TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates; W. Marginal Way reopens after 4-hour tipped-truck shutdown

(SCROLL DOWN for updates on truck trouble that’s blocking W. Marginal in 4500 block)

(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:16 AM: Good morning! No road work or closures announced for today. So, we start by looking ahead to later this week:

BLUE ANGELS I-90 BRIDGE CLOSURES: Our daily reminder this week for midday/afternoon drivers – I-90 bridge closures are Thursday-Sunday – here’s the schedule.

ROXBURY SAFETY PROJECT: 6 pm Thursday at Southwest Library, it’s your first look at what’s being proposed to make SW Roxbury safer.

And in transportation news:

TUNNEL TIMETABLE: Some snags in the process of digging down to the Highway 99 tunnel-boring machine, as Mike Lindblom reports at SeattleTimes.com (WSB partner). Here’s how WSDOT explains it.

7:27 AM: Thanks to the texter who just alerted us – the fire callout in the 4500 block of West Marginal Way is related to a semitruck crash blocking most lanes:

Here’s a map. Getting that upright is likely to take quite some time.

7:47 AM: Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferries are on a two-boat schedule because the re-activated Evergreen State is having trouble.

7:59 AM: Per scanner, the West Marginal Way truck contains “dry concrete.”

8:05 AM: SPD tweet says only minor injuries in the crash but W. Marginal remains closed. We’re waiting to hear from the crew we sent to check it out.

8:23 AM: Our crew’s just back. Police think it’s going to be at least a couple hours until this is cleared. They confirm the trailer is full of dry cement. Photos to come.

8:44 AM: Until ours is ready – here’s a photo SPD just tweeted from the other side of the truck:

9 AM: Closer look, by WSB’s Patrick Sand:

Again, police say only minor injuries. We’ll continue updating here, even as we move on with other news/info. Meantime, a multi-car collision at 1st Avenue South/Spokane was just mentioned on the scanner.

9:19 AM: SPD Blotter has a short summary, most notably mentioning that the container might have been “loose” and destabilized the truck.

9:29 AM: As per comments – and scanner – the light at Delridge/Andover is out. We’re en route to check it out. Remember, a broken stoplight means, treat the intersection like a four-way stop! (Added: Confirmed, it’s out. No crew in sight – but, whether coincidental or not, City Light is working nearby.)

9:58 AM: Hearing it’ll be at least another half-hour before West Marginal is cleared.

10:57 AM: SDOT tweets that final cleanup and towing are under way so it shouldn’t be long. (Added – A moment later, SPD units said via radio that it would be about half an hour.)

11:15 AM: And via scanner, police say they’re reopening W. Marginal.

11 Replies to "TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates; W. Marginal Way reopens after 4-hour tipped-truck shutdown"

  • Pigeon Point July 29, 2014 (8:13 am)

    I love hearing WSB getting credit on news programs like KING5, which just mentioned your coverage of this West Marginal Way accident. Keep up the great work!

    • WSB July 29, 2014 (8:40 am)

      Thanks, PP. KING is one of the two TV stations in this area that are generally good about giving credit if it gets info from our coverage (and we are meticulous about giving credit if we use info from other news orgs). – TR

  • furor scribendi July 29, 2014 (8:58 am)

    Any injuries? Hope the driver and any others are under medical care.

  • WSB July 29, 2014 (9:07 am)

    Per police at 8:05 update line above (just before we got there), only minor injuries. Thanks again to the first text tipster (I don’t know her/his identity, only a phone number) for early word on this – at that point it only showed on 911 log as a 4+1+1 SFD incident and not even the fulltime traffic folks we follow on Twitter had word of the truck! We’ll continue updating here until it’s open. – TR

  • Paige July 29, 2014 (9:11 am)

    Wonder how it happened. Was it turning onto or off the road? That’s not a super curvy stretch and if it was full of dry concrete something pretty crazy must have been going on to tip it over on its side!

  • sam-c July 29, 2014 (9:19 am)

    not an overturned semi…. but the traffic light at Delridge / Andover appears to be out

    • WSB July 29, 2014 (9:20 am)

      Eek! While reading your comment, just heard that on scanner too.

  • Ann July 29, 2014 (9:59 am)

    Tried to pass through W. marginal heading south about 20 mins ago and the road is blocked in both directions. WIsh I had seen this first.

  • MrsB July 29, 2014 (10:54 am)

    Ann, me too!

  • Drew K. July 29, 2014 (4:41 pm)

    My wife was driving directly in front of the semi when it rolled over. She watched it happen very slowly in her rear view mirror. Scary stuff! She had just passed the truck a few seconds before it rolled.

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