Next week state crews will be striping Old Fairhaven Parkway (SR 11) overnight on May 19. As well, there are some lane closures along Bakerview at I-5 for striping. And the Port of Bellingham is working to repave Schultz Drive by the waterfront, while the County continues work on Marine Drive, slowing traffic to one lane at times. Meanwhile, City crews have begun seasonal alley grade work and the annual watermain flushing, which is wrapping up, could impact local streets. It is important to travel with care. Projects with likely traffic impacts:
Mill Avenue overlay
Crews are installing curb, gutter, sidewalk and retaining walls for the Mill Street overlay project and will continue over the next few weeks. Residents can expect access limitations and substantial traffic impacts as the contractor continues work which includes tree removal in some areas. Road closures and one-way access – including along Samish Way – and narrowed roadways, such as on 40th, will occur and detours will be posted. For more information, visit the Mill Avenue overlay project website or contact Freeman Anthony P.E. at fanthony@cob.org or (360) 778-7924.
City Operations Center – Pacific and Carolina streets
At the site of the City’s new administrative services center, plumbing and electrical work is underway on most floors, while the interior and exterior framing is taking shape, with roofers on-site. Iron workers have placed stairs in the northern stairwell. Across the yard in the southwest corner, phase two continues: demolition of the old storage barn and small building is complete, while excavation for grade, plumbing pipes and drains and electrical conduit are in progress. The foundation is being poured in sections; that work will continue through May. While a section of Nevada Street is closed to traffic due to construction, the sidewalk remains open. There may be occasional truck traffic. To learn more about any of this work, visit the project webpage or contact Chris Jacox, at cjjacox@cob.org or (360) 778-7700.
West Cemetery Creek water quality improvements
The West Cemetery Creek Water Quality Improvement project includes work to install sediment control-and-capture structures along with stormwater outfall repairs within a portion of the Creek. These improvements will help reduce sediment in the creek and improve its stability. The project includes installation of large woody debris and repair of existing outfalls. Work was suspended over the winter. This summer, work areas will be along the westbound lanes of Lakeway and Old Lakeway drive. Trail closures are posted and marked, with alternate routes identified. For more information visit the West Cemetery Creek Water Quality Improvements or West Cemetery project webpage or contact Freeman Anthony P.E. at fanthony@cob.org or (360) 778-7924.
State and Ellis – bridge replacement
A project to replace an 80-year-old wood-supported bridge on one of the major traffic routes through Bellingham continues. The project provides a new single span concrete structure over Whatcom Creek. The wooden piles within Whatcom Creek have been removed and the in-stream habitat below the bridge restored. The bridge is now open with some work remaining to be completed, such as road striping and cleanup. The road striping will be placed when the weather allows. All remaining work will be completed with lane closures, the road will not be closed again for the project. Typical work hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with intermittent lane closures. For more information, please contact Aric Smathers, P.E. project engineer, at (360) 778-7942 or arsmathers@cob.org or visit the State and Ellis bridge replacement project webpage.
Stormwater facility rebuild – Park Place
The stormwater facility at 123 Park Place, east of Britton Road and North Shore Drive, is being rebuilt to remove phosphorus from stormwater heading into Lake Whatcom. Stormwater will be treated with Phosphorus Optimized Stormwater Treatment (POST) material, or media, which is a soil mixed with other components to facilitate the removal of the phosphorus from the stormwater before it is released into the lake. The POST system is a new stormwater treatment system; this is the first full-size system installed with the POST media for stormwater treatment. During the project, travelers can expect increased traffic during construction and intermittent lane closures on North Shore Drive and adjacent to the road. Crews have completed installation of the POST media. The only remaining work is electrical work, cleanup and landscaping. There will not be any work at the project location until the electrical contractor is on-site in May; the project will be complete by the end of the month. The seasonal exemption is complete and the only remaining work is not land-disturbing. For more information, please contact Aric Smathers, P.E. project engineer, at (360) 778-7942 or arsmathers@cob.org or visit the Park Place Water Quality Facility Reconstruction project webpage.
Sanitary sewer rehab – Whatcom Creek
At times over the next couple months bypass and sewer rehabilitation work will require closure and detouring of a portion of the Whatcom Creek trail and may include short-term impacts to traffic on James Street or Meador Avenue south of the creek. A map of the trail closure is available on the project webpage. The project limits start near the auto dealership at the intersection of Nevada Street and Whatcom Creek, and continue west along Whatcom Creek trail, around another car dealership, through the Bellingham School District bus property, and should continue south on Humboldt Street, west on Fraser Street, through the Bellingham Housing Authority, south on Franklin Street, across Ellis Street and along York Street ending just west of State Street. For more information and a site map visit the Whatcom Creek Trunk Main website or contact Craig Mueller, P.E., the project engineer, at camueller@cob.org or (360) 778-7922.
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)
Some WSDOT work is underway near I-5 at Bakerview that could impact traffic. Drivers can get real-time traffic information on their phone with the WSDOT traffic app or via the WSDOT north Twitter feed.
Whatcom County
Work continues on Marine Drive, near Bellingham, with access reduced to one lane at times. For updates on other County projects near Bellingham, visit the Whatcom County Public Works website. There is an option to subscribe for regular updates.
This report is provided as a public service based on currently available information. When traveling through a construction area – whether walking, cycling or driving – please be patient and obey flaggers. When it’s dark, 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 weather or last-minute changes in work schedules. For more information, email AskPW@cob.org.
