The next two months will be a squeeze on E Madison as it crosses Capitol Hill as construction to create the new  $134-million RapidRide G bus line continues across the area.

The latest update on the project will require eastbound traffic to move off the busy street between 15th and 18th Ave beginning as early as next Monday, November 15th:

• Beginning as early as Monday, November 15, construction crews will need to reduce traffic on E Madison St to one westbound travel lane (towards downtown) between 15th Ave and 18th Ave
  • People traveling east toward Madison Valley should use alternate routes. A detour via Union Street at 12th Ave will be signed.

The Seattle Department of Transportation says crews will demolish and rebuild the inner traffic lanes during the around two-month closure. Detours will be removed over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years holidays.

During the two months, bus stops in this area will be closed or relocated and buses heading east from downtown will use a different route, SDOT says. Check King County Metro’s Transit Alerts page for updates.

While the city says it cannot provide financial support for impacts to residents, organizations, and businesses facing three years of construction, officials are touting existing mitigation opportunities like the Small Business Stabilization Fund that can provide $5,000, $10,000 and $20,000 grants “to be used on operational expenses such as rent, wages, equipment and more.” City Halls recently also added another  $2,000,000 from federal relief funds for $1,000 grants for businesses that are required to enforce vaccination verification.

The work follows early segment by segment construction across the 2.4-mile route for the new King County Metro RapidRide line. The RapidRide G line is planned to open in 2024 when it will provide service every six minutes during most hours of the day between 1st Ave downtown and MLK in Madison Valley with stops across First Hill and Capitol Hill along the way.

During the ongoing construction, expect noise, dust, and vibration, plus “nighttime and weekend work, as needed,” along with pedestrian detours, utility shut-offs, traffic detours and “temporary driveway, road, and lane closures” as crews rip up pavement and upgrade the roadway.

Near 16th and Madison, the work has dug up elements of Seattle’s transit past as crews have removed old rail ties from the city’s previous streetcar systems. Similar work on Broadway to create the present day First Hill Streetcar also brought old track artifacts to the surface.

The rest of November will be a busy time for early work on Capitol Hill and First Hill segments of the new enhanced bus route. Here are details from SDOT on the coming work schedule for those areas.

• First Hill:
  • Upcoming potholing (i.e. digging to confirm locations of underground utilities) between 7th Ave and Terry Ave begins as early as November 19
    • Potholing will involve light demolition for crews to locate underground utilities
    • Crews will work on the north side of Madison St
• Capitol Hill:
  • Madison St between 15th and 18th avenues
    • Street demolition on the north side of Madison St between 15th and 16th avenues is nearly complete. Thank you for your patience during this work!
      • Street paving will begin as early as next week and last for approximately one week
    • Beginning as early as November 8, the construction team plans to demolish and pave the north side of Madison St between 16th and 17th avenues
      • Demolition and paving will each last approximately one week
      • The construction team will also need to demolish and repave part of the intersection at Madison St and 16th Ave
        • This work is tentatively planned to happen during a weekend; we will share a specific date once the work is scheduled
    • Beginning as early as November 15th, the construction team will begin demolishing the north side of the street between 17th and 18th avenues
      • The construction team will pave the street the following week
      • We will coordinate with residents and businesses with driveways on E Madison St in advance of this work

You can keep track of construction updates here.

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