Construction work slowly resuming as contractors adapt to new rules

SEATTLE — At a house in Seattle's Green Lake neighborhood and an apartment building on Capitol Hill, work paused under Washington's stay-at-home order.

On Monday, both construction sites remained quiet as contractors worked to ramp up work and figure out the details of complying with the new rules Governor Jay Inslee announced last Friday.

Those new rules allow “low risk construction” to resume if COVID-19 safety protocols are followed.

"We're in a momentum building time and it is difficult because this is all new," said Erich Armbruster of Ashworth Homes.

Among the questions, how to move heavy objects and work in small excavated spaces while staying six feet apart?

"We are an industry of doers and we really, really like to be able to figure out ways to do things," Armbruster said.

Armbruster's company managed to get exemptions for two of eight projects.

Some of the remodeling projects underway by Irons Brothers Construction were also deemed essential, so work could continue using stricter safety protocols.

For Joseph Irons, that experience led him to host a webinar through the Building Industry Association of Washington for hundreds of people to share what he learned.

Among the advice he shared was how to quickly build a hand-washing station with a laundry sink.

The new rules require hand-washing stations and everyone on site to wear masks.

"People can do it, it does cost more money and it will take more time," Irons said. "If they put the practices in place we believe they can create a safe work environment."

On the first weekday with the new rules, many state projects, like the Colman Dock ferry terminal, remain paused.

That's because contractors must develop safety plans and get approval from the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Sound Transit put 80% of its projects on hold.

Work on the Lynnwood light rail extension could restart next week.

"It's going to be a rolling process, but you will see some work ramping up pretty quickly," said Sound Transit spokesman John Gallagher.

The city of Seattle says it took only a two day pause on its transportation projects to make sure contractors were complying with the rules.

Otherwise, those projects already underway were considered essential.

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