The Fairview Ave N Bridge connecting South Lake Union to Eastlake will close for 18 months Monday.
As we reported previously, the biking, walking and transit detour will be routed via Eastlake Ave and Aloha Street. People driving southbound will be directed to continue south on Eastlake Ave to Stewart Street or any of the many streets into South Lake Union along the way. Northbound, people headed to Eastlake will be directed out of downtown via Howell Street.
This is hillier than the current bridge option, for sure. But the real effectiveness of the bike detour will come down to whether they can maintain low and slow car traffic levels on the street. The plan notes Aloha as “local traffic only,” but will many people just drive there anyway? And given how many jobs are located in the area, there may be quite a bit of “local traffic.” I guess we’ll find out Monday.
Additionally, the car detour could make Eastlake Ave more stressful for people who currently bike that route. So even if you don’t use the bridge, this change may affect your route. So just be prepared and give yourself a little extra time starting Monday.
In our previous post, we also discussed some options for avoiding the area entirely. (more…)
