RapidRide J Line

We are Preparing to Pause Construction During the FIFA World Cup 

From June 10 through July 6, the RapidRide J Line team will pause major construction activities during the FIFA World Cup.

Before the pause begins, crews will remove most construction materials and equipment from the street. Sidewalks and travel lanes will be opened wherever possible to help improve access through the area.

Some barriers, signs, and cones will remain in places where work is not yet complete. These measures are intended to improve safety and keep the area accessible during the World Cup.

The image above shows completed concrete panels along the west side of Eastlake Ave E just south of E Shelby St, 

University District Construction

Sidewalk work 

After installing underground electrical wiring, crews are restoring the sidewalks on the east side of Roosevelt Way NE and NE 41st St. 

We are also finishing work on the northbound RapidRide J Line bus stop at the intersection of NE 41st St and Eastlake Ave NE, near 11th Ave NE. Over the next few weeks, crews will focus on installing new sidewalks in the area. 

In both work areas, we will shift traffic to the west side of the street, and one lane will remain open. Please follow the signs and directions from crews if you are using the sidewalk.  

Eastlake Construction

The map above shows where we are currently working in the Eastlake neighborhood. 

Street closures in Eastlake 

As shown on the map above, we have closed several areas in Eastlake for equipment storage and construction activities. The areas experiencing closures include:

• The east side of Eastlake Ave E between Harvard Ave E and E Allison St.
• The west side of Eastlake Ave E between E Shelby St and E Roanoke St. 
• E Garfield St on the west side of Eastlake Ave E 
• E Galer St on the east side of Eastlake Ave E 

Sinkhole Repairs at Eastlake Ave E and E Edgar St 

Over the weekend, Seattle Public Utilities crews will be working on Eastlake Ave E, just south of E Edgar St. They will be repairing a sinkhole that appeared this week near the center line and under the east side of Eastlake Ave E. This work is an emergency sewer repair and is not part of the RapidRide J Line project. 

While they work, crews will alternate between northbound and southbound traffic, using a single lane on Eastlake Ave E. Please expect traffic delays. Thank you for your patience and flexibility! 

The image above shows the street prepared for new concrete along Eastlake Ave E. 

Upcoming Weekend Paving Work at Fuhrman Ave E & Eastlake Ave E  

During the weekend of May 30, we will finish paving the east side of the Fuhrman Ave E and Eastlake Ave E intersection.

What to Expect: 

• Saturday, May 30: Crews will demolish the east side of the intersection. 
• Sunday, May 31: New concrete will be poured. 
• Monday, June 1: Concrete will cure throughout the day. 

Traffic Impacts:  

• Flaggers and uniformed police officers will guide vehicles through the intersection. 
• Expect delays through Monday, June 1 — please plan extra travel time. 
• Additional traffic control measures will be in place on Monday morning to help keep traffic moving.  

Work at Fuhrman Ave E and Eastlake Ave E extends into Monday for several reasons. Usually, we schedule intersection work outside peak hours, but in this case, King County Metro must temporarily deactivate overhead electrical wires, which they can only do on weekends. This means demolition must begin on Saturday, and concrete must be poured on Sunday. The concrete needs about 24 hours to cure, so even if no active construction is visible, the area remains closed on Monday until it's ready for traffic. We expect to reopen the intersection by the end of the day on Monday. Thank you for your patience!  

Sidewalk work along Eastlake Ave E   
Crews are installing new electrical wiring, sidewalks, and accessible pedestrian ramps at the northeast and southeast corners of Eastlake Ave E and E Galer St. This will require temporarily closing access to the east side of E Galer St from Eastlake Ave E. The street will remain accessible from E Franklin St, and parking is still available on E Galer St. 

We will need to temporarily close sections of sidewalk and direct pedestrians and people on bikes around the work areas or to the opposite side of the street. Additionally, we may need to close the right lane of Eastlake Ave E near the work area to provide accessible routes for pedestrians. Please follow all signs and instructions from crews. 

Paving work is progressing along Eastlake Ave E 

Image shows construction machinery on Eastlake Ave E near E Roanoke St. 

We will pour concrete on the west side of Eastlake Ave E between E Shelby St and E Roanoke St. Traffic is shifted to the east side of the street, and one lane will remain open in each direction.  

Starting at 7 AM on Tuesday, May 26, we will begin paving the driveway to the cul-de-sac on the west side of Eastlake Ave E and E Shelby St. To maintain access to the cul-de-sac and the parking garage, we will demolish and pave one half of the driveway at a time. A flagger will be present to help guide traffic through the open half of the driveway. 

Fairview Ave N Construction 

Image shows crews pouring new concrete on Fairview Ave N. 

Fairview Ave N widening 
One southbound lane of Fairview Ave N remains closed as we widen the west side of Fairview Ave N between Yale Ave N and Valley St. Over the next few weeks, we will finish pouring concrete between Yale Ave N and Aloha St. Crews will also install foundations for poles that will support traffic signals and the electrical wires powering the RapidRide J Line.   

Some of this work may begin as early as 4 AM on weekdays and Saturdays. We may work beyond 10 PM at times to make cuts into the new concrete for expansion. Though crews will perform night and weekend work, the most impactful noise will end before 10 PM. 

The sidewalk on the west side of Fairview Ave N will remain closed. Between Yale Ave N and Aloha St, a multi-use path will be provided for pedestrians and cyclists. If you are riding your bike, please dismount and walk through the construction area using this path. South of Aloha St, signage will direct pedestrians and cyclists to use the crosswalk on the east side of Fairview Ave N.  

As we work on Fairview Ave N, some King County Metro bus stops may be impacted. We encourage you to visit their website and the Route 70 page for more information. During this work, we do not impact the Seattle Streetcar. 

Weekly Online Open House Update

Thank you to all the residents and business owners who have joined our online open house this past year! We have addressed concerns, gathered feedback, and shared project information. 

As the project progresses, we are getting less questions and therefore decided to switch our online open houses to the first Thursday of each month. Our next open house will be on Thursday, June 4, from 2 to 3 PM. We encourage everyone to join us and be part of the conversation.  

If you haven't used Microsoft Teams to engage with the project team, please view this tutorial. There is information available about how to use your camera, mute and unmute yourself, and chat with other meeting participants. We are also available to offer technical support during our drop-in session if you encounter any issues as well. We look forward to connecting with you! 

You can access the online meetings with the details below:
Meeting link 
Meeting ID: 237 305 138 093 
Passcode: mBSfNf

You can download a PDF that shows the upgrades this project will make by clicking this link.

We plan to upgrade from the existing Route 70 to the RapidRide service in 2027.

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