We’re gearing up to pave a section of bike path along Shilshole Ave NW that currently crosses railway tracks beneath the Ballard Bridge. The new asphalt covering will allow people to bike through the area without crossing the tracks at a sharp angle. It will help transform the way bikers navigate through the area, reducing the need for bikers to slow down to cross the tracks.
We expect to complete the paving work this Thursday and Friday (Oct. 26 and 27), but work is weather-dependent and exact timing is subject to change. While this work is taking place, bike riders will need to detour around the work zone via 14th Ave NW and NW 46th St.
Diagram of paving area. Graphic: SDOT
The Seattle City Council passed legislation today allowing this work to move forward.
The legislation transferred an existing 30-year railway franchise agreement from the Ballard Terminal Railway Company to Meeker Southern Railroad. This agreement covered a portion of the former Burlington Northern and Santa Fe’s Fremont to Ballard Branch Line from 6th Ave NW to NW 67th St.
Following the legislation’s passage, the Ballard Terminal Railway Company and the Meeker Southern Railroad have agreed to allow the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to pave over a portion of the right-of-way covered by the franchise agreement. This section is located beneath the Ballard Bridge where a bike trail crosses the existing railroad tracks.
This area is part of the existing Burke Gillman Trail and has never been included in the “Missing Link” along Shilshole Avenue NW that has been litigated for years.
