Home » Northlake Way Retaining Wall In Urgent Need Of Repairs

Northlake Way Retaining Wall In Urgent Need Of Repairs

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has done routine structural analysis and safety assessment of the 68-year-old retaining wall along North Northlake Way, and engineers have established that important steps must be taken to reduce the load on the wall and prevent further deterioration.  For now, this means that public street parking along the south side of the street has been modified.

Area of seawall deteriorating, and leading to parking re-assignment, under leadership of SDOT.
Area of seawall deteriorating, and leading to parking re-assignment, under leadership of SDOT.

Originally constructed in 1951, the retaining wall was built with creosote timber piles and concrete anchors.  Deferred maintenance and age has taken its toll on this vital structure.  SDOT engineers recently identified that the timber piles have deteriorated, and overloads could potentially put the public safety at risk.

Deferred maintenance of the Northlake seawall has led to removal of parking along the wall in summer 2018.  Photo provided by SDOT
Deferred maintenance of the Northlake seawall has led to removal of parking along the wall in summer 2018. Photo provided by SDOT

To prevent weight overloads, SDOT has temporarily restricted parking adjacent to the wall, impacting 42 parking spaces.  SDOT has installed 14 parallel parking spaces along the wall, contributing to a slight narrowing of the unmarked roadway.  The pay parking along the north side of Northlake, operated by U-Park Systems, will remain in place.

Along N Northlake Wy, parking spaces have been shifted back from the decaying seawall.  Photo by K. Lindsay Laney, Jun '18
Along N Northlake Wy, parking spaces have been shifted back from the decaying seawall. Photo by K. Lindsay Laney, Jun ’18

For now, engineers at SDOT will be studying and inspecting the wall to determine whether to replace the it or simply make structural repairs.  No funding source for actually repairing or replacing the wall has been identified – this seawall maintenance is not included in the most recent ‘Move Seattle’ transportation levy fund.

Reconfiguration of the street parking along N Northlake has created a slightly slimmer roadway.  Photo by K. Lindsay Laney, Jun '18
Reconfiguration of the street parking along N Northlake has created a slightly slimmer roadway. Photo by K. Lindsay Laney, Jun ’18

Stay tuned as decisions are made, and funding hopefully found, for work to be done on this structure intrinsic to maintaining the Northlake area of Fremont safe and secure from waterway erosion.

Flyer provided by SDOT about removal of parking along the Northlake seawall.
Flyer provided by SDOT about removal of parking along the Northlake seawall.

Check the SDOT website, or Fremocentrist.com, for further updates.