Department of Natural Resources and Parks - DNRP, King County, Washington
Feb. 7, 2008

Sewer improvement project gets under way near Alki Beach Park

Traffic, Metro bus routes temporarily affected during construction

Park users and water enthusiasts can look forward to safer beaches and a healthier Puget Sound as King County begins a sewer improvement project at its 53rd Street Pump Station.

Construction will begin this month on upgrades to the 50-year-old facility near Alki Beach Park in West Seattle. Improvements will increase system reliability and performance by tripling the pump station&'s underground capacity to serve growth while protecting views and access to recreational areas.

The project will also include replacing aging equipment, and provide safer on-site access for utility crews performing operation and maintenance tasks. Other improvements will enable better off-site monitoring of flows to and from the pump station.

The project improvements will also help control combined overflows of stormwater and sewage that occur near the pump station during very heavy rains, supporting the county&'s mission to protect public health, the environment and reduce pollution discharges in Puget Sound.

Construction is expected to take about 20 months with completion in fall 2009.

While work is under way, there will be no on-street parking next to the construction site on Alki Avenue Southwest, and flaggers will direct traffic, which will be reduced to one lane in each direction during work hours. People should expect short travel delays, especially during summer months when there are more beach and park users in the area, and pedestrians and cyclists should use caution.

Construction will also affect Metro bus routes 37 and 53 as several stops in the immediate vicinity of the project will be temporarily closed.

Throughout this project, King County will work closely with its contractor, MKB Constructors of Kirkland, to minimize impacts to the community, respond to concerns and provide information about work activities and traffic revisions.

For specific questions or concerns about the project, please call the 24-hour construction hotline at 206-205-5656.

For more information about the project, visit the project Web site at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/projects/westseattle/53rdAvePS/ or call 206-684-1207 or 711 TTY Relay.

People enjoy clean water and a healthy environment because of King County's wastewater treatment program. The county's Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and water quality by serving 17 cities, 17 local sewer districts and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional clean-water agency now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for more than 40 years.