15th Ave S Improvements

Updated: June 27, 2022

What’s happening now?

The 15th Ave S Improvements project is complete!

Thanks for your continued cooperation and patience with the 15th Ave S Improvements Project. We are happy to report that the project is complete!

The goal of this project was to balance the needs of people that walk, bike, and drive so that everyone can get to where they need to go safely. For a few years leading up to the start of construction, we were actively engaging with the community on how to make this area feel safer and more accessible. We hope you are enjoying the improvements, and we appreciate your patience and cooperation as we have worked to make this area safer for all travelers.

Project Overview

15th Ave S between S Spokane St and S Angeline St is a two-way arterial serving southeast Seattle. This stretch of road provides an important connection for people traveling between Beacon Hill and Rainier Valley. SDOT wants to ensure that these improvements contribute to a safer space for all travelers and balance the needs of all modes of transportation, so that everyone can get where they need to go safely and conveniently.

We repaved about 1 mile of 15th Ave S between S Spokane St and S Angeline St and a section of S Spokane St between S Columbian Way and 18th Ave S.

In addition to paving, we made improvements at the 15th Ave S and S Columbian Way intersection, including a new pedestrian-friendly peninsula and updated roadway striping. For more details about the improvements at this intersection, please see the maps below.

Project Map

15th Ave S Improvements Project Map

Intersection Improvements at S Oregon St/15th Ave S/Columbian Way
(Click to enlarge) Details of 15th Ave S and S Columbian Way intersection improvements

The scope of this project included:

  • New pavement: This extends the life of the pavement, making the roadway safer and smoother for travel
  • Drainage improvements: Improved drainage in the area will extend the life of the roadway and make the streets safer and smoother to use
  • Slip lane: This project improved the slip lane (the right-turn-only lane) at 15th Ave S and S Spokane St
  • Upgraded pedestrian push buttons: We updated push buttons in select locations to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards
  • Upgraded curb ramps: In select locations, we updated curb ramps to meet ADA standards
  • Improved and updated sidewalks: We repaved select sidewalks in need of repair
  • Improvements at 15th Ave S and S Columbian Way intersection: We installed a pedestrian-friendly peninsula, new curb bulbs, and improved connections for bicycles.

Project Background

Each year, we pave arterial streets in poor condition to make them safer and smoother, and to extend their useful life. We prioritize paving projects based on pavement condition, traffic volume, geographic equity, cost, and opportunities for grants or coordination with other projects in the area. Paving streets also creates opportunities to improve street safety and move people and goods more efficiently in a growing Seattle. Read more about our current paving projects here.

Schedule

Early 2020
Complete final design

Summer and Fall 2020
Pre-construction coordination with community

January 2021
Begin construction, starting with the intersection of 15th Ave S and S Columbian Way

Spring 2022
Construction complete

Funding

Levy to Move SeattleFunding comes from the 2015 voter-approved, 9-year Levy to Move Seattle, which provides funding to improve safety for all travelers, maintain streets and bridges, and invest in reliable, affordable travel options for a growing city.

The paving portion of this project wasfunded by our paving program and by the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) Preservation Grant and is managed by WSDOT.

This project also received funding from SDOT's Safe Routes to School program, which makes it easier and safer for students to walk and bike in Seattle.

Outreach

Fall 2019
Outreach to community to share information and collect input.

February 2020
Preconstruction open house 

October 2020 
Online drop-in session and pre-construction mailer  

January 2021 
Construction kickoff emails and pre-construction mailer  

Materials