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Mercer Corridor Project: Frequently Asked Questions
Schedule
1. When did Mercer Corridor project construction begin?
2. When will construction on Mercer West begin?
3. When will Mercer Corridor project construction be complete?
Routing
4. Will I legally be able to turn left from southbound Fairview Ave. N onto the I-5 on-ramps?
5. When will eastbound Valley St. be re-opened?
6. Will Valley St. still connect to Dexter Ave. N?
7. Are 9th Ave. N and Westlake Ave. N ever both closed at the same time?
8. What will Mercer St look like when Mercer West construction begins?
9. What will occur near the northbound SR 99 Battery St. tunnel and exit onto Broad St.?
Transit
10. Will the SLU Street Car remain open throughout construction?
11. How will buses be affected during SR 99 lane restrictions?
Schedule
1. When did Mercer Corridor project construction begin?
Construction east of Dexter Ave. N began in 2010 with the demolition of 8 buildings north of Mercer St.
2. When will construction on Mercer West begin?
Preliminary construction west of Dexter Ave. N will begin in April of 2013.
3. When will Mercer Corridor project construction be complete?
Construction east of Dexter Ave. N is expected to be complete by summer of 2013. Mercer West construction will begin in spring 2013 and is anticipated to be complete in mid-2015.
Routing
4. Will I legally be able to turn left from southbound Fairview Ave. N onto the I-5 on-ramps?
Yes, Fairview Ave. N features dual left-turn lanes from southbound Fairview Ave. N onto the ramps.
5. When will eastbound Valley St. be re-opened?
Valley St. will be largely restricted during Stage 4 construction; travelers desiring to head west from Fairview Ave. N should use westbound Mercer St. to reach Queen Anne.
6. Will Valley St. connect to Dexter Ave. N?
Yes, Valley St. will still connect to Dexter via Roy St. with access to SR 99.
7. Are 9th Ave. N and Westlake Ave. N ever both closed at the same time?
No, both 9th Ave. N and Westlake Ave. N are heavily used arterials and will not be closed at the same time.
8. What will Mercer St. look like when Mercer West construction begins?
During the majority of Mercer West construction, Mercer St. will be restricted to 2 eastbound lanes between 5th Ave. N and Dexter Ave. N and have the sidewalk open on one side of the street. During this time, eastbound Broad St. will be re-opened between Harrison St. and Mercer St. as an alternate eastbound route.
9. What will occur near the northbound SR 99 Battery St. tunnel and exit onto Broad St.?
Eventually, Broad St. will be vacated. A perpendicular street grid will be created during the Mercer West phase of the Mercer Corridor Project, including surface grade crossings of SR 99 at three additional locations (Thomas, Harrison, and Republican streets).
Transit
10. Will the SLU Street Car remain open throughout construction?
Yes, the street car remain open during construction. However, the street car’s preemption at traffic signals will be removed at the onset of two-way traffic on Mercer St.
11. How will buses be affected during SR 99 lane restrictions?
Both the northbound and southbound bus stops on SR 99 at Mercer St. will be closed during Mercer West construction
The Mercer West Project will complete the City’s vision for a direct, two-way connection between I-5 and Elliott Avenue W by moving construction west of Dexter Avenue N. The project, which will begin construction in early 2013, will reconstruct the SR 99 bridge over Mercer Street, widen the underpass at Aurora and add bicycle and pedestrian-friendly improvements throughout the corridor.
The widened Mercer Underpass will provide three lanes of traffic in each direction, left turn lanes, plus a 25’ combination bike path and sidewalk on the north side and a 16’ sidewalk on the south side (considerably wider than the current 5’ sidewalk width). Additional project benefits include:
- Converting Mercer Street to two-way operation with two lanes in each direction and turn pockets between Fifth Avenue N and Queen Anne Avenue N;
- Converting Roy Street to a two-way street with bicycle lanes between Fifth Avenue N and Queen Avenue N;
- Creating a new Sixth Avenue N connection between Mercer and Harrison Streets that curves around the Gates Foundation Campus to its west;
- In conjunction with the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project, closing Broad Street to re-connect the street grid between Ninth Avenue N and Fifth Avenue N, reopening John, Thomas, and Harrison Streets across Aurora Avenue N.
Converting Mercer and Roy Streets to two-way operation
- Two lanes in each direction on Mercer Street (Fifth Avenue N to Second Avenue N);
- One lane in each direction on Roy Street (Fifth Avenue N to Queen Anne Avenue N);
- Bike lanes on Roy Street;
- All changes occur within the existing right-of-way
West Mercer Place
The Mercer West Project Team did an evaluation of options to improve traffic operations and pedestrian and bicycle connections on W Mercer Place near Elliott Avenue W. The purpose of the evaluation was to determine if improvements were justified, based on the potential benefit (reduction in delay or travel times) and the estimated costs and impacts of such improvements.
Their conclusion was that extending the double left-turn lanes on Elliott Avenue W was the only cost-effective option at this time. After sharing their findings with stakeholders and community members and receiving feedback, the double left-turn lanes were extended in 2011. Engineers will continue to monitor operations and make adjustments, if needed, on Elliott Avenue W, Nickerson Street, and Mercer Street through the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement and Central Waterfront (Alaskan Way and seawall) construction. |
