Why Olympia is Shifting Downtown Sidewalk Repairs to Night Work

Downtown Olympia expects to wrap up its current sidewalk repair project by Nov. 20, though the 26 trees removed during the process will not be replanted until they enter a dormant state. To minimize business disruptions, the city is shifting to nighttime construction starting Oct. 28.

For business owners and pedestrians in the heart of Olympia, the last few months have been a lesson in patience. Since Sept. 9, crews have been tearing up concrete and removing greenery across three primary stretches of the downtown core. The goal is simple: fix damaged sidewalks to improve accessibility. The execution, however, has required a delicate balance between heavy machinery and the daily operations of local commerce.

The current phase of the project is hitting a critical junction. To avoid blocking customers from entering shops during peak hours, the city is moving demolition and concrete pouring to a night shift. According to a social media post from the city, these crews may work between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., as well as during early morning and evening hours. While normal 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. work continues, the nighttime push is designed to allow contractors to pour concrete without the constant “stop-and-start” required to let pedestrians pass.

Night shifts face contractor hesitation

Despite the city's push for nighttime work to protect business revenue, the transition has faced delays and disruptions. City spokesperson Brandon Chapman told The Olympian on Oct. 26 that the contractor has remained noncommittal regarding the night schedule. Because of this friction, the city has directed the contractor to coordinate directly with affected businesses to find the least disruptive windows for completion.

If the schedule holds and weather permits—and provided no “unexpected challenges” emerge from underground—Chapman expects the night work to last two to three days. The stakes are high for the local economy; downtown parking and traffic flow are already strained by the construction zones on Fourth Avenue, Washington Street, and the stretch from Quince to Eastside Street.

“Demolition and pouring of concrete is easier to do without starting and stopping to allow customers to enter and exit business,” said Brandon Chapman.

This logistical shuffle is part of a larger effort to reclaim the city’s walkways. Olympia established this sidewalk repair program in 2024, allocating $500,000 annually through 2026. The funding comes from a 0.1% sales tax approved by the city council in December 2023, specifically earmarked for the Transportation Benefit District to improve pedestrian, bicycle and other active transportation infrastructure.

The mystery of the missing trees

While the concrete may be set by late November, the canopy will remain empty for a while longer. The removal of 26 trees has left a visible void downtown, leading many to wonder when the greenery will return. The answer is biological: timing is everything.

Engineering Project Coordinator Patrick Knouff told The Olympian on Oct. 26 that planting is delayed until the trees are dormant enough to survive the transplant from the nursery to the city streets. Currently, there is no fixed date for when that will happen, as it depends entirely on the natural cycle of the plants.

The city isn’t just putting back what it took out; it’s correcting a mistake. A certified downtown arborist found that the 26 removed trees were the wrong species for their environment, leading to the very sidewalk damage the city is now paying to fix. To prevent a repeat of this cycle, the city is diversifying the species:

Fourth Avenue: Hornbeams are being replaced by Honeylocust trees.
Columbia Street: Ginkgo trees will be planted in areas that previously had no street trees.
Washington Street: A smaller, slower-growing columnar oak species will be used.
Further East Fourth Avenue: Aggressive maples will be replaced with a less invasive species, though the exact variety is still being finalized based on availability.

Some trees won’t return to their original spots. Building awnings on Fourth Avenue make certain sites untenable for new growth, forcing the city to relocate some plantings to Columbia Street Northwest between State and Fourth Avenue. According to Chapman, this ensures there is “no net loss” of trees for the downtown area.

A city-wide infrastructure crisis

The downtown project is a drop in the bucket compared to the scale of the problem. The city has identified nearly 28,000 areas of sidewalk damage across its 226 miles of walkways. For a city focusing on “active transportation,” these broken panels aren’t just an eyesore—they are a liability and a barrier to accessibility for residents with mobility aids.

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Rather than relying solely on intermittent contracts, Olympia is transitioning toward a permanent, dedicated city sidewalk repair crew funded through the Transportation Benefit District.

For now, the immediate focus remains on the finish line. Residents should expect continued construction noise from heavy equipment and a lane closure on Fourth Avenue as the city pushes toward the Nov. 20 deadline. The concrete will be smooth soon, but the shade will have to wait for winter.

Detailed project updates and maps can be found on the city’s project webpage.