53rd Ave S Project

Project Overview

The 53rd Avenue South residential street improvement project from South 137th Street to South 144th Street included sidewalks on both sides of the roadway, illumination, a new storm drainage system, water and sewer upgrades, and undergrounding of overhead utilities.

Timeline

Estimated completion May 2020.

Contact Information

For specific questions, contact Peter Lau at 206-431-2454 or email at peter.lau@tukwilawa.gov

Project Status Update – March 2020

Seattle City Light’s line crew topped the utility poles and took out the existing street lights (on east side of 53rd Avenue South), without first consulting or coordinating with City of Tukwila.   As a result, 53rd Avenue South remains dark at night.   City of Tukwila is really sorry about the inconvenience this has caused our residents.

On February 28, Seattle City Light (SCL) finally issued a work order to their crew, to install power service meter and make the power service connection to the new street lights.   City of Tukwila Project Manager is trying to find out when this SCL crew will actually come out and make the power service connection.   SCL has not responded to this latest inquiry yet.

Back in late January, SCL’s underground power crew ran into 4 unanticipated service connection issues in the field.   As a result, the power undergrounding work could not be completed by SCL.   SCL furnished a new underground facility design to correct these service connection issues; and the contractor purchased new materials accordingly.   However, SCL has not come back out to work with City of Tukwila to finish up the remaining work.

City of Tukwila finally secured a meeting with SCL on March 4 to address these service connection issues in the field.   City of Tukwila hopes the power undergrounding work can be completed soon by the contractor and SCL.

Comcast is also scheduling to complete the final phase of their undergrounding works.   After the utility undergrounding works, SCL, Comcast & Centurylink will remove the remaining overhead lines from the utility poles.   Then, Centurylink will remove the utility poles.   Thereafter, the road contractor will come back to finish the remaining works.   All works could be completed by May 2020.