Seattle Public Utilities says crews with the Ship Canal Water Quality Project will continue work in Ballard on Saturday, April 18, with construction activity expected to generate noise during the day.
According to a notice sent to neighbors, work with noise impacts is scheduled to begin as early as 8 a.m. and end by 4:30 p.m., in line with a noise variance for the project.
Crews will use a crane, dump truck, and excavator as they continue shaft excavation work. The construction will take place on NW 56th Street between The Ballard Independent and Noma Condominiums, across 24th Avenue NW from Merrill Gardens and AMLI Mark 24.
Additional work is planned at the project’s laydown yard at NW Market Street and 24th Avenue NW, just east of Ballard Yards. That work will also involve a dump truck and excavator.
The work is part of Seattle Public Utilities’ Ship Canal Water Quality Project, a major infrastructure effort designed to reduce the amount of polluted stormwater and sewage that enters the Lake Washington Ship Canal, Salmon Bay, and Lake Union. The project includes the construction of a large underground storage tunnel that can capture and hold millions of gallons of combined sewage and stormwater during heavy rains, preventing it from overflowing into local waterways.
The project spans several neighborhoods, including Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford, and Queen Anne, and includes multiple construction sites and a new pump station. During storms, Seattle’s combined sewer system can exceed capacity, leading to overflows into the canal; the new system is designed to reduce those events significantly and improve long-term water quality and public health.
Construction is expected to continue through the next few years, with ongoing impacts such as traffic changes, heavy equipment, and noise typical of large-scale infrastructure work in Ballard and surrounding areas.