations along 15th Ave W/NW
• Painting new red roadway markings on 15th Ave NW for existing northbound bus only lanes between NW 52nd Street and Market Street.
• Replacing the bridge expansion joints

To see our full 60% design set, please visit our project webpage here.

15th Ave NW and NW Leary Way Seismic Retrofit Project Coordination

We are coordinating the 15th Ave W/NW and Ballard Bridge Paving Project and the NW Leary Way Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project on 15th Ave NW and NW Leary Way. We are coordinating these projects together to minimize the construction timeframe and traffic impacts for both projects. We are not anticipating the duration of either construction project to be extended due to coordinating them together. Schedules are always subject to change due to supply availability and inclement weather.  

As part of the Levy to Move Seattle, 16 bridges were selected for seismic retrofits, including the NW Leary Way Bridge. The seismic retrofits will include several modifications to seismically strengthen the existing bridge components and make the bridge less vulnerable in the event of an earthquake. Modifications include: 

• Strengthening the bridge's cap beams, columns, footings, and abutments.
• Installing ground anchors
• Repairing cracks and damaged concrete
• Replacing the bridge expansion joints

To learn more about the NW Leary Way Seismic Retrofit Project, please visit the project webpage here.

We will be sending out project updates and construction notifications for both the 15th Ave W/NW and Ballard Bridge Paving Project and the NW Leary Way Seismic Retrofit Project with this listserv. If you want to contact us for either project, you can send an email to 15thAveW_NWpaving@Seattle.gov.

Community Outreach

Ongoing Engagement

We are committed to working closely with project neighbors to coordinate construction timing and impacts as best as possible and will continue to send updates throughout the design and construction phases over the next two years. Initial outreach has included:

• In-person visits and emails to businesses along the 15th Ave W/NW corridor to inform them about the project and begin conversations around mitigating potential construction concerns
• Postcards to people who live and work in the area
• Meetings with nearby stakeholders, including neighborhood organizations and members of the industrial and freight communities
• Tabling event for faculty, students, and families at Ballard High School

We want to hear from you! Upcoming construction survey

In the coming weeks, we will be distributing a survey to gather information from residential, industrial, and nearby business commuters regarding their typical usage of 15th Ave W/NW and Ballard Bridge. The survey will help inform us how we can best minimize traffic disruption during construction and find alternative routes. Please keep an eye out for the survey coming this month.

Project Background

 Each year, we pave arterial streets in poor condition to make them safer, smoother, and to extend their useful life. Keeping our transportation system in a good state of repair helps lower the cost of future maintenance. As part of the Levy to Move Seattle AAC (Arterial and Asphalt and Concrete) Paving Program, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is paving 15th Ave W/NW and the Ballard Bridge Deck between W Emerson St to NW 57th St as soon as Summer 2023. The project will restore the street condition of a critical piece of Seattle’s transportation network and contribute to SDOT’s Levy commitment to pave up to 180 lane-miles of arterial streets by 2024.this placeholder text.

If you'd like more information on the project, check out our Fact Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions document on our project webpage.

Contact Us

If you would like to contact our project team or schedule a meeting for you or an organization you are with, you can contact us at:

• Emailing the project team at 15thAveW_NWpaving@Seattle.gov
• Calling the project team at (206) 512-3950 (leave a voicemail and we will return your call)