Denny Way Paving Project

Paving, sidewalk repair and pedestrian ramps

Updated: August 13, 2025

What's happening now?

We have completed our paving work on Denny Way!

We’re pleased to announce that the asphalt paving for the Denny Way Paving project is now complete! 

With this major milestone achieved, the project is now entering its final stages. Over the coming weeks, you will see our team members finishing work on sidewalks, installing the remaining signage, and preparing for the final steps. Once the new asphalt has properly cured, we will apply permanent paint markings to the street. 

What’s Next? 
If you are signed up for our project emails, you will continuie to receive updates as the project ends. We will continue to update our website to include any impacts as we near completion. 

We appreciate your patience and support throughout this process. Thank you for helping us improve the Denny Way corridor!

Upcoming lane closures on the Denny Way Paving Project:  

Denny Way Between Westlake Ave and Stewart St – Eastbound and Westbound Lane Closures 

  • August 13 to August 15: As we add the finishing touches to our work long Denny Way, we will close some lanes for brief periods of time between 9 AM and 3 PM.  We will always keep one lane of traffic open in each direction during this work.

Please click the link to download a PDF of the project map.

Denny Way and Westlake Ave Turn Restrictions

Image shows map of turn restrictions that prevent traffic turning right onto Denny Way from northbound Westlake Ave

We will make some adjustments to the road at the intersection of Westlake Ave and Denny Way to improve the flow of Seattle’s Streetcar and enhance safety for pedestrians and people riding buses. The changes include:

  • Preventing right turns onto Denny Way from Westlake Ave to help Seattle Streetcar reliability and improve safety for pedestrians
  • Separating the transit-only lane from other traffic to reduce congestion
  • Adding new signs to guide travelers
  • Updating traffic signals

You can download a description of this project by clicking this link.

Overview

Seattle’s Denny Way connects Capitol Hill and Interstate 5 to South Lake Union, Downtown and Uptown Seattle as a primary arterial in accessing many of the city’s core  neighborhoods to the west, south and north. It is also a major freight route and a part of the City of Seattle’s frequent transit network. We have begun work to pave approximately 12 blocks of Denny Way to restore the pavement condition in this critical piece of Downtown Seattle’s arterial network. Work will also include sidewalk and curb ramp upgrades, additional signage, and bus stop consolidation.  

Improvements

The Denny Way Paving Project includes:

  • 12 blocks of asphalt paving 
  • 21 rebuilt curb ramps and 8 new curb ramps  
  • 8 total curb bulbs that shorten crossing distances, including 4 paint-and-post curb bulbs, a plastic curb and post bulb, and 3 concrete curb bulbs 
  • 28 "no turn on red" signs  
  • 25 painted stop bars at every intersection with a signal 
  • Sidewalk improvement
  • Hardened centerlines reinforcing existing turn restrictions
  • Bus stop changes to improve transit travel time and reliability   

General Information You Should Know About the Project 

We will: 

  • Perform work during the day, with overnight paving from 7 PM to 6 AM, Monday through Friday. 
  • Do occasional work on weekends. 
  • Close lanes on Denny Way, but you'll have at least one lane open in each direction. 
  • Close sidewalks in some areas, but we'll keep pedestrian access for you. 
  • Implement lane closures lasting 2-3 weeks at a time, covering a few blocks at once.
  • Begin construction on Denny Way between Taylor Ave and Dexter Ave. 
  • Remove old sidewalks, parts of the street, and pedestrian ramps. 
  • Pour new sidewalks, concrete street sections, and build new pedestrian ramps.

Things you should Know About Construction 

You can expect: 

  • Noise, dust, smells, and vibrations during the work. 
  • Changes to your walking route while we work on sidewalks, with clear signs to guide you.    
  • Access to your business will always be maintained. We'll let you know in advance about work and any effects to your business in person. We'll also give you a direct contact for your questions.    
  • Street paving happening between 7 PM and 6 AM Monday-Friday, with some daytime and weekend work if needed.  
  • Parking and loading areas shifting near work zones, though most work happens at night to limit disruptions.
  • Lane shifts along Denny Way near work areas, with signage to direct traffic.  

Project Map

Map showing work area on Denny Way

Please click this link to download a PDF of the project map.

Timeline

Construction has begun and we expect to finish by the end of the year.  

Timeline showing that we are in construction

  1. Planning (2022-2023): We collected data and reviewed plans.
  2. Design (2023-2024): We communicated with stakeholders to inform construction planning. 
  3. Construction (2025): We are now constructing the project and will keep the community informed on the latest construction updates, schedule, and expected impacts. 

Learn More

As a high-traffic, active area with a variety of local businesses, residential buildings, frequent bus routes, large truck deliveries, and people walking, biking, and driving, we are committed to working with project neighbors to best coordinate construction timing and impacts as paving involves heavy construction. We are continuing to reach out to people in the neighborhood and are always interested in meeting with community and neighborhood groups that want to learn more about the project and make their voices heard as we prepare for construction in the meantime. You can request a briefing by emailing, DennyWay@Seattle.gov.

Funding

This project is funded in part by the nine-year Levy to Move Seattle, approved by Seattle voters in 2015. Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) awarded SDOT $1.45 million in Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) preservation grant funding to complete this project.

We're committed to maintaining a productive, inclusive, and collaborative relationship with all who live, work, or travel in the project area. Please contact us with any questions.

Phone:(206) 257-2243
Email: DennyWay@Seattle.gov

Community Outreach Lead
Darrell Bulmer

Project Manager
Bill Clark

Need a translation?

For information about our work to replace the road surface and make other safety improvements on Denny Way in your language, please call (206) 257-2243

Para información en su idioma sobre nuestro trabajo para reemplazar la superficie de la carretera y realizar otras mejoras de seguridad en Denny Way, llame al (206) 257-2243

Denny Way의 노면 교체 및 기타 안전 개선을 위한 교통국의 작업에 대한 정보를 귀하의 언어로 확인하시려면 (206) 257-2243으로 전화하십시오.

Để biết thông tin bằng ngôn ngữ của quý vị về việc chúng tôi thay thế bề mặt đường và thực hiện các cải tiến an toàn khác trên đường Denny Way, vui lòng gọi (206) 257-2243

有關我們在 Denny Way 上更新路面和進行其他安全改進工作的資訊（以您的語言），請致電 (206) 257-2243。

Project Materials

Transportation

Adiam Emery, Interim Director
Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 3800, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA, 98124-4996
Phone: (206) 684-7623
684-Road@seattle.gov

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The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is on a mission to deliver a transportation system that provides safe and affordable access to places and opportunities for everyone as we work to achieve our vision of Seattle as a thriving, equitable community powered by dependable transportation.