Phase 2 of Northgate construction begins

You’ve probably figured out by now that avoiding Northgate is your best way to avoid major traffic woes this summer because of the NE Northgate Way and Fifth Avenue NE Intersection and Pedestrian Improvements Project. That’s not ending anytime soon.

Tomorrow the second phase begins, as the Seattle Department of Transportation builds a second left-hand turn lane for westbound traffic on Northgate Way turning onto southbound Fifth Avenue Northeast. This phase also includes extending the right-hand turn lane for northbound traffic on Fifth Avenue turning eastbound onto Northgate Way. Which means, one-lane travel will continue through mid-September as follows:

• Eastbound NE Northgate Way from Third to Eighth avenues
• Westbound NE Northgate Way from Third to Eighth avenues
• Northbound Fifth Avenue NE from just south of Key Bank through the intersection
• Southbound Fifth Avenue NE from NE Northgate Way to just south of Key Bank

Eastbound Northgate Way will remain one lane until project completion, which is scheduled before Thanksgiving. A news release from SDOT continues:

Today crews are preparing for phase two, salvaging plants along NE Northgate Way, east of Fifth Avenue NE, to make room for road and sidewalk improvements. On Thursday, crews will remove trees on NE Northgate Way.  For each tree removed for this project, the City will plant two in the immediate neighborhood.

Normal work hours will be 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with possible weekend work 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. During construction, pedestrians, cyclists and drivers are advised to use caution and expect frequent delays and increased congestion.