Work begins next week on a new dock near Seacrest Park to serve the King County Water Taxi, which will begin year-round operations in April between West Seattle and downtown Seattle.

In preparation for the 2010 water taxi service on Elliott Bay, upgrades are being made to the 20-year-old floating dock at Seacrest Park on Harbor Avenue Southwest in West Seattle. The project begins the week of Jan. 4, when Manson Construction Company will move barges and containment booms into the area between the fixed fishing pier and the shoreline. In the first stage of the project, the aging gangway, floating dock and pilings will be removed.

By mid-January, installation of new pilings will begin, which requires using a large vibratory hammer to rattle the pilings into the ground. The pile installation has the potential for increased noise especially underwater. Residents around Seacrest Park may also notice increased noise levels during working hours Monday through Friday.

The fixed fishing pier is expected to remain open to the public throughout construction, but fishermen will experience increased noise and in-water disruptions. Also, recreational diving will be interrupted at and around Seacrest Dock between mid-January and mid-February of 2010.

The pile installation is scheduled to take two to three weeks. Once it’s completed, a new dock and gangway will be installed. No increase in noise levels is expected during this construction phase; however, the work could continue to be disruptive to divers in the area.

The current construction schedule shows the project being completed by late-February, 2010. This project is funded by the King County Ferry District. NOTE: The King County Department of Transportation is working to secure funding for year-round service but that funding is not in the 2010 budget at this time.