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).
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: 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).
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:Read More
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.
Traffic alerts: Seahawks game; more Spokane St. Viaduct closures
Several traffic notes this afternoon: First, SDOT is sounding the alarm about Saturday’s Seahawks playoff game, since construction on the Spokane Street Viaduct and the south end of the Alaskan Way Viaduct are already causing some challenges in the area. Here’s some of what’s planned for that day:
To keep traffic moving, SDOT will re-open all lanes on Sixth Avenue S at S Spokane Street and also provide traffic control at the intersection of Fourth Avenue S and S Spokane Street. WSDOT is opening up a temporary crosswalk at First Avenue S and Railroad Way S and adding police officers to assist pedestrians. Motorists should, however, anticipate delays on First Avenue S between S King Street (on the north side of Qwest) and Royal Brougham Way (on the south side of Qwest) where the street is reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction to accommodate pile driving in the SR 99 construction zone.
For those who have asked – no, there will NOT be special Water Taxi service that day; it remains on a Monday-Friday schedule.
Second alert: The weekly regional construction update is out – and it just keeps getting longer. One item of note, heads-up for later this month – six more nighttime closures of the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct (meaning you won’t be able to get to the West Seattle Bridge from I-5 or Columbian Way on those nights) are ahead: Jan 19-21 and 24-26, all scheduled for 10 pm-5 am. (P.S. We had checked earlier today about a sign seen yesterday on the eastbound bridge exit to 99, about overnight ramp closures next week; SDOT tells us those have been postponed, so never mind for now.)
Traffic alert: Westbound slowdown on The Bridge late tonight
From SDOT, an alert for late-night drivers heading westbound toward West Seattle from I-5 or Beacon Hill tonight:
Tonight at midnight there will be an estimated 10-minute-long rolling slowdown of westbound traffic on the Spokane Street Viaduct (West Seattle Bridge), at the point just west of Sixth Avenue South. The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation to widen the Spokane Street Viaduct must remove a light pole on the side of the bridge, working from below with a crawler crane to detach the pole and position it away from the Viaduct and onto the ground. As a safety precaution, Washington State Patrol will be on site to provide traffic control, leading a rolling slowdown until this brief construction task is completed.
Traffic alert: Spokane Street Viaduct westbound closure tonight
From SDOT, which says this might be a two-night closure:
The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to widen the Spokane Street Viaduct will close the westbound lanes of the structure tonight and tomorrow night. Crews plan to work from 10 p.m. tonight until 5 a.m. tomorrow, November 30 and if necessary also work from 10 p.m. tomorrow, November 30 to 5 a.m. Wednesday, December 1, to completely remove temporary supports under the structure. During this work, southbound I-5 traffic will be directed to the Forest Street exit to access surface streets. Northbound I-5 traffic and westbound traffic from Columbian Way will be detoured to surface streets at Sixth Avenue South.
The Spokane Street Viaduct is the section of the east end of the West Seattle Bridge between I-5 and Highway 99.
West Seattle traffic alert: Overnight closure now under way
The westbound Spokane Street Viaduct closure that SDOT announced days ago for tonight into tomorrow morning has kicked in a bit early, according to a Facebook note from Heather – she says the southbound I-5 exit to the West Seattle Bridge was blocked off as of 9:30. That exit and the entire stretch of the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct from I-5 to Highway 99 will be closed until about 5 am because of construction work (part of the SSV Widening Project).
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