Route 40 construction continues in downtown Ballard: What’s happening now

Meghan Walker Ballard

The project to improve the Route 40 bus corridor is ongoing in Ballard, with work currently happening on NW Market St and Leary Ave NW.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is working on several sections of Ballard as part of the Route 40 Transit Plus Multimodal Corridor Project. SDOT says that the project will reduce average transit times on Route 40 by 8.7% during the peak periods, which equates to 5.7 minutes saved per trip.

Here’s what’s happening in Ballard and beyond (from SDOT):

  • NW Market St between Ballard Ave NW and 22nd Ave NW
    • Crews have completed concrete and sidewalk work on the north side of NW Market St and sidewalk improvements on the east side of 22nd Ave NW and NW Market St.
    • Crews plan for sidewalk work followed by sidewalk/curb restoration on the west side of 22nd Ave NW.
  • Leary Ave NW
    • Between 20th Ave NW and NW Market St:
      • Construction for the new large concrete sidewalk extensions near Olympic Athletic Club continues through November. Pavement milling has been completed and crews plan for sidewalk and roadway paving in early December. Vehicles can expect partial street closures on 20th Ave NW, between Leary Ave NW and Ballard Ave NW for the remainder of the month. The new median island at the midblock crosswalk of 20th Ave NW and Leary Ave NW has been constructed and another at 20th and Leary is expected to be completed by mid December. Please use caution and pay attention to your surroundings if you’re walking or driving through this intersection.
    • Between NW Dock Pl and NW Ione Pl:
      • Crews are expected to wrap up sidewalk work by early to mid-December on Leary Ave NW between NW Dock Pl and NW Ione Pl. Community members can expect larger bus bulbs in both directions of Leary Ave NW. Median islands are also being installed at both bus bulb locations. Crews have installed new bus stop foundations and partial sidewalk on Leary Ave NW.
    • Neighbors should expect to see temporary lane reductions, parking restrictions, sidewalk detours, and temporary driveway impacts in select areas of Leary Ave NW throughout the Fall. Construction is typically weekdays and select weekends from 7 AM – 4 PM.
  • Holman Rd NW (between 3rd Avenue NW and NW 103rd St)
    • Work on Holman Rd NW has not started yet. We will continue to share updates when we expect to begin. Once construction starts, the contractor will need to have temporary lane restrictions. Travelers can expect delays. Pedestrians will be detoured to the northwest side of Holman Road NW.
  • North Aurora
    • We are hoping to wrap up work on the bus zone improvements on Aurora Ave N and N 105th St/N Northgate Way by this Fall.
  • Westlake Ave N
    • Crews will begin prepping for construction on Westlake Ave N near Halladay St. Community members can expect to see construction crews starting as soon as mid-December. Crews plan to survey, trench, and install conduit for the new pedestrian crossing. Due to inclement weather, this work was postponed.
    • Construction impacts neighbors can expect to see are parking restrictions, lane reductions, detours, noise, dust, and debris.
    • Halladay St will be closed during construction hours.
    • Construction is typically weekdays and select weekends from 7 AM – 4 PM.

The Route 40 transit project started in June 2024, and SDOT expects to finish by 2026.

Photo: Crew members perform trenching work for new pipes and cables with the help of an excavator in Ballard (SDOT)