The second half of August brings harbingers of fall such as earlier sunsets and cooler night temperatures. The City continues to have multiple capital projects and maintenance projects in full swing; projects will affect traffic. In addition, as we progress through summer, continue to expect more pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle traffic around town. Due to continued threat of COVID-19, City construction work will be assessed on a day-by-day basis. As always, please pay attention to Health Department recommendations and travel with care.
2020 TBD Projects and 40th Street Sidewalk
The 40th Street Sidewalk and 2020 TBD Projects is underway stormwater installation work at Laurel/N. Garden and sidewalk installation at 14th/Old Fairhaven Parkway. Flaggers will allow for local access. Expect possible delays when traveling through this project site. For more information, visit the 2020 TBD Projects and 40th Street Sidewalk website or contact Freeman (Fritz) Anthony, P.E., project engineer, at fanthony@cob.org or (360) 778-7924.
Jefferson Street and Monroe Street Maintenance Project
On Jefferson Street and Monroe Street, west of Meridian Street, Public Works crew will be grinding open cracks in roadways and filling with tar/sealant. In phase one of this arterial street maintenance project, crews will grind and vacuum out the cracks, the following week in phase two they will fill cracks with sealant. Roadways will remain open, flaggers will control traffic when necessary. For more information, contact Dan Larsen, Street Division Supervisor, at dllarsen@cob.org or (360) 778-7700.
2020 Watermain Replacement project
The 2020 Watermain Replacement project will replace a watermain on Donovan Avenue from Connelly Creek to 36th Street, and on 35th Street from Donovan Avenue to one block north. Beginning on August 24, a steel casing will be installed for the watermain under the Connelly Creek culvert. Work has also begun on the east end of the project on Donovan Avenue between I-5 and 36th Street. The affected blocks will be closed to through traffic, with the exception of Donovan Avenue between 30th and 32nd Streets, which will be maintained as one lane during working hours and returned to two lane traffic at the end of each day. Flaggers will allow for local access. Expect detours for affected closures. For more information, visit the 2020 Watermain Replacement Project website or contact Craig Mueller, P.E., project engineer, at camueller@cob.org or (360) 778-7922.
Squalicum Creek Reroute – phase 3 and 4 project (pictured)
The Squalicum Creek Reroute – phases 3 and 4 project will fill in approximately ¾ of Bug Lake and create a new channel to the south, under Squalicum Parkway, in a new culvert. The lake will be converted to its original state as a forested wetland. The project will improve water quality in Squalicum Creek and will provide additional habitat for salmonids while improving riparian habitat. Flaggers will be present near Bug Lake for creation of a traffic bypass in preparation for the new culvert installation. Please expect minor delays. For more information, visit the Squalicum Creek Reroute Project website or contact Craig Mueller, P.E., project engineer, at camueller@cob.org or (360) 778-7922.
Meridian Street Water Quality Improvements
The Meridian St. water quality project on Meridian Street (State Route 539) between Bakerview Road and Stuart Road will install 17 water quality devices to treat roadway runoff. This work will occur at night between 7 PM and 7 AM, Monday through Friday. The highway will remain open with lane closures and lane shifts in place to facilitate construction. Flaggers will be present to provide additional traffic and pedestrian control as necessary. For more information, contact Larry Scholten, P.E., project engineer, at ljscholten@cob.org or (360) 778-7923.
2020 Overlay – Bill McDonald and Britton Road project
The 2020 Overlay – Bill McDonald and Britton Road project is largely complete with paving marking work and site restoration underway along Bill McDonald Parkway and Britton Road. Flaggers will allow for local access and direct travelers to area detours. For more information, visit the 2020 Overlay – Bill McDonald and Britton Road website or contact Freeman (Fritz) Anthony, P.E., project engineer, at fanthony@cob.org or (360) 778-7924.
Annual Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation project
The Annual Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation project, with various locations throughout the City, is underway with the CIPP placement, cleanup and restoration to finalize the project. The cured in place pipe (CIPP) crews have completed cleaning the sewer pipes with CIPP placement postponed until Monday, August 17, 2020 in order of location 11, 12, 13, 4, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 17, & 10. Once the main sewer CIPP is in place the crews will then follow with the sewer service line CIPP placement in the same order. For more information and a site map with locations listed visit the Annual Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project website or contact Aric Smathers, P.E., project engineer, at arsmathers@cob.org or (360) 778-7942.
Lake Padden Park – Sewer project
Work to upgrade the sewer facilities and pump stations is nearing completion, as the remaining components are installed and piping is tied over to the new system. The areas affected include the dog park restroom, playground restroom and the pump house. As we move forward with the final phase of this project, the restrooms will be intermittently offline in the coming weeks, but we will have portable bathrooms in place when needed. Please use caution in and around the work zones. For more information, visit the Lake Padden Lift Stations project webpage or contact Larry Scholten, P.E., project engineer, at ljscholten@cob.org or (360) 778-7923.
West Horton project
The West Horton Road project is underway with utility and culvert installation within the Horton Road right-of-way. Construction traffic may be encountered at the connection to Aldrich Road. Expect possible delays when traveling near this project site. For more information, visit the West Horton Road phase 1 website or contact Freeman (Fritz) Anthony, P.E., project engineer, at fanthony@cob.org or (360) 778-7924
Cordata Park – phase 1
Cordata Park construction is near completion. Contractor will need to access the site with small trucks and the occasional large truck delivery to complete punchlist items during the last half of August and first half of September. For more information, visit the Cordata Park project web page or contact project manager Jonathan Schilk at jschilk@cob.org or (360) 778-7000.
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)
WSDOT’s Hoag’s Creek fish passage project (intersection of Chuckanut Drive/Old Samish Road) is part way through a 14-day full road closure; the road is scheduled to remain closed through August 17 to replace a culvert. The culvert that runs under State Route 11/Chuckanut Drive is currently a 24-inch concrete culvert too small and too high from the surface of the creek; this culvert will be replaced with a 12-foot round culvert which will allow coastal cutthroat tour, steelhead and other aquatic species access upstream habitat. For more information, visit WSDOT’s Hoag’s Creek fish passage project website.
Drivers can get real-time traffic information on their phone with the WSDOT traffic app, tracking the WSDOT north Twitter feed, and get advanced information from the WSDOT construction page. For ongoing information on current local projects, check out https://wsdot.wa.gov/projects
Whatcom County
For updates on County projects near Bellingham, visit http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/308/Public-Works. Subscribe to Whatcom County Public Works email newsletter here.
We provide this “capital project report” as a public service based on currently available information. When traveling through a construction area – whether walking, cycling or driving – please be patient, travel with care and always obey flaggers. In dark conditions, please make sure you’re visible to others. Planned road closures and restrictions are necessary to allow for a variety of work including resurfacing, sidewalk construction, water and sewer main work, and utility cuts. Dates, times and work locations may vary, depending on inclement weather or last-minute changes in work schedules. Questions? Contact AskPW@cob.org.
