Work on the West Maplewood Avenue sidewalk and repaving project to improve safety and accessibility has reached a critical phase. The City of Bellingham's project contractor will need to close a portion of the street to install a major stormwater quality vault beneath the roadway.
The section between 2612 W. Maplewood (Neto's Market & Bakery) and 2626 W. Maplewood (Bellingham Masonic Center) is scheduled for a two-week closure from 7 a.m. Monday, Oct. 16 through 7 a.m. Monday, Oct. 30. During the closure period, there will be no through traffic access for vehicles. Due to the nature of the work, the closure will be in-place 24 hours per day, including evenings, nights and weekends. (The vault installation work will be done during daylight hours in the closure period.)
Local driveway access will be provided for businesses and residences within the restricted work zone. During construction hours, flaggers will be on duty to direct vehicles and pedestrians to access points in and around the work zone. Sidewalk access through the work zone will remain open for pedestrians; bicyclists will be required to dismount and walk their bikes.
The street project, which began Aug. 28, will improve pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle safety along West Maplewood Avenue between Northwest and Alderwood avenues. In addition to resurfacing, the project will add curb, gutter and sidewalks to the east side of the street, add bicycle lanes in both directions, and improve street lighting and accessibility by bringing curbing and intersections up to current standards required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The W. Maplewood corridor has been identified as a high-priority multimodal connection by the Birchwood Neighborhood Plan, as well as the City of Bellingham's Bicycle and Transportation Improvement Plan, required by State law, includes all pending street projects as designated by the City's Comprehensive Plan (section on Transportation) and is intended to ensure City streets are safe, maintained and accessible.
