The SODO (South of Downtown) area of Seattle is vital to the economic growth of the City and the region. As a hub of business, industry and professional sports events, the district is rapidly growing and so too must the necessary infrastructure to accommodate that growth. Indeed, numerous transportation-related construction projects are in progress in the SODO area and many others are scheduled to break ground in the coming months and years. Navigating through the multitude of construction zones is much easier when you know what to expect in advance.

1st Ave S WORK STARTS Week of May 19th

(For the full downloadable, click here.)

Each year, SDOT repaves a number of streets to improve the pavement
condition and promote smoother, safer, and quieter streets.  In 2008 and
2009, we are repaving First Avenue South.  This project is part of the
"Bridging the Gap" transportation levy approved by Seattle voters in
November 2006.

The 2008 work on First Ave S will be done in four (4) phases described
below, with some overlap between each phase:

1. E Marginal Way S to S Spokane St; S Stacy Street to S Dearborn Street
. Curb ramps and sidewalks only
. mid May - mid July

2. E Marginal Way S to S Hudson Street
. mid May - mid July

3. S Stacy Street to S Dearborn Street
. mid July - mid October

4. S Hudson Street to S Spokane Street
. mid July - mid October

Phases 3 and 4 will be predominately night work.
Construction crews will alternate between phases 3 & 4 when events in SODO
preclude work in phase 3.

Work in phases 2, 3, and 4 will roughly follow this order:  (a) pavement
grinding; (b); pavement base repairs (c) drainage grates and manhole
adjustments; (d) traffic signal detector installations; (e) final paving and
striping.

What to Expect During Construction
. Lane closures
. Pedestrian detours
. Parking restrictions
. No traffic disruptions during major sports events
. Moderate construction noise and dust
. Normal day time work hours:  7 am - 4 pm
. Night time work hours:  7 pm - 7 am
. Occasional weekend work

To sign up for the SODO Traffic E-Mail Notification List, please click here.

Eventually construction to repair or replace the viaduct will significantly impact North Duwamish traffic.

May 9th, Governor Gregoire signed the 2005 state Transportation Partnership bill, allocating $2 billion in state funds to the viaduct project.