SEATTLE — Some north Seattle residents are fed up with traffic detouring through their neighborhood due to an ongoing construction project in neighboring Shoreline.
Now, they're asking the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to do something about it.
"At it's worst point, I'm unable to leave my driveway," said Dan French. "I almost got into an accident [Thursday]."
French lives on Third Avenue Northeast, just off Northeast 130th Street, which about is less than one mile south of the Shoreline project.
The one-block stretch of 145th Street between First Avenue Northeast and Fourth Avenue Northeast has been closed since April as crews work to widen the roadway as part of a traffic improvement project. The roadway, which provides direct access to Interstate 5, was expected to reopen in November but was recently extended into 2025.
French said he's tried reaching out to SDOT to see if the city can do anything to help slow the influx of traffic coming into residential neighborhoods.
"I was a little frustrated at that conversation," he said. "I've sent a list of questions that I thought were important safety issues for this area and nobody's responded."
On Thursday, SDOT told KING 5 the department is aware of the issue and provided a written statement, along with a list of changes made by its traffic signal team, including:
- Upgraded signal infrastructure at 130th Avenue Northeast and 1st Avenue Northeast, including enhanced communication to the signals.
- Added a CCTV camera at 1st Avenue Northeast and 130th to monitor traffic conditions in real time.
- Monitored and adjusted signal timing along 130th, with a focus on 1st/130th, to reduce queuing on southbound 1st Avenue while ensuring smooth movement on 130th.
"We are also actively discussing further mitigation measures due to the extension of the 145th Street closure. We appreciate your patience as we continue to monitor and address the situation," the SDOT statement said.
"This is a complex project involving multiple agencies that must all work together,” the city of Shoreline said in a previous statement. “If one part is delayed, it can have a cascading effect on the rest of the project timeline.”