WWU parking lot to close for summer construction project near popular scenic area
Advance work for a Coast Salish longhouse being built at Western Washington University will close the parking lot for the Sehome Hill Arboretum.
Construction starts Wednesday and is expected to continue through August.
It will involve closing the parking lot on the southern access to Sehome Hill, the parking lot across from the Commissary, and cause delays at 25th Street and Bill McDonald Parkway, WWU announced in a statement Monday.
“We anticipate maintaining vehicle and pedestrian access to the Commissary, Buchanan Towers, and the Fairhaven Complex, with occasional intermittent delays. As construction progresses, it may be necessary to close access to the road for short durations for utility work,” WWU said in a statement on its website.
The construction work will add sidewalks, improve the road and extend utilities to serve the new building.
All parking along the road will be closed during construction. Flaggers will direct traffic around the construction area.
The two pedestrian paths from Bill McDonald to 25th Street will be closed, but a path near the bus stop will remain open.
Sehome Hill Arboretum is a 175.5-acre park that features miles of wooded hiking trails, a tunnel through rock and an observation tower.
Funding for the $5 million project is from state and federal grants and private donations.
It will host tribal activities, education, ceremonies and hold the office of the Tribal Liaison at WWU. It will include student areas and have a central area for meetings and classes.
