Road restrictions for Dec. 11-15

Holiday events, early dusk, street construction impact traffic

December 08, 2017 - by Amy Cloud, Communications and Outreach

​We're into the holiday season which may mean wintry weather, early darkness and extra traffic. Plus there could be delays on some routes due to street construction projects.  (There's also a PSE project along Ohio Street which will involve some night work over the next few weeks.)  Now that it's dark so early, it is increasingly important to watch for pedestrians who may be in dark clothing, as well as cyclists and other cars. Please travel with care!

Cornwall Avenue at Laurel Street
Work is now underway on the waterfront: the Granary Avenue and Laurel Street project will include new public and franchise utilities, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, parking, landscaping and street lighting, as well as street access to the waterfront. Drivers should expect construction equipment and delivery vehicles coming and going from the former GP waterfront area at Chestnut as well as the Cornwall and Laurel intersection. For more information, contact Freeman Anthony, P.E., project engineer, at fanthony@cob.org or (360) 778-7924.

West Maplewood Avenue – Northwest Ave to Alderwood Ave
Construction on this multimodal improvement project – to improve sidewalks, street surfacing, bike lanes, drainage, access and illumination – is headed to hiatus.  Beginning the week of Dec. 18, construction work will be on hold for winter, due to availability of paving materials and weather.  The project site will be stabilized, and the contractor will remove equipment from the corridor. Work is expected to resume in late February 2018.  Next week, and when construction resumes, residents should expect flagging, temporary lane revisions, on-street parking restrictions, and intermittent delays. For more information, visit the City's web page for the West Maplewood Multimodal Improvements, or contact Stephen Day, P.E., project engineer, at smday@cob.org or (360) 778-7944.

James Street at Woodstock Way
As of Friday afternoon, Dec. 8, both Woodstock Way and James Street are fully open to traffic; however, in the words of the project engineer, “that doesn't mean we're done. There are little items that can be done while traffic has full use” and the timing of some, like light poles that have to be built, are affected by the holidays as “light pole galvanizers have families too.” The project is being done to improve safety as well as pedestrian and bicycle route connectivity.  For more, visit the City's web page, Woodstock Intersection Improvements, or contact Craig Mueller, P.E., project engineer, camueller@cob.org or (360) 778-7922. 

Silver Beach Ave and Arbor Court
Construction on the City's new water pretreatment plant inside Whatcom Falls Park is underway 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with occasional later hours, Monday-Friday. Park visitors may experience traffic associated with that work with periodic flagging and limited trail access. Construction may be impacted by inclement weather. Parking at Arbor Court and adjacent access to the waterline trail is closed through 2018. For more information, visit the City's web page at DAF Water Treatment Plant or contact Freeman Anthony, P.E., project engineer, at fanthony@cob.org or (360) 778-7924.

WSDOT and Whatcom County
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) often have projects scheduled in or near Bellingham. To find out, visit https://wsdot.wa.gov/projects.  For updates on Whatcom County Public Works traffic projects near Bellingham, visit http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/308/Public-Works.

Your Public Works team provides this “road report” as a public service, based on currently available information. When traveling through a construction area – whether walking, cycling or driving – please be patient, proceed with caution and obey flaggers at all times. 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 change, depending on inclement weather or last-minute changes in work schedules. For questions, contact AskPW@cob.org.


Media Contact

 Paul Reed, Construction Manager
City of Bellingham - Public Works  
(360) 778-7929
preed@cob.org


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