West Seattle Blog…

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.

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).

Traffic alert: Westbound Spokane St. Viaduct closure ahead

(SDOT photo of Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project work, taken and provided last week)
Early warning just in from SDOT:

The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation to widen the Spokane Street Viaduct (the raised roadway that connects I-5 to the West Seattle Bridge) tentatively plans to close the westbound lanes of the viaduct on Wednesday night.

Crews plan to work from 10 p.m. on Wednesday, October 27 to 5 a.m. on Thursday, October 28 to stripe the roadway and install a temporary barrier in preparation for widening the easternmost portion of the Spokane Street Viaduct.

During this work, traffic from southbound I-5 that would otherwise take the Spokane Street Viaduct will instead be directed to the Forest Street exit to access surface streets. Traffic from northbound I-5 and westbound traffic from Columbian Way will be detoured to surface streets at Sixth Avenue South.

At yesterday’s Alaskan Way Viaduct project-related South Portal Working Group meeting, SDOT reiterated that the Spokane Street Viaduct project is on schedule. The next key component to open will be the new 1st Avenue South on-/off-ramp on the westbound side, expected to be done by next fall.

Spokane Street Viaduct: Sat. night closure; progress photos

(Photos courtesy Seattle Department of Transportation)
That’s one of the photos SDOT shared this week when we asked if they had any new construction-progress photos from the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project. We have a few more – but first, SDOT has just finalized plans for this weekend closure as part of the ongoing construction:

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will close the westbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct Saturday night, Oct 16, for work required on the viaduct widening project. (The Spokane Street Viaduct is the raised structure that connects the West Seattle Bridge to I-5.) Crews will work from 10 p.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Sunday. During this work, southbound I-5 traffic will be directed to the South Forest Street exit to access surface streets. Northbound I-5 traffic and westbound traffic from South Columbian Way will be detoured to surface streets at Sixth Avenue South.

Note that this does NOT overlap with the Alaskan Way Viaduct closures this weekend, which are scheduled for 6 am-6 pm Saturday and Sunday. Meantime, three more views courtesy of SDOT:

As for the project’s overall status, according to SDOT’s Marybeth Turner: “The project remains on schedule for completion by spring 2012, with the new First Avenue on/off ramp complete by the fall of 2011.” Previous WSB coverage, dating back to the announcement of the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project in spring 2008, is archived here (newest to oldest).

Update: New 4th Avenue S. offramp is officially open!

3 months earlier than expected, the first major component of the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project is officially open to drivers, now that a morning media tour and ceremony are over. The 1st vehicles were project trucks, at 10:17 am, applauded by the SDOT onlookers; the first “unofficial” driver came just a few minutes later:

The $42 million ramp starts with one lane at the top, though it’s wide enough for two once the entire SSVWP is done, according to project manager Stuart Goldsmith; by the time you get to the bottom, there are three lanes – one left turn (south), one to go straight or turn right, one turning right. More to come! (P.S. Apropos to the fact some refer to it as the “Costco” ramp since it provides a direct route from The Bridge, a Costco rep was in the crowd to watch.) ADDED 11:47 AM: Prior to our complete followup later with more details and a look ahead – a few images from the “media tour” pre-opening, all by Christopher Boffoli:

That’s the view from the top of the ramp, looking back at West Seattle (obviously those barrels are gone now). Next, the view looking down toward 4th Avenue:

And the crew putting finishing touches on the traffic signals, up till the last moment:

In addition to City Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen and Sally Clark, plus County Councilmember Jan Drago and SDOT boss Peter Hahn, WSDOT’s leader for the entire Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project, Ron Paananen, was there to help cut the ribbon and say a few words about the role this plays in “viaduct replacement” – with an extra path downtown for West Seattle drivers. We talked to CM Rasmussen about that too.

(The “south portal” section of the Viaduct/99 project itself also has an offramp in the stadium vicinity, just before the entrance to what WSDOT still refers to as “the proposed deep-bore tunnel.”)

Traffic alert: One last closure before new 4th Ave. S. ramp opens

Just in from SDOT:

The contractor working for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will close all eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct from First to Fourth avenues S overnight, beginning Sunday night, to prepare for the Monday morning opening of the Fourth Avenue S Off-ramp. The closure is necessary to remove the concrete barrier and to patch surface concrete where the barrier was connected to the viaduct deck.

Crews will place temporary barriers where the new off-ramp meets with the upper roadway to allow for a daylight opening of the ramp.

All eastbound lanes will be open by 5:00 a.m. Monday and the new Fourth Avenue S Off-ramp will be opened after the morning commute. The overnight closure begins at 10:00 p.m. Sunday, August 15, and will be complete by 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 16.