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.