We’ve all dealt with the headaches and hassles of the Mercer East construction phases as SDOT works to turn Mercer into a two-way street between I-5 and 1st Ave N. Well, get ready, Mercer West starts in April, just a few weeks away. The Mercer West phase continues through mid-2015.
The April construction begins the widening of Mercer to 3 lanes in each direction between Dexter and 5th Ave N, converting the existing four eastbound lanes to two lanes in each direction between 5th Ave N and 1st Ave N.
First up in this phase is widening Mercer under the SR 99 overpass and reconstructing the SR 99 bridge – during this construction, Mercer will be reduced to two eastbound lanes between 5th Ave N and Dexter starting in May and SR 99 will be reduced to two lanes in each direction between Harrison St and Valley St.
In late April, to prep for construction impacts, signal adjustments and additions are on tap for the intersections of 5th Ave N & Harrison St, Dexter & Republican, and Broad & Harrison. Broad St will also be re-opened to two-way traffic during this phase.
When completed, Mercer will have additional left-turn lanes, widened sidewalks, and a bicycle path between Dexter and 5th Ave N. Roy St will also become a two-way street with bicycle lanes between 5th Ave N and Queen Anne Avenue N.
If you have any questions or concerns about this phase of Mercer construction, there’s a free public Open House tonight (Thursday) with SDOT and the construction company. It’ll be held at the Seattle Center Rainier Room from 4:30pm to 7pm.