Fauntleroy Creek Culvert Replacement

Three culverts convey Fauntleroy Creek flow from headwaters in Fauntleroy Park to Fauntleroy Cove in central Puget Sound. The city replaced the culvert under Fauntleroy Way SW in 1998 and it is not part of this project.

One of the remaining two culverts is under 45th Avenue SW and is solely owned by the City of Seattle. The other is under California Avenue SW and the Fauntleroy Church parking lot. The city owns the portion of this culvert under the street, plus about one third of the culvert under the parking lot; the church owns the rest.

Seattle Public Utilities has assessed these two culverts as being in need of replacement. Both are nearing the end of their useful life and both are barriers to coho salmon spawners’ being able to reach habitat in the upper creek. In 2017, SPU began planning replacements that would reduce the risk of culvert failure, mitigate storm-related flooding, and restore spawner passage.

SPU’s project team has been working closely with Fauntleroy Church throughout the planning process and periodically updates the FCA Board and the Fauntleroy Watershed Council. The team has employed open-house and information-table formats to engage the wider community and keeps residents regularly informed through articles in FCA’s quarterly Neighbors newsletter.

Early Work Underway on Fauntleroy Creek Culvert Replacement at 45th Ave SW

date posted: 28 Jun 2026

Seattle Public Utilities has begun the first phase of a long-planned culvert project in West Seattle — utility relocation along 45th Avenue Southwest, with the major road work still ahead in 2027.

For roughly the past week and a half, crews have been on site at 45th Ave SW near SW Wildwood Place as Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) moves into construction on the Fauntleroy Creek Culverts Replacement Program. The work marks the start of a multi-year effort to replace aging creek culverts that carry Fauntleroy Creek beneath neighborhood streets — structures the city says pose both a public-safety risk and a barrier to salmon trying to reach upstream habitat.

What’s happening now

According to SPU’s project page, construction on the 45th Ave SW Culvert Replacement Project is divided into two phases:

Phase 1 (now through roughly fall 2026): SPU and Seattle City Light are relocating overhead power lines along 45th Ave SW. This early work is expected to last up to four months.

Phase 2 (starting in the first half of 2027): The actual culvert replacement begins. That phase is expected to last about two years and will include a temporary closure of 45th Ave SW for through traffic.

For now, neighbors should expect activity typical of a construction site — equipment, noise, dust, and lighting — but not yet the full two-year street shutdown. SPU says pedestrian access will be maintained when it’s safe; detours will be posted when needed. Temporary parking restrictions near the site are also expected for the duration of work along 45th.

Construction hours, per the city, are generally 7 a.m.–10 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.–10 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

Why this project matters

Fauntleroy Creek drains a 149-acre watershed in southwest Seattle into Puget Sound. Three culverts carry the creek under roadways: at Fauntleroy Way SW (lower), 45th Ave SW (middle), and California Ave SW (upper). SPU’s program focuses on replacing the culverts at 45th and California; the lower culvert and fish ladder at Fauntleroy Way SW are not part of the current program.

The city says the 45th Ave SW culvert is deteriorating and at risk of failure — a condition that increases flooding risk and could lead to collapse. The structure is also too small for fish to pass through, a problem shared by the California Ave SW culvert. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has listed both as barriers that must be replaced with larger, fish-passable structures to meet state and federal requirements.

SPU notes that despite its small size, the Fauntleroy watershed is in better condition than most of Seattle’s urban streams, with good water quality, forest canopy, and strong community stewardship. Biologists have found the middle and upper reaches suitable for fish — if the culverts weren’t blocking access. The creek also has the lowest pre-spawn Coho salmon mortality of any of the city’s urban creeks.

Restoring fish passage, the city emphasizes, is also tied to Tribal treaty rights under the Treaty of Point Elliott and related agreements.

The bigger picture: Seattle’s culvert challenge

The Fauntleroy work is one piece of a larger city effort. On its Creek Culverts overview page, SPU notes that Seattle has 65 miles of creek, with 21 creek miles running through pipes. There are more than 700 creek culverts citywide, and SPU is responsible for 63 known fish-passage barriers on its property alone.

Other active or planned creek culvert work includes the Taylor Creek Restoration Project in southeast Seattle and a Thornton Culvert Strategy being developed in 2025–2026 to prioritize investments along Thornton Creek in northeast Seattle.

California Ave SW: repaired, but not done

While work at 45th is just getting started, the California Ave SW culvert — near The Hall at Fauntleroy, Fauntleroy Church, and the schoolhouse — has its own history. SPU reports that culvert was actively failing in 2025 and received an emergency repair; it is no longer considered at immediate risk of failure. A full replacement with a fish-passable structure is planned as the second phase of the Fauntleroy program, but construction there could begin no earlier than 2028, after the 45th Ave SW project is complete.

What’s ahead for 45th Ave SW

When the major construction phase begins in 2027, impacts will intensify. SPU warns of increased noise, light, dust, and traffic, sidewalk impacts, and the approximately two-year road closure on 45th between SW Wildwood Pl and SW Director Pl.

When finished, the project will also add a small public space on the west side of 45th called the 45th Landing — a scaled-back design incorporating community feedback, with signage, lighting, boulders, and educational elements about the creek restoration.

The overall 45th Ave SW schedule, per the city:

• Early design and planning: 2018–2023
• Mid design: 2023–2024
• Final design: 2024–2025
• Construction: 2026–2028

The project is funded in part by the King County Flood Control District, SPU ratepayers, and Washington’s Climate Commitment Act.

How to stay informed

SPU encourages neighbors to sign up for email updates at seattle.gov/utilities/FauntleroyCreekCulverts.

Questions can be directed to SPU Project Manager Justin Record at Justin.Record@seattle.gov or (206) 643-6037.

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Emergency Culvert Work

date posted: 30 Aug 2025

Seattle Public Utilities has determined that some emergency work need sto be completed on the Fauntleroy Creek culvert running beneath the church parking lot, before the scheduled project can begin. This will help keep the culvert in proper repair until the permanent replacement project can begin.

Details here: UTILITY WORK ALERT: Date set for expected start of Fauntleroy culvert repairs.

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