(Added: Photo of truck, tweeted by Seattle Fire)
4:57 PM: In case you’re heading toward downtown (or beyond) sometime soon: Thanks to the tipster who just called to let us know about a truck stopped on the eastbound bridge near the Highway 99 exit, leaking fluid. It’s on the SFD 911 log as a “fuel spill.”
5:10 PM UPDATE: The exit to 99 is closed because of the cleanup, per this SDOT tweet:
UPDATE: EB W Sea Bridge ramp to NB SR99 will be closed indefinitely to clean truck fuel spill. pic.twitter.com/b9yot1NrM8
— seattledot (@seattledot) August 27, 2014
5:20 PM UPDATE: A text from Metro says that since the ramp is closed for now, Routes 21, 120, 125, and RapidRide C Line are rerouting onto 4th Avenue South.
5:28 PM UPDATE: Seattle Fire estimates the spill at about 80 gallons. (added) SPD adds that “Portions of roads near Harbor Island will be closed for an extended period.” And now there’s also word of a crash *on* northbound 99 north of the ramp from the bridge, so even if you get onto 99 from points to the south, you might be in for some trouble.
5:47 PM UPDATE: The cleanup of what’s described over emergency radio as diesel fuel also involves checking storm drains to make sure the fuel doesn’t get into the river or Puget Sound.
6:45 PM UPDATE: SDOT says the ramp will be closed “for several hours” because the hazmat team is investigating.
9:28 PM UPDATE: SPD says it probably won’t reopen until midnight. Here’s the summary just posted on SPD Blotter:
Multiple city agencies responded to a diesel fuel spill after a semi-truck punctured its gas tank sending 80 gallons of fuel onto streets near Harbor Island during Tuesday evening’s commute.
Officers began receiving calls about a fuel leak at the Alaskan Way on-ramp to the West Seattle Bridge just before 4:45 p.m. As they arrived, they found roads in the area covered in diesel fuel, making the roads very slick, for approximately one mile leading up to where the fuel source was found. Officers discovered the disabled semi-truck at the on-ramp surrounded in a three-inch-deep pool of fuel.
The Seattle Fire Department responded to the scene and began sopping up the fuel as it sank into the ground and drained into the sewage system. It is still unknown the extent of damage the fuel may have caused. The United States Coast Guard was called to the scene to help prevent fuel from leaking into the Duwamish Waterway.
Officers spoke with the driver of the semi who said he was unsure of what punctured the tank, but he had been traveling in the direction of the leak. Officers scoured the area and found a raised curb that appeared to have been hit by the truck, tearing a hole in the exposed fuel tank.
Four other vehicle were damaged in collisions related to the fuel spill and many others were trapped in the spilled fuel.
The ramp is closed as crews continue to cleanup, but is expected to reopen around midnight.
11:45 PM: Checking the webcam that’s been zoomed in on the ramp, looks like it’s open.
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