Seattle Department of Transportation removed the last of the eastbound detours on North 85th Street today, meaning drivers and Metro buses are no longer detoured onto North 80th Street.

SDOT is finishing up a few bits and pieces of roadway construction through the end of the month.

Next weekend (Oct. 20-21), crews will remove the temporary traffic and parking changes on 80th and will restripe the roadway for two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane. The left-turn restriction onto Aurora Avenue North also will be removed. (This work was originally scheduled for this weekend, but forecasted rain is delaying it until next weekend.)

Drivers heading eastbound on NW/North 85th Street have had to deal with detours for nearly a year now, as Seattle Department of Transportation reconstructed the roadway from Ballard to I-5. Now, SDOT says the final detour stage will end on Thursday.

The eastbound detour between Aurora Avenue North and Wallingford Avenue North will be removed after Thursday’s morning commute. All lanes will be open by mid-day. That also means Metro’s eastbound Route 48 bus will return to its regular route along 85th Street.

Once that detour is gone, SDOT will begin restoring the detour route of North 80th Street to its original configuration between Linden Avenue North and Burke Avenue North. That means the left-turn restrictions from eastbound 80th Street onto Aurora will be removed and the roadway will be restriped to allow two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane.

This week, SDOT crews will be doing minor wrap up work all along NW/North 85th Street, including some electrical and storm drainage work, adjusting traffic signs, reinstalling bike racks, and final adjustments to the new asphalt and concrete roadway and sidewalks. All major construction will be done by the end of October.

Seattle Department of Transportation crews will restore an asphalt pathway on the east side of Third Avenue NW between NW 104th Street and NW 105th Street on Tuesday and Wednesday. The pathway was torn up for work on underground drainage facilities.

Crews will excavate and repave the pathway from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. At times, the roadway will be reduced to one lane, and pedestrians will have to use the sidewalk on the west side of Third Avenue NW.

Seattle Department of Transportation is wrapping up its nearly year-long repaving project along NW/North 85th Street from Ballard to I-5. The eastbound detour on North 85th Street will end sometime in mid-October, although minor construction will continue through the end of the month.

This week, SDOT will be doing final lane striping on Tuesday, and will continue sidewalk replacement work on the north and south sides of 85th. Crews also will be busy adjusting traffic signs, reinstalling bike racks, and replacing concrete panels between Linden and Aurora avenues north.

The intersection of North 85th Street and Aurora Avenue North has reopened a day early, because Seattle Department of Transportation crews finished paving work. The intersection had been scheduled to reopen by 6 a.m. Monday.

Seattle Department of Transportation will close the intersection on North 85th Street and Aurora Avenue North this weekend to complete paving north and south of the intersection. Lanes begin closing at 8 p.m. Friday, with all lanes closed by 10 p.m. The intersection will reopen by 6 a.m. Monday. This will be the last closure of the intersection as part of the nearly year-long repaving project along 85th Street.

All lanes on Aurora Avenue will be closed during this time; one westbound lane on North 85th Street will remain open. Detour routes will be clearly posted for drivers; pedestrian access will be maintained, and local access to residences and businesses will be provided.

Nearby residents and businesses should expect noise, dust, odor and vibrations during construction activities throughout the weekend.

Traffic will be detoured from the north at North 105th Street and from the south at Green Lake Way North (but local access to homes and businesses will remain).

The eastbound closure on North 85th Street between Aurora Avenue and Wallingford Avenue North remains in effect. The eastbound lanes between Greenwood and Aurora avenues will also be closed with eastbound traffic detoured to North 80th Street from Greenwood Avenue North to I-5.

And if you’re heading downtown on Aurora, please remember that Washington Department of Transportation crews are finishing up seismic work on the Aurora Avenue Bridge. They’ll be closing up to two lanes in each direction overnight (two northbound lanes closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., and two southbound lanes from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.)

Seattle Department of Transportation crews will wrap up construction work on NW 85th Street at 3rd Avenue NW tonight. They’ll be sealing concrete joints in the intersection, among other work. Expect traffic delays from 6-10 p.m. as lanes will be restricted. A uniformed police officer will direct traffic.

SDOT advises drivers to use caution, or avoid the area altogether.

The I-5 on-ramp at North 85th Street is scheduled to reopen tonight after being closed for paving work. The ramp will reopen as soon as final lane striping between Wallingford Avenue North and I-5 is complete.

Next week, Seattle Department of Transportation crews will begin removing roadway on the south side of 85th between Aurora Avenue North and Wallingford Avenue North, and will continue replacing sidewalks on the north side of 85th.

Access to/from N 85th St at the following side streets will be closed for roadway replacement:

• Midvale and Interlake Avenues N (north side) – closed until Tuesday.
• Stone and Ashworth Avenues N (south side) – closed starting Tuesday.

Construction activities and the eastbound closure will continue through the end of October.

Buses traveling eastbound on N 85th St will continue to use N 80th St during Phase 4.

Just a reminder that Seattle Department of Transportation has reopened the northbound and southbound I-5 off-ramps at North 85th Street. The ramps were closed over the weekend so road crews could grind concrete and pave on 85th Street between Wallingford Avenue North and I-5.

Eastbound traffic on that stretch and access to the I-5 on-ramp is scheduled to reopen by this Friday.

Seattle Department of Transportation is in the final stages of its massive repaving project of 85th Street from Ballard to I-5.

This weekend, crews will close the northbound I-5 off-ramp and westbound Banner Way NE overpass at North 85th Street from 10 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday.

Drivers can use the I-5 at NE 50th Street or North Northgate Way exits. Residents needing local access to North 85th Street between Wallingford Avenue North and I-5 should use Burke Avenue North.

SDOT will be completing noisy concrete grinding work this weekend (that work can go as late as 10 p.m.) Residents can expect a lot of noise, vibrations, dust and odors during the work. And they’ll be asphalt paving on North 85th Street between Densmore Avenue North and I-5 from 8 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Saturday (weather permitting).

85th between Greenwood Avenue North and Aurora Avenue North is now back open to traffic in two lanes in each direction, but eastbound detours will remain posted on Greenwood Avenue North and North 80th Street through the end of October to accommodate the work farther east on 85th. Eastbound Metro buses will continue to use North 80th Street.

The I-5 on-ramp at North 85th Street is scheduled to reopen next Friday, Aug. 31.

Seattle Department of Transportation will close both the northbound I-5 off-ramp and Banner Way NE overpass at North 85th Street this weekend for roadway grinding and paving of 85th between Densmore Avenue North and I-5.. The closure begins at 10 p.m. Friday and lasts until 5 a.m. Monday.

The work also will intermittently impact north and south access across North 85th Street at Wallingford Avenue North.

Drivers traveling on I-5 should use the NE 50th Street or N Northgate Way exits during the weekend closures. SDOT encourages drivers to continue following signed detour routes, plan ahead, expect delays, use alternate routes to and from I-5 and SR 99, and ride the bus, bike or walk when possible.

This weekend’s closures will occur simultaneously with other N 85th Street lane and I-5 on- and off-ramp closures that began earlier this month.

Metro bus routes will be affected by this work. Look for Rider Alert notices at the bus stops, see reroute information later this week on Metro Online www.kingcounty.gov/metro or call (206) 553-3000.

The entire N/NW 85th Street Paving Project is scheduled to be complete by the end of October. This project is funded by the 2006 Bridging the Gap levy passed by voters, and makes much-needed repairs to the two-mile stretch of N/NW 85th Street between 15th Avenue NW and I-5, and Greenwood Avenue N.

Don’t forget that the southbound I-5 off-ramps at North 85th Street will close at 10 p.m. Friday night, and remain closed for 17 days, as Seattle Department of Transportation works to complete its massive repaving project of 85th from Ballard to I-5.

Drivers will need to take the off-ramps at North 80th Street or North 105th Street by Northgate.

And the eastbound 85th Street on-ramp closure continues through the end of August. Drivers can access north and southbound I-5 on-ramps at North 80th Street to Banner Way NE, or via North 105th Street.