Fremont residents who live near the Aurora Bridge will have a few nights of relief from the month of expected nighttime noise surrounding the construction of a nine-foot safety fence over the bridge. WSDOT announced today that construction on the fence, which was scheduled to begin on Monday night, April 19, has been postponed due to an equipment problem. A new estimated start date for the work has not yet been announced.

From WSDOT:

When construction on the safety fence does begin, crews will work Sunday through Thursday nights and will work on one side of the bridge at a time. Construction will close two lanes and the adjacent sidewalk across the bridge from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly. WSDOT expects to finish installing the fence by the end of the year.

When construction does start up again, WSDOT says it will be extremely noisy. If you still haven’t received your free industrial strength earplugs, call 206-267-6019. Follow the fence project progress here. 

Just a reminder that starting tonight construction begins on the nine-foot-tall safety fence along the outer railing of the Aurora Bridge.  Two lanes of traffic will be closed Sunday through Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.  The sidewalk on the side of the bridge where work is taking place will also be closed during that time.  The barrier is designed to help deter people from jumping or falling from the bridge.   

Night work is expected to last through May and neighbors have been warned that it will get noisy.  The Department of Transportation is offering free industrial-strength earplugs to residents in the area who request it.  To receive earplugs, call 206-267-6019 or email phippsg@wsdot.wa.gov with your name, address and number of earplugs needed.  You can also keep track of construction updates through the WSDOT’s project page. 

The Seattle Department of Transportation is closing two northbound lanes on the Aurora Bridge from 12:30-2 p.m. today (Monday). The left and center lanes will be closed for emergency temporary expansion joint repairs. The right lane will stay open for traffic.

Expect some delays heading into downtown across the Fremont Bridge this week. The Seattle Department of Transportation plans to close the southbound lane and sidewalk again this week. They’re planning to work from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Crews will be repairing the sidewalk.

If you’re one of the hundreds of pedestrians and cyclists who cross the Fremont Bridge every day, here’s a minor detour to report. From Wednesday at 9 a.m. to Friday at 2:30 p.m., SDOT crews will be working on the sidewalk on the west side of the bridge, replacing the concrete panels. Foot and bicycle traffic will be detoured to the east side of the bridge, and drivers won’t be affected.

Plans to demolish the current Tacos Guaymas and build a residential building on top of a new Tacos Guaymas is moving ahead. Plans call for six units to sit atop the restaurant with parking for 14 cars below-grade.

At an upcoming meeting, the developer will present its plans for the development to the Design Review Board. There will also be an opportunity at this meeting for the public to weigh in on the project. The meeting is Monday, Oct. 13th at 8 p.m. at the Ballard High School Library (1418 NW 65th St.)

Construction may soon be one step closer at the former Safeway location at Stone Way & 39th Ave, sometimes called “the pit.”

Plans call for a 5-story building with 143 residential units and 7 live/work units to be built on the large lot. Nearly 17,000 square feet in retail space will be at street level and parking for 193 vehicles will be below grade.

Here’s one of the sketches of the development from a design review meeting in May. QFC bought the property back in 1993 and demolished the Safeway several years ago to make way for their grocery store. Earlier this year, Prescott Homes took over the property when QFC pulled out. Whether you’re for or against the plans, the city wants to hear from you. There is a community meeting tonight (Tuesday) from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the University Heights Community Center (5031 University Way NE).