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With so much construction going on in Seattle, how do we keep downtown streets open and welcoming for holiday festivities and shoppers?

With the Holiday Construction Moratorium! This seasonal ban on construction supports Seattle businesses during the peak shopping season and reduces traffic congestion during this busy time of year. The Holiday Moratorium runs from Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Day, November 24, 2016 to January 1, 2017.

During the moratorium, most construction which impacts the right-of-way (streets and sidewalks) will be prohibited in the Central Retail Shopping District or Pioneer Square District (see map below). Construction outside the moratorium zones may also be restricted if work would have a significant impact on the traveling public.

Over the next ten weeks, Seattle’s downtown construction projects will be working to wrap up their building season to clear the right-of-way before the holiday season begins.

Limited exceptions to the moratorium may be made for projects that do not impede the right of way, or are brief and quiet enough to be done during nighttime hours. If you plan to submit an exception request, start now – all exception requests must be received by SDOT Street Use by October 24, 2016.

No late exception requests will be granted unless emergency work is necessary for protection of public health and safety.

If a short term exception is granted, right-of-way-impacting work may begin 30 minutes after close of neighboring businesses and the City’s right of way must be cleared and restored by 6 AM the following business day. Other rules apply. For more details see Client Assistance Memo 2107: Holiday Construction Moratorium.