S Henderson Stairway

We want to provide a construction update with a status update on materials we are waiting on to complete the Henderson Stairway project.

The project has been on pause for two months while we've been waiting for the stair railings and light poles to be delivered. We had originally anticipated an early December delivery of those materials, but now anticipate receiving the poles and railings as soon as January 2023. 

• Our light poles are normally made from steel, but we are using aluminum poles for this stairway. Our supplier has experienced aluminum supply chain issues, which has caused delays in the production and delivery of the light poles.
• Fabrication of the hand railings started earlier this month after our supplier was also experiencing material availability challenges. Ultimately, we decided to substitute for another type of pipe so they could start the work.

We will continue keep folks informed about the construction schedule through webpage updates and listserv notifications and plan to provide an update next month.

While it is possible to access the stairs while the project is on pause, we ask that you do not use them until we've installed the hand railings and lighting, which are important pedestrian safety features for the new staircase.

Here are some highlights of the work we did this summer and fall on the new stairway. We poured the new concrete stairway, including the bike runnel, stairs, and landings. Crews began forming and pouring at the top stairway at 39th Ave S in early August and finished the final pour in October at the base of the stairs at 41st Ave S. In addition to pouring the new stairway, crews installed bases for the new pedestrian lighting and prepped the area for vegetation that our Urban Forestry team will be plant next spring.

Left: New concrete stairs, bike runnel, and landings for new S Henderson Stairway. Right: Bases for pedestrian lighting have been installed. Landscaping will be planted by our Urban Forestry team in the spring.

As part of our project work, crews have upgraded the existing ditch and culvert drainage system at the bottom of the stairs at 41st Ave S. The ditch has been regraded and the culvert replaced to collect runoff from the staircase and provide safe access to the new stairs.

Left: Crews regraded existing ditch and replaced the culvert to collect runoff from the staircase. Rigth: Crews installed compacted crushed gravel to improve water retention in the soil at the base of stairs.

Stay informed

To stay up-to-date on what's happening during construction, sign up for email updates here.

Questions about the project?

Email us at hendersonstairway@seattle.gov or leave us a voicemail at (206) 257-2153.