If you ride on Ravenna Blvd, you are probably loving the fresh pavement and buffered bike lane that has been added. Crews working on the Seattle Department of Transportation’s (SDOT’s) project to repave NE Ravenna Boulevard between Green Lake and 15th Ave NE will continue paving across 65th Ave I-5 on- and off-ramps Monday night, June 4, at 10 p.m. At that time, crews will close:
- the on-ramp to southbound I-5 from NE Ravenna Boulevard,
- the NE 65th off-ramp from I-5, and
- the NE 50th Street on-ramp to northbound I-5
The ramps will reopen to traffic by 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, June 5. If you’re on-bike, this means you’ll have a reprieve from car traffic exiting I5.
Good news! The repaving of the westbound lanes of NE Ravenna Boulevard (on the north/northeast side of the street) from University Way NE to NE 65th Street has been accelerated and will begin on Monday morning, June 4, at 7:00 a.m.
Paving is expected to continue through Friday, June 8. Crews will work from 7:00 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. The I-5 ramps will remain open for this work (other than overnight on Monday, June 4), but motorists and bicyclists should expect street closures and parking restrictions on NE Ravenna Boulevard between 8th Avenue NE and University Way NE during work hours.
Paving is weather dependent. Should rain delay the repaving, the work may be delayed to the week of June 11.
To minimize construction impacts, the project was divided into two phases. The first phase, between Green Lake and I-5 (from E Green Lake Drive N to 8th Avenue NE) began in late March and has been completed. The second phase, running from NE 65th Street to 15th Avenue NE will be completed by the end of summer.
With a large portion of the pavement still torn up, remember to ride cautiously over the various cracks, debris, seams and edges. For more information on the NE Ravenna Boulevard Paving Project, visit the project website.
It’s great to see the repaving and the buffered bike lane. Will be much better than riding through the mine field that has existed there for years. That said, Ravenna Blvd badly needs improved bike access to Green Lake Park at the west end. Even with the repaving, the wide buffered bike lane essentially dead ends across Green Lake Way from the park, and you’re on your own to find a way across that hellish 5-way intersection. This is especially a problem for families, kids, inexperienced riders — precisely the kinds of folks we should be encouraging to bike to their Green Lake soccer games and picnics!
Thoughts on how to solve this?
I agree – for through cyclists, not an issue, but if you want to sneak over to Greenlake, the cars rule.
Wider crosswalks? Signs that say ‘Yield to peds and bikes?’ how about a big painted street mural???