A section of the railroad crossing and adjacent walking areas near 5421 Shilshole Ave NW will close beginning next week as crews begin a new phase of construction for the Ship Canal Water Quality Project.
According to a construction notice sent to nearby neighbors, crews will begin daytime vibratory sheet pile installation near the existing railroad tracks. The work is scheduled to start Monday, July 13, and continue through approximately Wednesday, July 22.
During that time, the railroad tracks and the associated pedestrian crossings and walking areas across and around the tracks will be closed.
The construction notice also advises that nearby residents and businesses should expect increased noise and vibration during active work hours while the sheet piles are installed.
Project officials said they will make every effort to minimize disruptions while maintaining a safe and efficient work site.
The work is part of the ongoing Ship Canal Water Quality Project, one of the region’s largest wastewater infrastructure projects. Seattle Public Utilities and King County Wastewater Treatment Division are building a system designed to reduce combined sewer overflows into the Lake Washington Ship Canal, Salmon Bay and Lake Union during heavy rainstorms.
The overall project includes a 2.7-mile underground storage tunnel, a new pump station in Ballard and a new outfall structure. Once completed, the system will temporarily store stormwater and wastewater during periods of heavy rainfall before sending it to treatment, helping reduce the release of untreated combined sewage into local waterways.
Construction has continued to advance across Ballard in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Seattle Public Utilities announced that the project’s new tunnel boring machine had successfully passed beneath NW Market Street and entered the next phase of tunneling under 24th Avenue NW. The smaller tunnel boring machine is excavating a sewer conveyance pipe that will connect portions of the new system and support the project’s long-term goal of reducing overflows into the Ship Canal.
The sheet pile work near Shilshole Avenue represents another visible phase of construction as crews continue building the infrastructure needed for the project.
Residents traveling through the area should plan for temporary closures around the railroad crossing and expect construction activity, including daytime noise and vibration, through approximately July 22.
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