West Seattle Blog…

Road relief: SDOT cancels Spokane St. Viaduct lane-reduction plan

(Spokane St. Viaduct work zone, photographed by Long B. Nguyen; click for longer/wider view)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The final phase of work on the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project will NOT require a lane reduction after all.

We talked with SDOT managers at the Muni Tower downtown this afternoon, following up on last week’s announcement at the Alaskan Way Viaduct South Portal Working Group meeting that the work on the east end of the West Seattle Bridge would require at least six weeks with one eastbound lane and two westbound lanes (reported here last Thursday).

Since then, SDOT says, they have figured out how to fit two lanes each way onto the new half of the SSV; they say they had been hoping all along to work that out, but it didn’t happen until after that briefing last week.

Right now, traffic in the project area between 99 and I-5 is flowing partly on new construction and partly on old:

In late March, when all traffic is shifted onto the new structure on the north side of the old one, the configuration will look like this:

SDOT also says they have NO daytime closures scheduled currently – neither weekend nor weekday – but reiterate that if any are necessary before the project’s completion in mid-summer, the notification and signage will follow the new guidelines spelled out in a report we brought you here last Friday. It resulted from a review of what happened Saturday, January 28th, with traffic backups much of the day because of what was supposed to be a weekend-long closure of the eastbound SSV, a surprise to many because there was no warning signage either ahead of time or during the shutdown.

We have more to add to this story – about the project’s overall status and some questions that have arisen along the way – but wanted to get this news out first; we’ll add the rest here shortly.

ADDED 6:30 PM: As promised, the rest of the story: Click to read the rest of Road relief: SDOT cancels Spokane St. Viaduct lane-reduction plan…

First look: City’s plan to avoid future bridge-closure ‘surprises’

If you had to leave West Seattle for points eastward during the daytime last Saturday, you probably remember the bridge backup caused by what was supposed to be a weekend-long closure of the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct. The city had put out the word in advance, but not loudly and boldly enough, and worst of all in many eyes, there were no warning signs as you approached the bridge. After a deluge of complaints – and questions from us – SDOT promised a review of what went wrong with getting the word out and how that would be fixed for future closures. They also promised us the resulting report. We received it this evening; we’ll be writing a followup story, but there’s no point in you having to wait till then to read the report if you’re interested. It identifies 7 “issues” and how they’ll be addressed. Here’s the 2 1/2-page report, in memo form (PDF).

P.S. **No West Seattle Bridge closures scheduled this weekend**, once tonight’s eastbound SSV and Fauntleroy Expressway closures end by 5 am (the nighttime closures continue next week).

Followup: SDOT’s improved info plan for bridge closures out soon

We checked back with SDOT to ask where they’re at on the promised plan for how to make sure you have more notice of future major bridge closures like last weekend’s eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct closure, which backed up traffic in a big way for most of Saturday, but wasn’t mentioned on electronic-message signs (like the one at right, photographed Saturday by Craig). They’re already taking smaller steps – like promoting the mailing list you can join for alerts about the SSV Widening Project (the e-mail signup has always been on the official city info-page, but it used to be buried at the bottom – now it’s at the top). And they’re promising to let everyone know within a day or two what else they’ll be doing in the future to try to reduce the surprise factor. Meantime, as we noted, we’re doing our best to keep daily reminders atop the BIG STORIES list on the WSB sidebar, and when we get advance word of daytime/weekend major closures, we’ll give them a permalink too. (No weekend/daytime closures on the horizon – see the list here.)

Followup: Eastbound West Seattle Bridge/Spokane St. Viaduct reopens

3:08 PM: After hours of weekday-magnitude backups (discussed here) on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge because of what was supposed to be a weekend-long closure of the EB Spokane Street Viaduct section – it’s done early, SDOT just announced. They say that section of the bridge is now reopening for full use. There will be one more closure before the weekend is out – 12:01 am to 5 am Monday morning.

3:58 PM: SDOT’s news release, e-mailed, confirming the reopening:

Completing required work early, a contractor for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has now reopened the eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct.

The next eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct full closure will occur Monday, January 30, from approximately 12:01 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Motorists heading eastbound will be detoured off the viaduct at either the First Ave S or Fourth Ave S exits, and will be able to use the lower Spokane Street roadway to reach I-5.

West Seattle traffic alert: Partial bridge closure tonight

If you are driving out of West Seattle late tonight or early tomorrow, note that the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct section of the bridge will be closed again, 9 pm-5 am. SDOT says the closure will start east of the 1st Avenue South offramp, so you will be able to use that exit or 99, but not 4th, Columbian Way, or I-5. The same closure is planned tomorrow night and for the entire weekend ahead, from Friday night 9 pm through Monday morning 5 am – and every weeknight for two weeks after that. SDOT has details here.

West Seattle traffic alert: EASTBOUND bridge closure tonight

Some of the big SDOT projects had to change schedule because of the snow/ice – and the first rescheduling news is in:

The overnight closure of the eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct, previously scheduled for January 19, has been rescheduled for tonight, Monday, January 23. The travel lanes will be closed from 9 p.m. tonight until 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, and will be closed from just east of the First Avenue S off-ramp to I-5. The First Avenue S off-ramp will remain open during the closure, with motorists able to use the eastbound S Spokane Street lower roadway as a detour to access I-5 or onto Columbian Way S.

The eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will also be closed on Thursday evening, January 26, from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Friday morning. Again, the First Avenue S off-ramp will remain open during this closure. Also on Thursday night from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Friday morning, Sixth Avenue S will be closed at the north side of the intersection with S Spokane St. Traffic traveling east on S Spokane St or north on Sixth Avenue S will still be able to access the I-5 on-ramps or Columbian Way S.

Finally, the same eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will also be closed this coming weekend, Friday, January 27 from 9 p.m. until Monday morning, January 30, at 5 a.m. During the weekend closure, either the First Avenue S off-ramp or the Fourth Avenue Loop ramp will remain open, permitting motorists to use the eastbound S Spokane Street lower roadway to reach either the I-5 ramps or Columbian Way S.

These eastbound lane closures will enable the contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to remove the zipper barrier that has separated east and westbound traffic on the old structure and to shift the eastbound travel lanes from the south side of the existing structure to the north side, the first of a number of traffic shifts occurring over the next few months. The lane shift is needed in order to begin the repair and repaving of the old structure.

Remember, the Spokane Street Viaduct is the official name for the section of West Seattle Bridge between 99 and I-5.

Video: New lanes open on westbound Spokane Street Viaduct

As we’ve done with previous projects, we took a drive on the newly opened lanes of the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct, particularly for those who commute home via I-5 or Beacon Hill to the West Seattle Bridge and might be interested in a preview. As SDOT warned, the lanes are narrower, and they’ve reduced the speed limit. From their announcement, here’s what’s next:

Following this initial traffic shift, the contractor will connect the old and new structures, construct a new center median between the old and new structures, and install new lighting in the median. Over the next few months, eastbound traffic will be shifted from the south side to the north side of the old structure so that the contractor can begin demolition of the existing south barrier. This spring, eastbound traffic will be temporarily moved over to the new viaduct so that the old bridge deck can be repaired and repaved.

If you’ve missed previous mentions – the 1st Avenue South on/offramp on the westbound side won’t be “fully open” till the project is done next summer, according to what SDOT told us recently. Meantime, there are no current changes to the eastbound direction – except that the new temporary configuration means a lot more distance between westbound and eastbound traffic (which you may recall used to have no separation at all!).

Update: ‘Milestone’ tonight on Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project – traffic shifting to new bridge deck

Just got word from SDOT about a “milestone” they’re planning overnight tonight during another construction closure of the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct:

Westbound traffic on the Spokane Street Viaduct will be shifted onto the newly constructed bridge deck tomorrow morning, December 23, in advance of the morning commute, marking a major milestone in this multi-year project. The new structure, built adjacent to the current structure, will nearly double the width of the viaduct, adding 41 feet.

Motorists will find the shift to be seamless, maintaining the current two lanes of traffic in each direction; however, the posted travel speed for westbound traffic will be temporarily reduced to 25 miles per hour (down from 35 miles per hour) until the project is completed this coming summer. The remaining construction work requires westbound travel lanes to be narrower than standard lane widths. This, in addition to the presence of construction vehicles entering and exiting travel lanes, requires a lower travel speed for driver safety.

Following this initial traffic shift, the contractor will connect the old and new structures, construct a new center median between the old and new structures, and install new lighting in the median. Over the next few months, eastbound traffic will be shifted from the south side to the north side of the old structure so that the contractor can begin demolition of the existing south barrier. This spring, eastbound traffic will be temporarily moved over to the new viaduct so that the old bridge deck can be repaired and repaved. At that point, eastbound traffic wishing to exit to SODO will still be able to do so, using either the First Avenue S off-ramp or the Fourth Avenue S loop ramp exit.

As we reported previously, the new 1st Avenue South on/offramp on the westbound side is not expected to “fully” open before next summer.

Reminder: Overnight traffic alert for Spokane St. Viaduct project

11:15 PM: For late-night/early-morning drivers, a reminder that the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project is bringing more closures, starting with one that is happening right now: This is the first of nine consecutive nights in which the westbound SSV – that’s the section of the West Seattle Bridge between I-5 and Highway 99 – is scheduled to be closed. It’ll reopen by 5 am, SDOT promises. There are also some surface-street closures, tonight involving East Marginal Way – details here. Remember that the SSV closures mean you cannot get onto the West Seattle Bridge from I-5 or Beacon Hill.

7:42 AM NOTE: Last night’s closure is over but it happens again tonight (and nightly through next Thursday night, Dec. 22).

S. Spokane Street traffic alerts for Thursday night, next week

THe next round of closures for the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project will NOT include any part of the SSV itself, but the surface streets that are involved in the closures might affect you, so we’re publishing this alert sent tonight by SDOT: Click to read the rest of S. Spokane Street traffic alerts for Thursday night, next week…

1st Avenue South ramp followup: 3 questions, answered

On Tuesday, after we reported SDOT‘s long-awaited answer to the question “when will the new 1st Avenue South ramp from the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct open?” (see the story here), three questions emerged in the comment section. Below, the answers, via SDOT’s Rick Sheridan:

Q: When SDOT shifts traffic to the new structure to repave the existing one, will we lose the eastbound 4th ave on-ramp?

A: When we repair and then resurface the deck of the old structure, closures of the eastbound off-ramps will be required to safely facilitate the work. This will impact the eastbound First Avenue S off-ramp and the new Fourth Avenue S off-ramp, though we will not close both at the same time. One of the two eastbound off-ramps will be available for use during that work.

Q: Is the much-later ramp completion going to result in any kind of penalty for the contractor, or was that not a component of the contract?

A: No. This is because major utility relocation work necessary for the ramp’s construction was outside of our control. The delay, however, does have financial implications for the contractor as a longer project phase incurs more costs.

Q: Who’s the “steel subcontractor”?

A: The subcontractor is Stinger Steel from Montana.

The original report is here. As noted, SDOT originally had said the ramp would take at least 16 months to build, but if the “not fully open until July” holds true, that will be 26 months. Last February, concrete work on the ramp had to be torn out and redone because of an alignment error, but at the time, SDOT said that wouldn’t affect the project schedule.

SDOT says Spokane Street Viaduct’s new 1st Avenue S. ramp won’t be ‘fully open’ before summer

Once upon a time, the city had said they hoped the new 1st Avenue South on- and off-ramp for the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct – the now-being-widened section of the West Seattle Bridge between I-5 and Highway 99 – would be open by this fall, maybe even before the Alaskan Way Viaduct‘s closure last month. It wasn’t. So many then asked, when WILL it open? We asked SDOT, and were told the contractor was coming up with a revised schedule. Now, that’s in, and our answer has finally arrived from SDOT spokesperson Rick Sheridan:

While the overall project is nearly 90 percent complete, our Spokane Street Viaduct contractor has not finished constructing the First Avenue S on-/off-ramps due to delays in receiving critical construction materials. Their steel subcontractor has yet to deliver specialized steel girders needed to complete the ramp.

When the girders finally arrive from the fabricator, it will take at least two months to complete the ramps. At that point in the construction schedule, we will need to transfer traffic to the viaduct’s new roadway to resurface the existing deck and cannot safely allow use of the on-ramp. Due to this, SDOT does not anticipate opening the ramps fully until the overall project is completed in July 2012.

We understand that the loss of this access point does create inconveniences for West Seattle residents and businesses. Alternate routes such as accessing the high rise bridge via I-5 or SR-99, the lower Spokane Street Swing Bridge or the First Ave S Bridge will continue to serve as good options for reaching West Seattle. The overall project remains on budget and scheduled for completion by summer 2012.

If that timeframe holds, it will be 26 months after the closure of the old 1st Avenue South onramp to the westbound bridge; just before that closure, we were told the ramp would take “at least 16 months” to build.

Spokane Street Viaduct: Closure tonight, & ‘when will ramp open?’

Reminder, two more nights are scheduled for westbound closures of the Spokane Street Viaduct, as widening work continues – tonight and tomorrow night, 10 pm-5 am. That’s the section of the westbound West Seattle Bridge between I-5 and Highway 99, and the closure means the ramps from 5 and Beacon Hill will be closed, but you *will* be able to get to the bridge from 99.

Meantime, we are getting questions daily about the status of the new 1st Avenue South westbound on- and off-ramp. When the old westbound onramp closed 18 months ago, SDOT said the new one would take at least 16 months to build. We’ve been asking since last week about the newest estimate for when it will be done. No answer by late today, so we asked again, and were told, “The SDOT project staff members have been working with the contractor on a revised schedule” – which they say should be done by the end of next week.

Another traffic alert: Westbound Spokane St. Viaduct closures set

And another traffic alert – this one for next week. The next westbound closures of the Spokane Street Viaduct (that’s the West Seattle Bridge between Highway 99 and I-5) have just been announced for every weeknight next week, 10 pm-5 am, Monday (November 7th)-Friday (Nov. 11th). You will NOT be able to get onto the WS Bridge from I-5 or Beacon Hill during these closures, but the exit from southbound 99 will be open. (Detour info here.) Like previous westbound closures, this is because of the ongoing Spokane St. Viaduct Widening Project.

Traffic alert: Partial overnight closure for the other Viaduct

And suddenly, there is one more closure in the mix – this afternoon, SDOT announced that tomorrow (Thursday) night, the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed, 10 pm to 5 am. That’s the section of the West Seattle Bridge between I-5 and Highway 99. While it’s closed during that time frame, you will not be able to get to the bridge from I-5, but you will be able to reach it from 99. SDOT says this closure, part of the ongoing project to widen that section of the bridge, is “to test techniques for preparing old deck for new paving.”

West Seattle traffic-alert reminder: Longer closure than usual

One more reminder if you are, or are heading, downtown or beyond – tonight’s westbound Spokane Street Viaduct closure is scheduled to last longer than previous ones – this time, it’s set to start at 10 pm and continue all day and all night Saturday, until 10 am Sunday. (We’ll publish an update, of course, if it reopens early.) That means the only high-bridge access westbound during that time will be from Highway 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct – the I-5 and Beacon Hill ramps will be closed.

Traffic alert: Westbound Spokane St. Viaduct closing for 2 nights, 1 day

Just in from SDOT, the next round of Spokane Street Viaduct closures, westbound only, and this time it’s for a big chunk of the weekend:

The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to widen the Spokane Street Viaduct will close both westbound lanes of the structure from 10 PM on Friday, September 30, to 10 AM on Sunday, October 2, to pour deck spans at the east end of the project. The westbound lanes will be closed from west of I-5 to the Alaskan Way Viaduct. All eastbound lanes on the Spokane Street Viaduct will remain open.

During the closure, southbound I-5 traffic will be directed to the S Forest Street exit to access surface streets leading to the lower Spokane Street Swing Bridge. Northbound I-5 traffic and westbound traffic from Columbian Way will be detoured to surface streets at 6th Avenue South to the detour route leading to the swing bridge. Signage will be posted to direct drivers along these routes.

Motorists will also still be able to use southbound SR-99 to access the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge.

And again, “Spokane Street Viaduct” refers to the stretch of the West Seattle Bridge between I-5 and Highway 99.

Another traffic alert: Next partial Spokane St. Viaduct closures

Another traffic alert for your calendar – the next westbound shutdowns of the Spokane Street Viaduct (the West Seattle Bridge between 99 and I-5). Just in from SDOT:

The contractor working to widen the Spokane Street Viaduct will close the structure’s westbound lanes just west of I-5 for three nights: September 7, 8 and 9. To complete necessary work, crews will also close First Avenue S at S Spokane Street overnight from September 6 through 10. Details are as follows:

• Westbound Spokane Street Viaduct closed September 7, 8 and 9
10 p.m. each night until 5 a.m. the next morning

• First Avenue S at S Spokane Street closed September 6 – 10
9 p.m. each night until 5 a.m. the next morning – September 6 & 10
11 p.m. each night until 5 a.m. the next morning – September 7-9

During the viaduct work, southbound I-5 traffic will be directed to the S Forest Street exit to access surface streets. Northbound I-5 traffic and westbound traffic from Columbian Way will be detoured to surface streets at 6th Avenue South. Motorists can still use southbound SR-99 to access West Seattle.

As we reported on Monday, the new 1st Avenue South on/off ramp, which is part of this project, will not be open before the 9-day Alaskan Way Viaduct shutdown Oct. 21-31, but SDOT says it should be open “by the end of the year.”

Traffic alerts: Edmunds reminder; Spokane St. Viaduct heads-up

First: A reminder that until 8 tomorrow morning, SW Edmunds is completely closed for road repairs between California SW and 44th SW on the south end of The Junction:

Thanks to Karen for the “birds-eye view.” SDOT says eastbound will reopen tomorrow morning at 8, but westbound will remain closed until 8 tomorrow night.

Second: The city has just announced another round of westbound Spokane Street Viaduct closures for next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights:

The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation to widen the Spokane Street Viaduct will close the structure’s westbound lanes just west of I-5 for three nights: August 16, 17 and 18. On August 16 and 17 crews will start work at 11:30 p.m. and on August 18 work will begin at 10 p.m. In each instance the roadway will re-open by 5 a.m. the next morning.

During this work, southbound I-5 traffic will be directed to the S Forest Street exit to access surface streets. Northbound I-5 traffic and westbound traffic from Columbian Way will be detoured to surface streets at 6th Avenue South. Motorists will still be able to access West Seattle from southbound SR-99.

Also, on August 15 the right lane of the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed overnight, from 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning. The I-5 westbound ramps will remain open.

And another reminder, as previously noted here, the next Alaskan Way Viaduct partial closure is scheduled right after that – late night Friday, August 19, through early morning Monday, August 22nd.

West Seattle traffic-alert update: Bridge closure canceled again

Once again, SDOT has called off the plan to close the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct for a few nights for the ongoing widening work. So it’ll be fully OPEN tonight through Friday night, after all. No new date yet.

West Seattle traffic alert: Upcoming bridge, Viaduct closures

Two closure advisories for you this afternoon. First, just in from SDOT, the new dates for the westbound closures of the Spokane Street Viaduct (the bridge between I-5 and Highway 99) as part of the ongoing SSV Widening Project work:

The westbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed overnight for four nights beginning Tuesday, July 26. Each night work will begin at 10 p.m. and conclude by 5 a.m. the next morning, except for Friday night. On July 29 work will start at 11 pm and end at 7 am.

Meanwhile, the work requiring recent overnight closures of First Avenue South wrapped up early with no closure planned tonight. The 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. closure at S Spokane Street was due to run through the morning of July 23. …

And a reminder, the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct closures will mean that the exits to the West Seattle Bridge from I-5 will be closed at that time. Meantime, the next Alaskan Way Viaduct closure is approaching – this one is a two-parter: On Saturday night, July 30th, the northbound Viaduct will close 5:30-8:30 pm for the Seafair Torchlight Run. Then, just before midnight that same night, the southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct will close, and remain closed till 5 am the following Monday morning (August 1st).

West Seattle traffic alerts: Spokane St. Viaduct, bridge lane closures

SDOT has sent word of upcoming closures small and large – from a lane on the West Seattle Bridge, to overnight closures of the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct (the bridge between Highway 99 and I-5). The SSV closures are set for the nights of July 12th-14th; details here, along with word of some 1st Avenue South closures, all part of the ongoing Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project. Then, next Tuesday, you’ll see a lane closure near the Fauntleroy end of the bridge; details here, along with some Harbor Island work next week.

Traffic alert: ‘Emergency’ overnight closure for 1st Avenue S.

From SDOT:

The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will completely close First Avenue South between Horton and S Spokane streets tonight to make emergency repairs to temporary shoring for the new Spokane Street Viaduct First Avenue S on-/off-ramp. The shoring was knocked out of alignment this morning after being struck by a truck. The closure begins at 11 p.m. with the expectation that lanes will re-open for use by 5 a.m. Wednesday, April 20. Detours will be provided for both southbound and northbound traffic.

Though that’s some distance south of the stadiums, it’s still worth noting there’s a Mariners night game at Safeco Field (which will be over by then unless it runs extra-long) .

6:04 PM UPDATE: Also note that, apparently unrelated to this, there currently is a traffic problem right at 1st/Spokane, northbound, affecting people coming off the eastbound West Seattle Bridge, related to a crash: SDOT says, “Traffic inbound from West Seattle must either continue on S Spokane St eastbound to I-5 or take a right turn and head south on 1st Ave S. Traffic northbound on 1st Ave S is being diverted to E Marginal Way S.” We’ll update here when we get word this has cleared.

3 Spokane Street Viaduct closures in the next 5 nights

You might have seen the portable warning sign on your approach to the West Seattle Bridge – we spotted one at the 35th/Fauntleroy eastbound entrance this morning – regarding these closures. The eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct (West Seattle Bridge between 99 and I-5) will be closed Friday night overnight; the westbound direction will be closed Sunday night and Monday night, both overnight. That affects some of the ramps to and from that section of the bridge. Read on for full details in the SDOT announcement we just received: Click to read the rest of 3 Spokane Street Viaduct closures in the next 5 nights…

In case you wondered too: Concrete re-do on 1st Avenue ramp

4:50 PM: In the WSB Forums, via a comment, and a phone call, we’ve been asked about what looks like a re-do of some concrete work on the new 1st Avenue South onramp/offramp to the Spokane Street Viaduct section of the West Seattle Bridge. SDOT‘s Marybeth Turner confirms that’s what it is: “Yes, the contractor is taking out a piece of the barricade on the First Avenue S Ramp and will redo it. One end was off by five inches. It’s at no cost to the city and it won’t affect the project schedule.”

ADDED 8:41 PM: Thanks to Scott for pointing out in comments that the Seattle Times (WSB partner) has just put up a story with additional details.

In case you’re wondering: Spokane St. Viaduct progress

With another round of Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project construction closures starting tonight – 10 pm-5 am for the next three nights, WESTBOUND ONLY (which means no bridge access from I-5 or Beacon Hill), and 3 more nights next week – you might be wondering, how’s the construction work going? We have the answer, and a few photos, from SDOT‘s Marybeth Turner:

As 2011 gets underway, work on the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project remains on schedule.

The contractor recently completed more than half of all the columns needed to support the widened portion of the deck that extends 42 feet further to the north. The crews have installed nearly three quarters of all support shafts that support the columns (there are a total of 154 in the design).

In addition, the contractor is nearly finished pouring the concrete deck from Fifth Avenue to Second Avenue. The intersection of Fourth Avenue and lower Spokane Street – long impacted by construction under the viaduct – should be restored to two lanes in each direction by March, though there may be occasional short-term lane restrictions after that.

Meanwhile, the big milestone for this year, the opening of the new First Avenue on-and off-ramp, is expected to be reached before the end of this year. We expect the total project to be completed in the spring of 2012.

That ramp will not be a replication of the one that was closed and demolished last year – its entrance is further north on 1st Avenue South, and it’s a two-way ramp. If you missed previous coverage of the project, we have an extensive archive dating back almost three years (find it here).

Reminder: WB Spokane Street Viaduct closures start tomorrow

It’s been a while since this was announced – but tomorrow’s the first night, so SDOT is out with a reminder today:

Work to widen the Spokane St Viaduct requires closure of the structure’s westbound lanes just west of I-5 for six nights: from 10 p.m. – 5 a.m. this week and next on Wednesday , Thursday and Friday nights – January 19, 20, 21, and 24, 25, 26. During the closures, the bridge weight will be shifted onto a new column; a barrier will be set up on the Harbor Is. ramp; and pavement repair needs will be determined. No work is scheduled and all lanes will be open Saturday and Sunday nights. During this work, southbound I-5 traffic will exit at Forest St to access surface streets. Northbound I-5 traffic and westbound traffic from Columbian Way will be detoured to surface streets at 6th Ave S.

The Spokane Street Viaduct is the section of the West Seattle Bridge between Highway 99 and I-5.