3rd Ave Improvements
January 2025
What's Happening Now?
We’re making changes to 3rd Ave in Downtown and Pioneer Square to make buses more reliable and efficient, and streets safer and more comfortable for people walking, biking, and rolling. As of January 2025, we have begun some of this construction. Work to repave Virginia to Pine should begin in Spring 2025. If you have not already provided feedback to us regarding this project, we want to hear from you - please take our pre-construction survey. If you have questions about the projects or would like a briefing, please contact the project outreach lead.
King County Metro bus drivers navigate 3rd Ave’s bus only lanes through downtown Seattle
Overview
3rd Ave is Seattle’s busiest bus corridor and one of the busiest transit corridors in the state. Prior to the pandemic, it was traveled by more than 2,500 buses carrying 100,000 riders each day. This important bus corridor connects thousands of people walking, biking, and taking transit to jobs, housing, events, businesses and shopping centers, restaurants, cultural centers, service providers, and other transit connections to local and regional destinations. Over the next 2 years, we will be:
Building street, sidewalk, and bus stop upgrades in Pioneer Square
This includes upgrades to the southbound bus stop at 3rd Ave S and S Main St, and safety improvements for people walking, biking, and rolling at the intersection of 3rd Ave and Yesler Way. Click on the links to visit these project webpages to learn more.
Paving 3rd Ave between Virginia St and Pine St, and between Yesler Way and S Main St.
Starting as soon as Spring 2025, we’ll begin repaving 3rd Ave between Virginia St and Pine St. While we rebuild the street, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) will also replace an aging cast iron lead joint watermain between Virginia St and Pine St originally built in 1910.
We began repaving 3rd Ave S between Yesler Way and S Main St in December 2024. Another crucial part of this work will involve SPU making repairs to their storm sewer system at the intersections of S Washington St and 3rd Ave S, and at S Main St and 2nd Ave Extension S.
Repaving these sections of 3rd Ave will help buses travel more efficiently on smoother, stronger pavement. We are conducting ongoing outreach to impacted properties in advance of the paving and waterline work to help them prepare for construction.
Paving 3rd Ave between Virginia St and Pine St, and between Yesler Way and S Main St.
Starting as soon as Spring 2025, we’ll begin repaving 3rd Ave between Virginia St and Pine St. While we rebuild the street, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) will also replace an aging cast iron lead joint watermain between Virginia St and Pine St originally built in 1910.
We will also repave most of 3rd Ave S between Yesler Way and S Main St when we upgrade the bus stop at 3rd Ave S and S Main St starting in summer 2024. SPU will also make repairs to their storm sewer system at the intersections of S Washington St and 3rd Ave S, and at S Main St and 2nd Ave Extension S.
Repaving these sections of 3rd Ave will help buses travel more efficiently on smoother, stronger pavement. We will conduct additional outreach to impacted properties in advance of the paving and waterline work to help them prepare for construction.
Working with King County Metro to upgrade real-time information kiosks at bus stops
Many of the existing real-time information kiosks don’t work anymore, and King County Metro will be replacing these kiosks. To get ready, SDOT will remove the existing kiosks and their foundations and build new foundations so Metro can install the new kiosks. The new kiosks will have real-time bus arrival information and ORCA cards readers to help people board the bus more quickly. King County Metro expects to start installing the new kiosks as soon as late 2024.
| Stop ID | Direction | On Street | Cross Street |
| 431 | S | Third Ave | Pike |
| 468 | S | Third Ave | Seneca |
| 481 | S | Third Ave | Columbia |
| 490 | S | Third Ave | Cherry |
| 538 | N | Third Ave | Columbia |
| 558 | N | Third Ave | Seneca |
| 578 | N | Third Ave | Pike |
| 590 | N | Third Ave | Pine |
| 1610 | N | Prefontaine Place S | Yesler Way |
| 10328 | W | Valley Street | Fairview Ave N |
| 26641 | S | Westlake | Mercer |
| 26645 | S | Westlake | Harrison |
| 26665 | S | Westlake | 9th |
| 26690 | N | Westlake | 9th |
| 26715 | N | Westlake | Harrison |
These improvements are just one part of the City of Seattle’s bigger plan to make downtown safer, easier to get around, and more welcoming. Extending dedicated bus only hours on 3rd Ave also supports the Mayor's Executive Order on climate justice in transportation by investing in bus lanes. See our 3rd Ave Improvements factsheet for more information.
Funding
These 3rd Ave improvements are funded with various funding sources, including the voter-approved Move Seattle Levy and Seattle Transit Measure. Funding is also provided by Sound Transit grants, King County Metro grants, and the Landscape Conservation and Local Infrastructure Program.
Schedule
The schedule below shows planned milestones and may change:
End of 2023:
- Design complete for 3rd and Yesler safety improvements and 3rd and Main bus stop improvements projects
Summer 2024:
- 3rd and Yesler safety improvements construction begins
Fall 2024:
- 3rd and Yesler safety improvements construction begins
Winter 2024:
- 3rd and Main bus stop improvement construction begins
Spring 2025:
- 3rd Ave Virginia to Pine construction begins (*tentative)
Materials
3rd Ave Improvements: Paving and Water Main Replacement Fact Sheet
3rd Ave Improvements - Paving & Water Main Replacement Frequently Asked Questions
3rd Ave Projects
Learn more about the 3rd Ave projects at these project webpages:
- 3rd Ave S and S Main St Bus Stop and Safety Improvements
- 3rd Ave and Yesler Way Safety Improvements
- Transit Spot Improvements
To learn more about projects happening throughout the entire City, view our Capital Projects Dashboard.