Holly Street is truly the “gateway” into downtown Bellingham and the need for repair of sidewalks and uneven pavement has been increasing yearly.
The Holly Street Gateway Improvements will be made along the entire corridor from Lakeway/Ellis to State Street and will include replacement of all curb, gutter and sidewalk, the addition of new traffic signals and street lighting, as well as new street plantings and road resurfacing. Sidewalk bulb-outs will be provided at several intersections, improving pedestrian safety at street crossings.
The local firm of Strider Construction was selected as primary contractor on the job. In addition, we have collaborated with Puget Sound Energy and other service providers to move overhead cable, wire and fiber utilities within the project area under ground. The benefits of undergrounding include safety and service reliability as well as aesthetics.
The downside is that construction is never easy. There will be additional noise during the business day, some traffic delays, and short-term parking and access challenges will be inevitable. We will try our best to keep these temporary inconveniences to a minimum.
Since this portion of Holly Street has not received a major repair for many years, undetected underground apparatus, such as basement vaults or trolley car rails, may result in project delays.
Work will occur between the hours of 7 am and 7 pm. Two traffic lanes will remain open during peak hours.
The result will not only be a safer, better “Holly Gateway” for vehicles, but a more usable and inviting area for residents and customers.
The Holly Street Gateway Improvements project was listed number three on the 2006-2011 Transportation Improvement Plan, approved in June of 2005. The project is estimated to cost $1,976,461. Funding is coming from the Street Fund and second quarter Real Estate Excise Tax, which is commonly used for pedestrian and bicycle improvements.
For more information contact:
Project Engineer
Public Works Department
