The City of Seattle has issued a Determination of Non-Significance for the replacement of the Fremont Bridge approaches. The Washington State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) requires this document.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) plans to begin construction of the elevated roadways at each of the bridge approaches next summer and be finished by December 2006.
The project also includes replacing the bridge's electrical-mechanical system and the maintenance shop at the south end of the bridge, both of which won't take place until after the new bridge approaches are completed.
The city determined that this project will not adversely affect the environment. Supporting documentation, which consists of a SEPA checklist and appendices, are available for review on-line (www.seattle.gov/transportation/fremontdns.htm) and at the Wallingford Library, 1501 N. 45th St., during a 14-day comment period.
Comments must be submitted by Wednesday, Nov. 24, and appeals must be filed with the hearing examiner by Dec. 1.
The SDOT will begin the project under the bridge approaches. For the first nine months, bridge traffic will not be affected. However, during the second nine months, bridge traffic will be limited to one lane in each direction. Also, the bridge will close to vehicles on 10 to 15 weekends.
To accommodate traffic during and after bridge construction, the SDOT will make circulation improvements in Fremont, including the addition of traffic lights at the Aurora Avenue North on- and off-ramps at Bridge Way North; North 36th Street and Evanston Avenue North; and North 36th and Fremont Avenue North.
Also, the Burke-Gilman Trail will close from Stone Way North to Phinney Avenue North for all 18 months. During this time, westbound bicyclists will be detoured to a temporary, striped lane on North 34th Street.
Bicyclists also will see improvements during this project, including more defined bike lanes, detour signs for alternate routes and clearer pathways with fewer vertical obstructions.
The Ship Canal Trail also will close during this project until the bridge maintenance shop is completed in April 2008.
For more information about the Fremont Bridge approach replacement project, visit www.cityof seattle.net/transportation/fremont bridgeapproaches.htm.
Or call project manager Robert Gorman, at 684-8548.[[In-content Ad]]
