Section of 11th Avenue in Olympia to be closed March 24, 25 and 28 for campus construction work

Section of 11th Avenue in Olympia to be closed March 24, 25 and 28 for campus construction work

A section of 11th Avenue S.W. from Capitol Way to Water Street S.W., on the west side of the GA Building, will be closed from about 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, Friday, March 25 and Monday, March 28 so crews can pour concrete at the 1063 Block Replacement Project construction site.

On those three days, a large concrete pump truck with a remote-controlled articulating robotic arm or boom will be parked on 11th Avenue near the intersection with Capitol Way. The pump truck, with its large outriggers that provide stability, will block both lanes of 11th Avenue, requiring the road closure.

The concrete pour is weather dependent to some extent: It can't be done in a heavy rain. If the weather is dry, the work could be completed in one day and 11th Avenue immediately reopened.

The goal is to complete the work on Thursday, March 24, with the other two days reserved as backups in case of bad weather.

Barricades will be placed at both ends of the road closure and flaggers will be on site to help manage traffic.

During the 11th Avenue closure, state employees who park on the west Capitol Campus will still be able to exit the campus by driving northbound on Water Street, through the parking lots on the west and north sides of the GA Building and then exiting on Union Avenue. Sid Snyder Avenue will also be open. View the campus map for details.

Other impacts

The closure of 11th Avenue will require a temporary change to the route used by the Dash shuttle, the free bus that runs through the heart of downtown Olympia from the Capitol Campus to the Olympia Farmers Market. Go to the Intercity Transit webpage for more information.

The work will also require the closure of the left-hand turn lane on northbound Capitol Way at the intersection with 11th Avenue. And the sidewalk crossing at 11th Avenue and Columbia Street, near the GA Building, will be closed.

A one-block section of Columbia Street, between 11th Avenue and Union Avenue, is currently closed due to the construction project. This closure, like others, is coordinated with the city of Olympia, including the city's fire and police departments. The Columbia Street closure will be reviewed periodically but will likely remain in effect until the 1063 Block Replacement Project is completed – in late summer 2017.

There will be additional closures of 11th Avenue in the future as the work continues on the construction of the new five-story, state office building.

Watch the project

A camera mounted on the roof of the General Administration Building is pointed at the work site allowing viewers to watch the progress of the construction on the project website. The camera image is refreshed every 15 minutes.

Send written comments and questions about the project to: EASmail@des.wa.gov.

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