SEATTLE, Wash. — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
The Ballard Bridge is expected to close all weekend, as a summer of work on the corridor kicks off.
This is the first of four full weekend closures of the 108-year-old bridge this year, and a continuation of two years of work that the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) started last year.
“We have about 22 expansion joints that we are going to be replacing,” Jules Posadas, public engagement lead with SDOT, said. “We did 14 last year, and we have eight remaining this year. Total asphalt paving that we’re going to be doing on the corridor is about over 4,800 feet.”
This is all a part of the 15th Avenue NW and NW Market Street improvement project. When the work is done, SDOT will have added 3,000 feet of new sidewalk and built or refurbished 59 accessible curb ramps.
Traffic jams from similar, previous closures
When similar closures happened last summer, they caused major problems. All the surface streets in Fremont, Interbay, Queen Anne, and Ballard were jammed.
“People would go through Ballard anticipating that they could just detour once they got to the Ballard Bridge,” Posadas said. “We’d really just try to advise people this year is to take those detour routes before you get to the downtown core area.”
The primary alternate is Aurora Avenue. Get there well before the closure and try to stay out of the neighborhoods. People living around the bridge were trapped in their own neighborhoods last year.
“We want to be respectful to the neighborhoods and residents that live around the area and also the businesses,” Posadas said.
Unlike last year’s Ballard Bridge closures, transit will not be able to use the bridge this year. Be sure to check with Metro about this project’s impact on your route. Bicyclists and pedestrians will be able to cross during the closures. Boats will still be able to get through, too.
There are four scheduled weekend closures expected through the beginning of June. There are standby weekends in June and July, should any of the closures be postponed by weather.
All the work should be wrapped up by the end of the year.
The bridge will close as early as 7 p.m. on April 25 and remain closed until 5 a.m. Monday, April 28.
Chris Sullivan is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here. Follow KIRO Newsradio traffic on X.
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