Attention drivers and pedestrians in the Capitol area: a significant roadway closure is coming your way starting April 1st. The Department of Enterprise Services (DES) has announced that a stretch of 15th Avenue Southwest, from Capitol Way through Columbia Street Southwest, will be off-limits for an entire month, as reported on the DES website yesterday.

The construction project entails the removal and regrading of the current asphalt to pave a newer, presumably smoother road, and this infrastructure facelift goes beyond the mere surface. Sidewalk, curb, and gutter along the northern side of 15th Avenue Southwest are to be demolished and then reconstructed, and electrical conduit will be put in place prior to repouring these structures with fresh concrete, renovations that are promised to improve both walkability and utility access for the community.

The impact on area traffic will not be light: not only will 15th Avenue Southwest be inaccessible from Capitol Way to Columbia Street Southwest, the north sidewalk will also be strictly off-limits during construction and if you're accustomed to using the small alley behind the homes on the east side of Columbia Street Southwest, you'll need to find an alternative route as it will also be closed to vehicles, according to the DES statement.

This will undoubtedly put a kink in the daily commutes of many, and while the DES pledges that the long-term benefits will outshine the temporary inconvenience, those who live and work in the affected area might want to start plotting alternate paths now, the renovations marking yet another chapter in the ever-evolving landscape of the city as infrastructure evolves to meet the needs of a growing population and the inevitable wear of time takes its toll on the bones of our urban lives.