Georgetown to Downtown Safety Project

January 10, 2025

What’s happening now?

Crews have been making steady progress on completing the protected bike lanes on Airport Way S. We rechannelized the road to accommodate the future protected bike lane and other design elements that aim to improve safety for all travelers. You will begin to see the bike lane fully take shape during the next few weeks, along with other pedestrian and safety improvements in the project area.

Over the next few weeks, you’ll see the following construction activities in the area:

  • Installing concrete protected bike lanes on Airport Way S from S Edmunds St and moving north from the intersection
  • Installing improvements to utilities, sidewalks, and curb ramps on Airport Way S near the intersections of S Lucile St and S Edmunds St
  • Electrical improvements at the intersection of Airport Way S and S Lucile St
  • Preparation for installing protected bike lanes on 6th Ave S  

Construction progress

Crews sawcutting across Airport Way S at S Lucile St.
Crews sawcutting across Airport Way S at S Lucile St.

Crews constructing concrete buffers for the two-way protected bike lane on the west side of Airport Way S at S Edmunds St.
Crews constructing concrete buffers for the two-way protected bike lane on the west side of Airport Way S at S Edmunds St.

What to expect during construction:

  • The northbound through-lane on Airport Way S will be reduced to a single lane 24/7. We recommend commuters driving northbound to detour to 4th Ave S before S Lucile St.
  • Pedestrian access will be maintained. Pedestrian detours may be longer than usual.
  • Access to businesses will be maintained
  • Typical work hours are from Monday to Friday, starting at 9:00 AM and finishing at 3:00 PM
  • We will avoid work and traffic control during the peak hours of 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
  • We may need to temporarily change the traffic flow to accommodate the construction work.
  • There will be temporary restrictions on parking.
  • Some of the work activities might be noisy. This includes using backup alarms for safety, heavy vehicles, and power tools.
  • Some construction may require temporary changes to bus routes. Visit the King County Metro website for rider alerts.

Construction work at the Airport Way S and S Lucile St intersection is expected to continue through February 2025. We will continue to post bi-weekly construction updates on this webpage and the project listserv through construction. 


Thank you to our community members who joined us in celebrating the groundbreaking of the Georgetown to Downtown Safety Project! 

Read more about the community's celebration of this important milestone on our blog.

Photo of community members coming together to celebrate project groundbreaking.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the project, please call: (206) 900-8734 or email us at GeorgetownToDowntownSafety@seattle.gov.

If you need translation services, please call (206) 900-8734 and leave a message clearly stating the language you prefer.

Project Description

As part of Seattle’s Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) we are building a new protected bike lane connecting Georgetown to Downtown.

The new connection will be the final link in a system of north-south bike trails between Seattle and South King County. This bike system includes the Green River Trail and the South Park to Georgetown Trail.  These changes will also make the light rail network more accessible for communities in Georgetown and South Park.

Project Goals

  • Enhance safety for all roadway users
  • Improve access and travel options from downtown Seattle to Georgetown and South Park
  • Keep as much parking as possible along the corridor
  • Provide a safe bicycle connection between Georgetown, South Park, SODO, and Downtown

Final Design

During construction, you will see us making the following changes:

  • Two-way protected bike lane on the west side of the street from Airport Way S and S Lucille St to S Nevada St and 6th Ave S
  • One-way protected bike lanes on 6th Ave S from S Nevada St to S Forest St
  • Two-way, center turn lane on 6th Ave S from south of S Forest St to S Spokane St, making it safer and easier for vehicles to enter and exit driveways
  • S Spokane St and 6th Ave S: New traffic signal, signalized bike crossing, and bike ramp
  • S Lucile St and Airport Way S: New signalized bike crossing, ADA curb ramps, and refreshed crosswalk markings
  • All-way stop on 6th Ave S at both the intersections with S Alaska St and S Nevada St
  • Raised bus stop on the west side of Airport Way S at S Edmonds St
  • Parking removal on the west side of 6th from Alaska to Industrial to allow for two-way freight movement

Map of improvements to be constructed on 6th Ave S, S Alaska St, and Airport Way S

Outreach & Schedule

Schedule graphic showing this project is in construction

 

Materials

100% design plans (February 2024)

S Lander St Connection 30% design plans (February 2024)

Near final design virtual public meeting recording (November 2023)

Near final design virtual public meeting questions and answers summary (November 2023)

Near final design presentation slides (November 2023)

Near final design design plan (November 2023)

60% design virtual public meeting recording (August 2023)

60% design virtual public meeting questions and answers summary (August 2023)

60% design plan (August 2023)

30% design virtual public meeting recording (May 2023)

30% design virtual meeting questions and answers summary (May 2023)

Translations

If you need this information translated, please call (206) 900-8734.

Servicios de traducción e interpretación disponibles bajo petición (206) 900-8734.

如果您需要此信息翻譯成中文 請致電 (206) 900-8734.

የዚህን መረጃ ትርጉም ከፈለጉ፣ በዚህ ስልክ ቁጥር ይደውሉ (206) 900-8734.

Nếu quý vị cần thông tin này chuyển ngữ sang tiếng Việt, xin gọi (206) 900-8734.  

Odeeffannoon kun akka siif, (206) 900-8734.

Kɛ jek läärä mi̱ lɛm kɛ ciaaŋ pɔrjɛkä ta̱th ɛmɛ gua̱a̱th in thiëëk kɛ ji̱ cɛl (206) 900-8734.  

(206) 900-8734 اذا تريد ترجمة هذه المعلومات, يرجى الاتصال برقم  

Transportation

Greg Spotts, Director
Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 3800, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA, 98124-4996
Phone: (206) 684-7623
684-Road@seattle.gov

Newsletter Updates

Subscribe

Sign up for the latest updates from Transportation

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is on a mission to deliver a transportation system that provides safe and affordable access to places and opportunities for everyone as we work to achieve our vision of Seattle as a thriving, equitable community powered by dependable transportation.