3rd Ave Improvements

May 13, 2026

What's Happening Now?

Graphic map of 3rd Ave, with a solid green line where paving occurred

^{Graphic map of 3rd Ave, with a solid green line where paving occurred}

The 3rd Ave Repaving Project is finally complete! Over the course of the last year, we:

Installed a new water main beneath the road
Repaved 3rd Ave from Virginia St to Pine St.

If you want to learn more about what we did across several parts of 3rd Ave, check out our blog that showcases how 3rd Ave has been improved.

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We thank you for your patience throughout construction, and you can also contact our project outreach lead and subscribe to our email updates to learn more.

Thank you for your ongoing patience as we work together to build a better 3rd Ave!

King County Metro bus drivers navigate 3rd Ave’s bus only lanes through downtown Seattle

King County Metro bus drivers navigate 3rd Ave’s bus only lanes through downtown Seattle 

Overview

3rd Ave is Seattle’s busiest bus corridor and one of the busiest transit corridors in the state. Prior to the pandemic, it was traveled by more than 2,500 buses carrying 100,000 riders each day. This important bus corridor connects thousands of people walking, biking, and taking transit to jobs, housing, events, businesses and shopping centers, restaurants, cultural centers, service providers, and other transit connections to local and regional destinations. Over the next 2 years, we will be:

Building street, sidewalk, and bus stop upgrades in Pioneer Square

This includes upgrades to the southbound bus stop at 3rd Ave S and S Main St, and safety improvements for people walking, biking, and rolling at the intersection of 3rd Ave and Yesler Way. Click on the links to visit these project webpages to learn more.

Working with King County Metro to upgrade real-time information kiosks at bus stops

Many of the existing real-time information kiosks don’t work anymore, and King County Metro will be replacing these kiosks. To get ready, SDOT will remove the existing kiosks and their foundations and build new foundations so Metro can install the new kiosks. The new kiosks will have real-time bus arrival information and ORCA cards readers to help people board the bus more quickly.

Stop ID	Direction	On Street	Cross Street
431	S	Third Ave	Pike
468	S	Third Ave	Seneca
481	S	Third Ave	Columbia
490	S	Third Ave	Cherry
538	N	Third Ave	Columbia
558	N	Third Ave	Seneca
578	N	Third Ave	Pike
590	N	Third Ave	Pine
1610	N	Prefontaine Place S	Yesler Way
10328	W	Valley Street	Fairview Ave N
26641	S	Westlake	Mercer
26645	S	Westlake	Harrison
26665	S	Westlake	9th
26690	N	Westlake	9th
26715	N	Westlake	Harrison

These improvements are just one part of the City of Seattle’s bigger plan to make downtown safer, easier to get around, and more welcoming. Extending dedicated bus only hours on 3rd Ave also supports the Mayor's Executive Order on climate justice in transportation by investing in bus lanes. See our 3rd Ave Improvements factsheet for more information.

Funding

These 3rd Ave improvements are funded with various funding sources, including the voter-approved Move Seattle Levy and Seattle Transit Measure. Funding is also provided by Sound Transit grants, King County Metro grants, and the Landscape Conservation and Local Infrastructure Program.

Schedule

The schedule below shows planned milestones and may change:

End of 2023:

Design complete for 3rd and Yesler safety improvements and 3rd and Main bus stop improvements projects

Fall 2024:

3rd and Yesler safety improvements construction began September 2024

Winter 2024:

3rd and Main bus stop improvement construction began Dec 2024

Spring 2025:

3rd and Yesler Safety Improvements construction ended (April 2025)

Summer 2025:

3rd Ave Virginia to Pine Repaving construction began July 28, 2025
3rd Ave and Main Bus Stop Improvements construction ended August 2025

Spring 2026:

3rd Ave Virginia to Pine Repaving construction ended in May 2026
3rd Ave Transit Information Kiosks construction began April 20, 2026, and will resume following the World Cup

Materials

3rd Ave Improvements: Paving and Water Main Replacement Fact Sheet

3rd Ave Improvements - Paving & Water Main Replacement Frequently Asked Questions

Public Q&A Sessions

3rd Ave Projects

Learn more about the 3rd Ave projects at these project webpages:

To learn more about projects happening throughout the entire City, view our Capital Projects Dashboard.