Beginning Monday, August 1, the contractor for Seattle City Light’s Denny Network Project (part of the Denny Substation Program) will begin final restoration work along Stewart Street between Minor Avenue and 6th Avenue. This work will affect commuters entering the city, particularly at the Stewart Street exit from southbound I-5. Beginning Wednesday, August 3, the contractor for Seattle City Light’s Denny Network Project (part of the Denny Substation Program) will begin final restoration work along Stewart Street between Minor Avenue and 6th Avenue. This work will affect commuters entering the city, particularly at the Stewart Street exit from southbound I-5.
Anticipated traffic restrictions:
- Weekday peak hours (5 a.m. to 10 a.m., Monday – Friday): There will be one lane closed and two general purpose lanes and one transit lane open. At times, there will be a split lane configuration of the roadway, with traffic flowing on either side of the closed lane. See graphic for an example of this traffic lane configuration.
- Other weekday hours (10 a.m. to 5 a.m., Monday – Friday): There will be two lanes closed and two general purpose lanes open, which will be shared by transit and all other vehicles.
- Weekend hours: If no work is scheduled, there will be one lane closed and two general purpose lanes and one transit lane open. If work is scheduled, there will be two lanes closed and two general purpose lanes open, which will be shared by transit and all other vehicles.
During the morning commute, only one lane will be closed.
Bicyclists who currently use this section of Stewart Street may continue to use the north curb lane, which remains open during construction. This transit lane is used for right turns by general purpose traffic, but is also marked as shared for cyclist use. All travelers should exercise additional caution during the Stewart Street lane closures. For more information on bike routes, please see SDOT’s interactive Bike Map at http://web6.seattle.gov/SDOT/BikeMap/.
Restoration of the Stewart Street roadway between Minor Avenue and 6th Avenue is anticipated to take approximately three months. This work is part of the Denny Network Project and is the next step in completing the installation of an underground electrical vault and duct bank system on Stewart Street. The contractor and Seattle City Light are coordinating with the Seattle Department of Transportation and adjacent private developments to conduct this work over the shortest period of time possible and to minimize impacts to traffic, pedestrians, businesses and residents.
Split lane configuration from 5AM-10AM
About the Denny Substation Program: As part of the Denny Substation Program, Seattle City Light is building a new substation and an underground electrical distribution network while designing a transmission line between the Denny and Massachusetts substations. The program will ensure more reliable power delivery to customers in and beyond the South Lake Union and Denny Triangle neighborhoods. The new substation, located on Denny Way near Stewart Street, will be City Light’s first and largest substation in 30 years. The Denny Substation Program will increase system-wide reliability and operational flexibility, achieving a major electrical system upgrade for the city of Seattle.
Seattle City Light is the 10th largest public electric utility in the United States. It has some of the lowest cost customer rates of any urban utility, providing reliable, renewable and environmentally responsible power to about 750,000 Seattle area residents. City Light has been greenhouse gas neutral since 2005, the first electric utility in the nation to achieve that distinction.