August 15, 2022

Merlino is low bidder on Pike-Pine project

Rendering by ZGF Architects [enlarge]

Improvements at the 100 block of Pike Street include a curbless street with new paving, trees and plantings, and a single travel lane for local access.

As part of its much larger redevelopment of the waterfront, the Seattle Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects in coordination with the Downtown Seattle Association and Seattle Department of Transportation, is making streetscape and bicycle improvements at the Pike and Pine Street corridors between First and Melrose avenues.

Bids recently opened for the project, which consists of providing street enhancements, more opportunities for activation and programming, as well as improving east-west connections for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. The low bidder was Gary Merlino Construction, with a bid of $17.4 million. A total of 12 bids were received.

The project will make Pike and Pine one-way streets from First to Bellevue avenues, with Pike Street being one-way eastbound and Pine Street being one-way westbound to provide more room for pedestrians and bikes. Bike lanes will be separated from traffic by a planted buffer or curbed island. The project will also double the width of the sidewalk on the north side of Pike Street, mirroring plans for the bridge over Interstate 5 on Pine Street.

Merlino will make improvements to three focus areas along the western, central and eastern parts of the corridors. This work consists of concrete and asphalt street paving, installation of protected bike lane buffers, landscaping and full-depth poured, colored concrete sidewalks, ADA curb ramps, sidewalk reconstruction, new handrails over I-5 bridges, signal and street lighting work, and pavement marking. More public seating and artwork by Derek Bruno and Gage Hamilton will also be installed along the corridors.

ZGF is the project architect. The design team also includes Toole Design Group.

Major project goals are to create cross-corridor consistency and reinforce the role of Pike and Pine as primary east-west pedestrian streets. Construction is set to begin this fall and take around 18 months. Interim protected bicycle lane improvements were completed in September 2019 as part of the Center City Bicycle network. This work was done with city crews.