Delridge Way SW - RapidRide H Line

Bus lanes, paving, landscaped medians, crosswalk improvements, protected bike lanes, neighborhood greenway connections, signal upgrades, water and sewer pipe upgrades, spot parking and bike lane removal, public art.

Updated March 18, 2021

What’s happening now?

Where we are in the process: Construction

Greetings | تحية طيبة  | ሰላም |Nagga qaabaadha | Saludos | Salaamu caleykum | Pagbati | Chào bạn

If you need this information translated, please call (206) 775-8739
تحية طيبة, اذا احتجتم لترجمة هذه المعلومات ,الرجاء الاتصال على الرقم (206) 775-8739 
ይህንን መረጃ እንዲተረጉሙ ከፈለጉ ፣ እባክዎን በሚከተለው ቁጥር (206) 775-8739 ይደውሉ።
Yoo ooddefannon kun akka issinnif hiikammu barbaadan maallo bilbiilla kaanan bilbilla (206) 775-8739.
Si necesita que esta información sea traducida, llame por favor al (206) 775-8739.
Haddaad u baahatid in laguu tarjumo warkan, fadlan wac (206) 775-8739.

We are currently in construction for the Delridge Way SW - RapidRide H Line project. Construction started in June 2020 and will last through 2022. During this time our outreach team will continue to meet with local organizations and businesses about upcoming work and notify the community with email updates for what work to expect. Construction timelines are always subject to change and we will continue to provide updates if and when they are impacted. 

In 2020, we have completed demolishing and repaving the roadway in some parts of the corridor. Roadway demolition and paving will continue throughout the project. Additionally, we have installed and upgraded water, storm, and electrical utilities throughout the corridor. Through 2022, we will continue upgrading the roadway, sidewalks and curb ramps, as well as continue building the new roadway median in select parts of the corridor.  

To receive the latest construction updates, sign up for our email updates. Throughout the project, we will share details on how to access businesses during construction. You can read these updates, as well as our past construction updates, in our email update archive.

Schedule Update from King County Metro: Twenty-two bus shelters have recently been removed along the Route 120 on Delridge Way SW. Metro plans to upgrade or replace most stops starting in spring of 2021. Originally scheduled to launch in the fall of 2021, RapidRide H Line is now scheduled to begin service in 2022, in order to ensure substantial construction completion and a smooth launch. The RapidRide H Line continues to be a priority for Metro despite the economic impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Metro's budget and the extra time needed to reach 100% project design. A more detailed construction schedule will be available after a contractor is selected in the coming months. More information can be found on King County Metro's website.

Update on proposed diverters on 26th Ave SW: 

We have decided to hold off on this work and will begin reevaluating these potential traffic calming measures again after traffic returns to the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge some time in 2022. 

We had planned to use diverters at SW Brandon St and SW Genesee St on 26th Ave SW to improve safety along the Delridge Neighborhood Greenway. As we started public notification for installation on the diverters, we heard from many community members that they wanted to keep the current access they had at these two intersections, while the diverters restricted some turning movements. In response, we paused installation of the diverters to continue the conversation about how we can work together to make 26th Ave SW safer for people walking and biking.  A full summary of the outreach can be found here. We also gathered traffic counts along 26th Ave SW and the surrounding streets where we were planning to evaluate several traffic management and street calming options, including the traffic diverters at the intersections with SW Genesee St and SW Brandon St. The data from these counts showed that traffic volumes and speeds were lower since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge in 2020.    

In the meantime, the Delridge Neighborhood Greenway will still see upgrades as part of the Delridge RapidRide H Line project. This includes:  

  • Building additional speed humps 
  • Refreshing the pavement markings with new paint  
  • Updating directional signs  
  • Upgrades to neighborhood greenway connections from Delridge Way SW on SW Andover St, SW Hudson St, and SW Findlay St, including making signal updates, refreshing the pedestrian crossings, and improving ADA accessibility. 

Language resources:

Español | Que puede esperar durante la construcción
Tiếng Việt | Những gì xảy ra trong lúc xây dựng
Soomaali | Maxaad filan kartaa waqtiga dhismuhu socodo
ما الذي تتوقعه خلال البناء
Tagalog | Anong maaasahan sa panahon ng construction
አማርኛ | ስለፕሮጀክቱ እና በግንባታ ውስጥ ምን እንደሚጠበቅ የበለጠ ይረዱ።
Afaan Oromo | Yeroo ijaarsaatti wantota eegaman

Stay updated

  • Text updates: Text "DELRIDGE" to 33222      
  • Email updates: Sign up using this form

Project Overview

We're working to make Delridge Way SW a better street for buses by bringing multimodal improvements to the neighborhood in coordination with new Metro RapidRide service. That means your Seattle levy dollars will remake and reimagine what Delridge can be for everyone traveling in the neighborhood. Delridge Way SW - RapidRide H Line project includes new bus lanes to sail past traffic, a new bus signal to hop to the front of the line at red lights, and a commitment to getting people walking and biking around the neighborhood and to new stops. 

As part of this project, we will be making ongoing bike and pedestrian improvements to the greenways as we complete construction on Delridge Way SW.  For details on bike improvements once the project is complete, please visit our final design site at rapidridehline.participate.online. 

Public Art

Studio Wowhaus has been selected to create art for this project. To learn more and connect with the artists visit the Art Beat Blog or send us an email at RapidRide@seattle.gov

Map of scope of project, which covers Delridge Way from SW Henderson to SW Andover

What to Expect During Construction

Construction will be disruptive, and we want you - especially those who live, work, or travel on Delridge Way SW - to be prepared for major construction. The work happening on Delridge Way SW will look similar to the work that was done on the nearby Southwest Seattle Paving: 35th/Avalon project.

Construction for the project is divided into three different zones.

  • Zone A - West Seattle Bridge to SW Findlay St
  • Zone B - SW Findlay St to north of SW Orchard St
  • Zone C - North of SW Orchard St to White Center We will work in all three zones at the same time working from north to south and starting on the west side of Delridge. No-Parking signs will be posted on both sides of the road in each phase of work in order to shift traffic around the work zones. As utility work is completed, we will follow the corridor to demolish and restore the road also from north to south. Lane closures will occur when stormwater drainage systems will need to be upgraded.

As part of this project, we will be upgrading curb ramps throughout the corridor. You can expect ramp demolition to look like the photo above on the corner of Delridge Way SW and SW Genesee St. Delridge will be open to traffic during construction. We will maintain 1 lane of traffic in each direction at most times during construction, though temporary detours may be needed. You can expect to see and hear construction activities throughout the corridor during the duration of work. Generally, we anticipate construction work to be on weekdays between 7 AM and 7 PM.

Construction impacts may include:

  • Noise, dust, and large vehicle traffic
  • Temporary parking restrictions for weeks at a time
  • Temporary utility service impacts
  • Driveways may need to be closed temporarily
  • Some nighttime and weekend work to minimize traffic impacts 
  • Periodic traffic detours 
  • Vehicle lane shifts around work zones    
  • Some full closures of major intersections     
  • Pedestrian and bicycle detours around the work
  • Flaggers to help direct traffic 
  • Temporary bus detours and bus stop relocations 

Bike detours during construction

Throughout construction, traffic will be shifted around work zones. We will maintain one lane of traffic in each direction at most times during construction, though temporary detours may be needed. People biking will need to merge with vehicle traffic on Delridge Way SW or people driving may need to merge with bikes in the bike lane, depending on the work zone. If you typically travel along Delridge Way SW by bike, we encourage you to start using the Delridge Neighborhood Greenway on 26th Ave SW or the Delridge - Highland Park Neighborhood Greenway.

Impacts of West Seattle Bridge closure

The closure of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge has significantly impacted the way people move through West Seattle in recent months. As we continue to make on the ground improvements to keep people moving now, we will also continue to invest in long-term projects that help us build an even stronger, connected, and more livable West Seattle. It is critical that we implement both short- and long-term improvements while we simultaneously pursue all options available to reopen the high-rise bridge, which is why we are moving forward with this much-needed project along Delridge Way SW to add a new rapid transit line, improve safety, enhance bike infrastructure, and repair roads in poor condition.

If you have concerns about accessibility or other impacts of construction, please send us your address, contact information, and concerns so that we can better understand and work together throughout construction. We are here to help.

How can I get involved?

We're always interested in meeting with community and neighborhood groups that want to learn more about the project and make their voices heard. You can request a briefing by emailing DelridgeTransit@seattle.gov or calling (206) 775-8739. 

Do you live outside the city of Seattle?

Metro is bringing RapidRide amenities and improving service between the Seattle city limits, White Center, and Burien. Additional project funding for these improvements comes from grant sources that Metro has already secured. Metro will be conducting public outreach about the project changes in these areas in 2018.

To stay informed or find out more, visit King County Metro’s website or contact Robyn Austin, King County Department of Transportation Community Relations Planner, at raustin@kingcounty.gov.

Milestones and Schedule

Rapid Ride H Development Schedule - we are now at the beginning of the construction phase and are set to end some time in 2021.

TimelineActivities/Milestones
2015 Early community outreach about project
2015-2016 Completed studies and analysis and used community feedback to develop a report on the corridor's existing conditions
2016 Community outreach to receive feedback on community transportation priorities and trade-offs
2017 Shared conceptual options for community feedback
2018 Shared outcome of outreach and technical analysis along with a new conceptual option
2018 Recommended concept moves into design
2019 Final design complete, advertise for construction bids
2020-2022 Construction; construction scheduled to wrap up in 2022
2021 Metro RapidRide H Line service begins

*Future dates are subject to change.

Materials Library

Construction

Pre-Construction

Design phase

Planning phase

Funding

This project is partially funded by the 9-year Levy to Move Seattle, approved by voters in 2015. Additional grant funding has been secured and is being sought by both Seattle and King County. Delridge Way SW is one of seven corridors identified in the Levy to see transit improvements. Visit our program website to learn more details.