On Friday, November 14, Seattle Public Utilities sent out a news bulletin that although work is continuing well on 35th Ave NE in Meadowbrook, the roadway will not open until sometime in December. Previously it had been expected that the work would be finished by the end of November.
Standing in 35th Ave NE at NE 107th Street, in the foreground we see the roadway under repair. There will be sidewalks with rails and pedestrians will be able to see out over the creek as it meanders through a flood plain on its way to Meadowbrook Pond. The house at left faces 36th Ave NE.
At NE 107th Street, site of The Confluence, work has been going on since June 2014 to widen the creekbed of the South Branch of Thornton Creek and create a floodplain to increase the capacity for water. This work necessitated digging up the roadbed of 35th Ave NE at the point of NE 107th Street to install much larger culverts for passage of the creek eastward into Meadowbrook Pond. The roadway repair is referred to as a “bridge” because the creek flows underneath. The work is being done by a private contractor.
The news bulletin from Seattle Public Utilities says,
Through November and into December, work will continue on the Thornton Creek Confluence project. Below we have highlighted the remaining activities. Due to storms in July and August, followed by a wet October, the contractor will need additional time in December to get the roadway open.
• Concrete pouring and curing on the 35th Avenue NE bridge, including the approach sections. The contractor will be using a type of concrete that will generate more heat during the curing process, minimizing the impact of colder ambient ground and air temperatures. The cure time needed for the concrete is ten days.
• Following the concrete curing, the contractor will finalize utility connections under 35th Avenue NE, including a water main connection. Asphalt paving, striping and sidewalks, curb and gutter installation will also be completed following the concrete cure.
• Landscaping within the floodplain is ongoing, along with work on 36th Avenue NE.
• Puget Sound Energy (PSE) will be conducting gas main work on 35th Avenue NE, just south of the project site. This is work outside of the Seattle Public Utilities project, but you may see additional trucks and equipment just south of the project site in late November and December.
As work continues, we will update everyone on the anticipated timeline for the opening of 35th Avenue NE. It is a high priority for the project team to reopen the roadway as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience during the wet fall months and please let us know if you have any questions.
Contact Jason Sharpley, Project Manager, at jason.sharpley@seattle.gov or 206-615-0300 or visit the project website.
In this photo taken in September, we are looking east at the creek flowing underneath 35th Ave NE. This photo of earlier work may be compared to the more recent photo above. The road repair is now scheduled to be completed in December 2014.