Updated July 2025
What's Happening Now?
We are starting to design the project. We will share more information about the early design and opportunities to share your feedback later this year. You can sign up for email updates to receive project updates (look for Elliott and Western Ave Paving and Mobility Project listed under the Traffic & Construction category).
Overview
We're repaving Elliott Avenue and Western Avenue between Thomas Street and Bell Street in Belltown. We're also making other upgrades to improve safety and mobility for people walking and biking in the area. Many people use Elliott Ave and Western Ave every day, including people who live, work, or travel to the area. These streets provide connections for people biking between Belltown, Uptown, and Downtown. People use these streets to reach destinations like the Olympic Sculpture Park and the Waterfront. They are also important routes for trucks traveling to the Port of Seattle, rail yards, industrial businesses, and Downtown.
Project improvements will include:
- Repaving and modernizing Elliott Ave and Western Ave
- Building new accessible pedestrian ramps
- Improving drainage
- Other potential improvements for people walking and biking such as repaired sidewalks, upgraded bike lanes and pedestrian crossings, and new trees. These upgrades will depend on feasibility and funding.
We are also coordinating with Seattle Public Utilities and their Vine Basin Combined Sewer Overflow Project. We are working closely with SPU to build both projects efficiently and reduce disruptions to the neighborhood.
Project Area
Blue lines show SDOT’s paving and mobility project along Elliott Ave and Western Ave between W Thomas Street and Bell Street. Orange line shows SPU’s sewer project along Elliott Ave between Bay St to Vine Street through the Olympic Sculpture Park.
Project goals
We are reviewing recommendations and public feedback from past planning efforts such as the Seattle Transportation Plan and the North Downtown Mobility Action Plan. We’re considering this feedback as we develop early project designs. We’ve heard that:
- Safety is a top priority. People feel safer with calmer traffic, protected bike lanes, accessible sidewalks, added pedestrian lighting, and improved pedestrian crossings.
- Connectivity and accessibility are important. This area provides important connections for people walking and biking to destinations in Belltown, Uptown, the Waterfront, and Downtown.
- Access to parking and loading is important, particularly for local businesses.
- Trucks need to be able to travel through the area, including trucks with oversized loads.
What the area looks like now
Example of sidewalk and road pavement that are breaking apart and in need of repair.
Bike lane that doesn’t have any protection or separation from vehicle lanes.
Timeline
We are currently in the early design phase of the project. Learn more about project phases. 