Donovan Duwamish River Crossing

Shovel icon representing a project that requires digging during construction.

Project Description

We are reestablishing electrical feeds and equipment crossing between Tukwila and South Park. The project will make the power system more resilient and reliable for nearby customers.

Location

The project map for the Donovan Duwamish River Crossing project shows three drill paths that connect approximate construction areas on the east and west side of the Duwamish River.

South Park, Seattle

What's Happening Now?

Project Update (August 2026): Project design is approximately 90% complete. We expect to reach 100% completion by the end of fall 2026. We expect construction to begin in early 2027 and continue until October 2028.

Our team will attend a number of community events this summer in South Park. You can meet our project team and learn more at the following events:

Sign up for project updates.

Community Benefits

  • Maintain reliable power service throughout the project and minimize impact to South Park residents and businesses.
  • Provide better reliability through relocating and undergrounding the double circuit crossing.

Anticipated Impacts

  • The construction will cross under the Duwamish Waterway using horizontal directional drilling (HDD).
  • All construction will take place on land, away from the waterway, Crews will work from industrial parking areas on both sides to protect sensitive environmental areas, avoid compromising navigation, and keep the waterway open for public and commercial use.

The Donovan Duwamish River Crossing Horizontal Directional Drill Plan shows the horizontal directional drill on the eat end Isaacson/Thompson site with the bore path extending approximately 40 feet under the Duwamish River to the west end South Park site.

  • In addition to running electrical feeds under the river, crews will add new circuits, poles, cables, and vaults.
  • As construction ends, we will schedule planned power outages so crews can safely connect the new underground system to existing service. We try to notify affected customers at least five days in advance of planned outages.
  • Temporary road closures and detours will be in place to mobilize equipment during work hours (exact hours to be determined).
  • After construction, all affected areas will be fully restored and repaved according to Seattle Department of Transportation standards. Most of the restoration area is outside of travel lanes and will not impact traffic.

Schedule

Construction Start: Early 2027

Estimated Completion: We expect to complete construction in October 2028.

Daily Work Schedule: To be determined.

City Light

Rob Santoff, Interim General Manager and CEO
Address: 700 5th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34023 , Seattle, WA, 98124-4023
Phone: (206) 684-3000
SCL_ExternalComms@seattle.gov

Seattle City Light was created by the citizens of Seattle in 1902 to provide affordable, reliable, and environmentally responsible electric power to the City of Seattle and neighboring suburbs.