The Seattle Department of Transportation may close the Northeast 45th Street viaduct for up to four months this upcoming summer to replace aging support timbers. The University worked with SDOT to begin and end construction while a majority of students are away for the summer break.

The timeline to begin construction falls after graduation and, discounting any possible delays, ends before the first 2010 Husky football home game on Sept. 11.

“The busiest time is obviously in the fall, so we really want to get this thing done before the school starts,” said Teresa Dohorty, the assistant vice president for regional affairs.

Those living here during the summer can expect traffic detours to move east-west traffic through the U-District. Although some vehicles may travel through campus and the Greek community, SDOT expects the majority of drivers will use 25th Avenue Northeast to access either Northeast Pacific Street to the south or Northeast 65th Street to the north.

Mike Ward, the project’s manager, said SDOT may allow the contracted builders to work around the clock in order to finish the project by the time the majority of students will return to the U-District.

Although noise might factor in for the nearby buildings, Housing and Food Services usually rents out the residence halls for conferences, and the sorority Sigma Kappa should be vacant during the summer months.

Construction workers plan to remove timbers from the viaduct’s western portion — a 470-foot span arching over a forested area near McCarty Hall and several Greek houses along 22nd Avenue Northeast. They would replace the timbers with a solid, concrete base, eliminating the open area beneath the bridge that homeless people sometimes use.

SDOT had originally considered two plans. One, the current plan, involved closing the entire bridge for a few months. The other plan would have closed two lanes of the three-lane viaduct, keeping one open at all times. In that case, construction may have continued into autumn.

When SDOT proposed each plan to community groups, business organizations and University officials, nearly everyone agreed with the first plan, Ward said.

The entire viaduct spans 730 feet and was originally constructed in 1938, although portions have been retrofitted throughout the years. Funding for this project came through Bridging the Gap, a nine-year levy for transportation maintenance.

Reach reporter Andrew Doughman at news@dailyuw.com.