S Columbian Way / S Alaska Street Paving Project

In response to requests from residents, our Traffic Operations team conducted speed and traffic volume counts in the project area between December 13 and 19. Counts were taken at the following locations:

• S Snoqualmie St, east of S Columbian Way
• S Alaska St, west of Beacon Ave S
• S Ferdinand St, east of Beacon Ave S
• 24th Ave S, south of S Columbian Way

Thank you to those who brought these issues to our attention. Click here to review the data collected.

Project Overview

S Columbian Way / S Alaska St between Beacon Ave S and Martin Luther King Jr Way S is a two-way arterial serving southeast Seattle. This stretch of road provides an important connection for all commuters between Beacon Hill and Rainier Valley. Our goal is to improve the safety, accessibility, and comfort for all users.

We repaved about 1 mile of S Columbian Way / S Alaska St between Beacon Ave S and Martin Luther King Jr Way S. As part of the repaving, we took off the old top layer of the road, placed new asphalt and repainted the lane lines. In addition to repaving, we also put in new protected bike lanes along this stretch of road between Beacon Ave S and Martin Luther King Jr Way S. To create space for the protected lanes, we removed the center-turn lane from Beacon Ave S to Martin Luther King Jr Way S. 

Project elements included:

• Repaving S Columbian Way / S Alaska St between Beacon Ave S and Martin Luther King Jr Way S
• Installing new protected bike lanes along S Columbian Way / S Alaska St
• Installing or upgrading curb ramps to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Replacing traffic detection loops that control the signals
• Repairing and replacing some sections of sidewalk in the project area
• Building a pedestrian refuge island at the intersection of S Alaska St and S Alaska Pl
• Removing some on-street parking, including planting strips that may be currently used for parking
• Removing the center turn-lane in segments of the corridor
• Changes to the Beacon Ave S/S Columbian Way intersection
  • New bike protection leading up to the intersection
  • New bike signals at the intersection
  • New road markings and paint on the ground to better distinguish travel lanes
  • Restricting left turns in the intesection to keep east/west traffic flowing and prevent collisions between bike riders and drivers

Protected bike lane on S Columbian Way and S Alaska St

The new protected bike lane extends beyond the S Columbian Way / S Alaska St Paving Project to 16th Ave S. The rechannelization of S Columbian Way west of Beacon Ave S included the removal of a portion of the center turn lane. 

Map of protected bike lane on S Columbian Way and S Alaska St from 16th Ave S to Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. 

Protected bike lane between 16th Ave S and Beacon Ave S

For more information about our paving projects, visit Current Paving Projects.

Project Schedule*

2016

Initial design and outreach

Spring - Summer 2017

Updated design

Community outreach continues

Fall 2017

Final design

Late 2017

Advertise for construction

Summer/Fall 2018

Construction begins

Late 2019

Construction ends

*This schedule is a rough estimation of the project timeline and is subject to change.

Funding

Total project budget: $2.02 million
Funding Sources:

• SDOT’s Arterial Asphalt and Concrete Program
• Sidewalk Safety Repair Program
• Levy to Move Seattle

Outreach To Date