Investing in the Health of the Sound and the Future of Our Region

Welcome to the Ship Canal Water Quality Project website! We’re happy you’re here.

We will continue to share updates about construction progress on this website, as they become available.

 

There's a lot going on at each site. For more information, please read our latest project email posted in the project library. 

Come meet the project team and learn about upcoming work in Ballard!

Hi Ballard neighbors! Join us for a drop-in session to learn more about construction for the new Seattle Public Utilities Ballard Pump Station and Conveyance Project starting soon:

Wallingford

We have some very exciting news to share with you! The section of Stone Way N between N 34th and N 35th Streets has officially reopened! Our construction work in this area is wrapping up and we will be clearing away equipment and detour signs in the coming days. Periodic temporary lane closures may still be necessary over the coming months, and flaggers will assist with traffic during those times.

N 34th St at Stone Way N, including the left turn lane from N Northlake Way onto westbound N 34th St has reopened. Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has reconnected the gas main.

Interlake Ave N is closed to through-traffic for utility installation for several more weeks and will remain closed for final pavement restoration through November. During this period, vehicle traffic on Interlake Ave N south of N 36th St will be local access only down to N 35th St. 

Work is weather dependent. We will continue to keep the website updated with the most current schedule information and provide updates in the project email we send out every two weeks. Sign up to receive our email to the right. 

Ballard

Later this fall, work will begin on the Ballard conveyance project and the Ballard pump station. The Ballard conveyance project includes the installation of a 2000-ft long, 60-in diameter pipeline in Ballard along 24th Ave NW, NW 56th St, and 28th Ave NW. The pump station will be built at the 107-ft deep, 80-ft diameter vertical shaft that was used for tunneling. The Pump Station and Ballard Conveyance contractor is expected to begin work in early November

We will continue to keep the website updated with the most current schedule information.

East Ballard

NW 45th St and 11th Ave NW are fully reopened and the Burke Gilman Trail (BGT) has been moved back to it’s original location. Periodic temporary lane closures may still be necessary over the coming month, and flaggers will assist with traffic during those times. Some landscaping, fencing, and commissioning work remains.

Fremont

Lane restrictions in Leary Way NW will continue through November for final paving. The contractor has started final restoration along Leary Way NW.

Queen Anne

Crews have completed site restoration. The Ship Canal Trail is currently open in its original configuration. There may be localized trail detours in coming months as needed for crews to work.

Support our local businesses

We understand the challenges of living and working in a construction area. We continue to keep an eye on neighborhood impacts across our project areas and add new signage for detours and safe access to businesses. Businesses are open and ready to serve the community. Please support local businesses and follow all detour signage and safety directions when traveling through the work area.

View archived project announcements

An aerial map of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project site. The base map shows the projected storage tunnel location, which runs along Shilshole Avenue Northwest in Ballard to North 35th Street in Wallingford. Project areas are shown as purple boxes, sites include Ballard (located near the intersection of 24th Avenue Northwest and Northwest Market Street), East Ballard (located near the intersection of Northwest 45th Street and 9th Avenue Northwest), Fremont (located near the intersection of North 36th Street and 3rd Avenue Northwest), Queen Anne (located near the intersection of Queen Anne Avenue North and West Nickerson Street) and Wallingford (located near the intersection of Interlake Avenue and North 35th Street).
Project Area (Click or tap image to enlarge)

Click on the project areas to learn more

Tunnel
Ballard
East Ballard
Fremont
Queen Anne
Wallingford

About the project

Seattle Public Utilities and King County Wastewater Treatment Division are building an underground storage tunnel to significantly reduce the amount of polluted stormwater (from rain) and sewage that flows into the Lake Washington Ship Canal, Salmon Bay, and Lake Union from our sewer system.

An aerial map of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project site. The base map shows the projected tunnel site as a dark blue line that runs from the eastern end of Fremont towards Ballard. A dotted line indicates the location of the existing pipe transfer, which runs from the end of the tunnel in Ballard to the West Point Treatment Plant, which is denoted as a black square. The areas served by the Ship Canal Water Quality project are highlighted in green and include: Crown Hill, Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford, Queen Anne, Capitol Hill and Downtown.
Map of storage tunnel alignment and the combined-sewer areas that will send flows to the new tunnel. (Click or tap image to enlarge)

Tunnel

MudHoney, the 18-ft diameter tunnel boring machine, completed its journey from Ballard to Wallingford in June 2023!

Animation with text: MudHoney, the 18-ft diameter tunnel boring machine, completed its journey from Ballard to Wallingford in June 2023!

Since the 1800s, 150 tunnels spanning over 70 miles have been constructed in Seattle for sewers, utility corridors, and transportation needs. The Ship Canal Water Quality Project includes a 2.7-mile, 18-ft and 10-in internal-diameter tunnel that extends from Ballard to Wallingford. Tunneling operations started in Ballard. The Ballard vertical access shaft construction started in 2020 with tunneling completion in 2023.

Ballard

Learn more about the Ballard site

Ballard is home to the western end of the tunnel and above-ground facilities supporting the tunnel. Tunnel boring started at this site before it made its way to Wallingford.

We started work at our site near 24th Ave NW and Shilshole Ave NW in 2018 to prepare for tunneling. This work included soil remediation, utility relocation, 24th Ave Pier replacement, and replacing a sewer outfall pipe.

Project elements in Ballard include:

  • A new pipe in Ballard that will convey polluted stormwater and sewage from the Ballard neighborhood into the storage tunnel. This pipe will run along 24th Ave NW, NW 56th St, and 28th Ave NW.
  • A new 80-ft tall pump station at the 107-ft deep, 80-ft diameter vertical shaft that was used for tunneling. The pump station will take flows from the tunnel to the West Point Treatment Plant.
  • A new 24th Ave NW Pier containing art inlays by artist Christian French (This pier is completed, publicly accessible, and managed by Seattle Department of Transportation.)

After construction is completed at the Ballard site, you can expect to see:

  • Ballard Pump Station (not publicly accessible):
    • 80-ft illuminated tower with above- and below-ground mechanical equipment and odor control
    • Maintenance yard with vehicle access
    • An urban tree farm 
    • Landscaping 
    • Fencing
  • 24th Ave NW Restoration 
    • Green stormwater infrastructure
    • Pedestrian improvements, including seating and bike racks  
    • Parking improvements 
    • Street-end improvements
    • Public art by artist Jeffrey Veregge

To learn more about the Ballard project site, read our fact sheet.

aerial map of area between 24th avenue North West and Shilshole Avenue Northwest. Tunnel barging operations are southwest of the 24th avenue pier in Salmon Bay. Dotted lines along 24th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 56th Street indicate locations for conveyance pipe alignment and microtunnel placement. A dark blue line that runs through Shilshole Avenue Northwest denotes the storage tunnel.
Construction area map (Click or tap image to enlarge)

East Ballard

Learn about the East Ballard site

Project elements in East Ballard include:

  • A new 55-ft deep, 10-ft diameter vertical shaft, also called a drop shaft, near the intersection of 11th Ave NW and NW 45th St to carry sewage to the new storage tunnel
  • A new below-grade structure to house mechanical, electrical, and odor control equipment
  • A new diversion structure, gate vault, and conveyance pipes to connect the existing sewer and stormwater overflow pipe to the storage tunnel

To learn more about the East Ballard project site, read our fact sheet.

aerial map shows area on Northwest 45th Street and is between 11th Avenue North West and 9th Avenue Northwest. Grey dotted lines along 45th Avenue Northwest and indicate the future missing link route, orange dotted lines along 45th Avenue Northwest indicate the proposed trail detour and green dotted lines indicate the Burke-Gilman Trail. The solid blue line on 11th Avenue Northwest indicates underground pipes..
Construction area map (Click or tap image to enlarge)

Fremont

Learn about the Fremont site

The 8-ft diameter conveyance tunnel boring machine reached its destination in Queen Anne in early February 2023! Crews are installing piping and an air duct inside the 8-ft diameter tunnel casing and working on the diversion structure.

Project elements in Fremont include:

  • A new 85-ft deep, 32-ft diameter vertical shaft, also called a drop shaft, to carry sewage and stormwater into the new storage tunnel
  • A new diversion structure and conveyance pipe to connect the existing sewer and stormwater overflow pipes to the storage tunnel 
  • A new 8-ft diameter conveyance tunnel under the Ship Canal to carry flows from Queen Anne to the storage tunnel
  • A new underground structure to house mechanical, electrical, and odor control equipment
A graphic rendering looking inside an eight-foot diameter storage tunnel. Three smaller white circles with colored borders inside the larger gray tunnel indicate different elements of the tunnel. Gray lines inside the tunnel represent temporary pipes.
Click or tap image to enlarge

Artists Preston Singletary and David Franklin collaborated on artwork for the Fremont and Queen Anne sites. This artwork is planned to be installed in 2024.

To learn more about the Fremont project site, read our fact sheet.

aerial map of the project sitesituated between Leary Way Northwest and the Burke Gilman Trail. The dotted orange line along first avenue Northwest and Northwest 36th Street denotes the pedestrian detour. A small blue line that runs from the project area and across the Ship Canal represents the microtunnel placement.
Construction area map (Click or tap image to enlarge)

Queen Anne

Learn about the Queen Anne site

Project elements in Queen Anne include:

  • A new 8-ft diameter tunnel under the Ship Canal to carry stormwater and sewage from Queen Anne to the new storage tunnel
  • A new 74-ft deep, 20-ft diameter vertical shaft, also called a drop shaft, to direct flows into the new 8-ft diameter tunnel
  • New structures and conveyance pipes to connect the existing sewer and stormwater overflow pipe to the new vertical shaft 

Artists Preston Singletary and David Franklin have collaborated on artwork for the Fremont and Queen Anne sites. This artwork is planned to be installed in 2024.

To learn more about the Queen Anne project site, read our fact sheet.

aerial map of project site situated along Third Avenue West and West Ewing Street. Green boxes within the project area indicate the following: underground pipes, cabinet, underground facility and drop shaft. A small blue line that runs from the project area and across the Ship Canal to Northwest 36th Street in Fremont represents the microtunnel placement.
Construction area map (Click or tap image to enlarge)

Wallingford

Learn about the Wallingford site

Wallingford marks the eastern end of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project and the location where tunneling ended underneath N 35th St and Interlake Ave N in June 2023. Construction will continue to take place on Stone Way N, N 34th St, N 35th St, and Interlake Ave N.

Project elements in Wallingford include:

  • A new 56-ft deep, 32-ft diameter vertical shaft, also called a drop shaft, near Stone Way N and N 35th St to convey stormwater and sewage into the tunnel
  • New conveyance pipe installation along Stone Way N and N 35th St to connect the existing sewer and stormwater overflow pipe to the storage tunnel 
  • A new small, above-ground electrical building near 3500 Interlake Ave N
  • New underground structures to house mechanical, electrical, and odor control equipment
  • Site and roadway restoration 
  • Public art by Ryan! Feddersen

Once construction at the Wallingford site is complete, SPU will retain ownership of the southern portion of the site. The site will be mostly fenced to secure utility equipment. The fenced area will house an aboveground electrical building, and several large, underground structures attached to the storage tunnel.

The design for the Wallingford site is complete. During design, our landscape architects reviewed the planting schemes for the North Transfer Station and the Carr Place Play Area. Their goal was to create a site that was unique to the neighborhood but still complemented the aesthetic of nearby open spaces.

Artist Ryan! Feddersen will design and install the artwork at this project site.

To learn more about the Wallingford project site, read our fact sheet.

A graphic rendering that depicts two individuals sitting on a concrete wall in front of landscaping and a black fence at the future Wallingford site.
Rendering of future Wallingford site. (click to enlarge)
A graphic rendering depicting a black electrical building at the future Wallingford site. A bicyclist is riding by the building on the road.
A rendering of the electrical building for the future Wallingford site. (click to enlarge)
An aerial landscape rendering that depicts the future Wallingford site. A black fence surrounds vegetation and buildings. The street to the left of the rendering is Interlake Avenue North and the street below the rendering is North thirty-fifth Street.
A landscape rendering plan for the future Wallingford site. (click to enlarge)
aerial map project site situated at the intersection of Interlake Avenue North and North 35th Street. A dark grey line that runs west from the project site along N 35th Street indicates the storage tunnel.
Construction area map (Click or tap image to enlarge)