West Seattle Blog…

West Seattle Bridge closure alert: Fauntleroy Expressway closed all day on Sunday, February 19th

>(Fauntleroy Expressway at top of page; aerial photo by Long B. Nguyen; expanded view here)
Just in from SDOT - they need to close the Fauntleroy Expressway, the southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge, for a full day on Sunday, February 19th, as the earthquake-safety project continues. The closure actually will start Saturday night, February 18th, and run as late as midnight Sunday night. Here’s the announcement, just in:

Fauntleroy Expressway and SW Avalon Way Closures, Feb. 13-19
Full closure from Saturday night through Sunday night

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will close the Fauntleroy Expressway (from 35th SW to the Delridge ramps at the west end of the West Seattle Bridge) during the night next week, February 13-17, as previously announced, and also during the weekend beginning Saturday, February 18, at 9:00 p.m. until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 19.

During these closures the following detours will be in effect:

· Westbound motorists traveling to West Seattle via the West Seattle Bridge will be directed to use the Delridge Way SW off-ramp.

· Eastbound motorists on Fauntleroy Way SW will be detoured at 35th Avenue SW and will be directed to the West Seattle Bridge via SW Genesee Street and Delridge Way SW.

Additionally, northbound traffic on SW Avalon Way will be restricted February 13-19 during these dates and times:

· Monday, February 13, through Friday, February 17, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
· Saturday, February 18, starting at 6:00 p.m. until Sunday, February 19, at 11:59 p.m.

During these times the following detour for SW Avalon Way will be in place:

· Northbound motorists traveling on SW Avalon Way will be detoured to eastbound SW Spokane Street. They will then be directed to perform a U-turn at 26th Avenue SW onto westbound SW Spokane Street and then north on Harbor Avenue SW. Northbound trucks and Metro buses traveling on SW Avalon Way will be flagged through the work zone.

These closures are required as part of the seismic retrofit of the Fauntleroy Expressway in order to make it more likely to withstand the force of a major earthquake. The work is funded by the “Bridging the Gap” transportation levy approved by Seattle voters in November 2006.

For more information and a map of the detour, visit SDOT’s project website.

West Seattle traffic alert: Battery Street Tunnel reopened

(Latest “live” picture looking at 99 just north of the bridge; more cameras here)
8:48 AM: New traffic problem: The Battery Street Tunnel is reported by SDOT to be closed in both directions. So that’s bad news for the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Taking the eastbound bridge to the 4th Avenue offramp (our favorite for quick downtown access) should be a good option.

9:01 AM UPDATE: And this is reported cleared – but once again, the backup will take a while to clear.

West Seattle traffic alert: Stoplight trouble at 35th/Fauntleroy

7:20 AM: We’ve noticed the 35th/Fauntleroy blinking red (in other words, akin to a four-way-stop sign) now and then in recent days, but this is the first time we’ve heard of it happening during the morning commute – and we’re getting reports it’s backing up access to the bridge. If you use that access point, you might consider heading north on 35th instead, which has an access lane that doesn’t require going through the signal. Or, use the onramps reachable via Admiral or Avalon, or Delridge.

8:01 AM: We saw a city worker on scene about 15 minutes ago. Getting on the bridge via northbound 35th was quick, by the way. Will update whenever we get word it’s fixed.

8:02 AM: Todd says it’s fixed.

8:36 AM: We have sent a crew by for a firsthand look, and they too confirm it’s working now. We have a question out to SDOT inquiring why, since it was broken last night, it wasn’t fixed before morning. Whatever we find out, we’ll add here later.

West Seattle traffic: Bridge crash cleared

(Refresh for latest image from SDOT camera)
7:40 AM: Just getting word of this via multiple sources – multiple-car crash on the eastbound bridge, and at least one of the cars is facing the wrong way. Our most recent call says the bus lane and exit lane are blocked.

7:56 AM UPDATE: Good news – the scene has been cleared. (If there are any other traffic problems in the next hour or so of the commute, we’ll add them here.)

8:26 AM: There’s a report of a crash at 8th/Cloverdale involving a trash truck and an SUV. No word of any injuries but it’s said to be impending traffic to some degree.

West Seattle traffic alert: On-ramp water woes

Forecasters say the rain will ease up later, but there’s apparently standing-water trouble out there – via the WSB Facebook page, Sharon reports, “The on-ramp from Delridge to the West Seattle Bridge is flooded once again!” Any other problem spots you see, let us know so we can share the heads-up (but of course, please don’t call/e-mail till you’ve arrived!).

SDOT reminder about tonight’s West Seattle Bridge closures

In case you missed it in our morning preview – the Fauntleroy Expressway and eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct are both closed tonight (and other nights). SDOT has just sent media organizations another reminder (and published it on their blog-format On The Move site): Click to read the rest of SDOT reminder about tonight’s West Seattle Bridge closures…

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 Bridge traffic alert: Eastbound Spokane St. Viaduct closure all weekend

(Refresh for latest “live” view of the eastbound WS Bridge looking toward the closure zone)
8:17 AM: If you’re heading out of West Seattle this weekend – remember that the eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct section of the West Seattle Bridge is closed all weekend, scheduled to reopen by 5 am Monday. While the recent overnight closures have left the 1st Avenue South offramp open, this one is different – the city alert says,”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.”

(Added – midday backup, photo courtesy Lauren via Twitter)
11:17 AM UPDATE: We contacted SDOT about the lack of signage for this – and did get a reply that they’re aware of the situation and working to see what can be done. (added) Barry sent us this sign photo just after noon:

2:28 PM UPDATE: We included City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen on the e-mail thread too, since he is the chair of the Transportation Committee (not to mention, a West Seattleite). He is looking into it too and agrees the city “must do a better job.” Alternatives to suggest: Bus riders say they have gotten across the bridge in reasonable time; we had to go downtown earlier this afternoon and took Highland Park Way to the 1st Avenue South Bridge (go across West Marginal and follow the signs) to get to 99 without taking the WS Bridge, and that route was moving well.

3:09 PM UPDATE: We’ve just published a separate story – SDOT now says the work is done early and the bridge is reopening “for full use.” That eastbound section will close again midnight-5 am Monday morning for a little more work.

West Seattle traffic alert: Icy morning

8:37 AM: The temperature is still below freezing and there are scattered reports of problems with icy roads, including this from Jennifer:

There is a bad patch of ice on 46th, the little street that goes down to Marine View Drive from 100th – right after you go around the corner in the right lane there are large, thick patches of ice. Myself and the car in front of me both almost slid through the intersection. Marine View drive right there is also covered in a thick frost that no one seems to suspect – saw quite a few cars and a scooter (!) go slippy-sliding for a few seconds.

And Walter e-mailed to say there is (or was) a bus blocking people from going down Manning to Admiral. We’re also checking out a crash report on California Way (the street heading down the hill from Hamilton Viewpoint to Harbor).

9:14 AM UPDATE: The crash scene on California Way is cleared – no injuries, but police are not allowing drivers to go downhill (northbound) while the shaded side of the street remains icy/frosty. Thanks to the commenters who are reporting other trouble spots.

Traffic alert: West Seattle Bridge closures both ways

10:47 PM: There are bridge closures in both directions tonight, and that means backups at a time you may not expect them. It is the previously mentioned eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct closure, starting east of the 1st Ave South exit, plus another Fauntleroy Expressway Seismic Retrofit closure, affecting the entrance to the bridge from 35th and the westbound exits (you have to get off at Harbor Island or Delridge). Both should be done by 5 a.m.

12:38 AM UPDATE: Came through about half an hour ago and it appeared the Fauntleroy Expressway closure was temporarily suspended – cars were using the westernmost stretch of the bridge going both ways – but the webcams show the detour in effect again.

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: ‘Worse than usual’ morning on the bridge

No obvious incidents – and we know it’s the late edge of the commute anyway – but multiple WSB’ers are suddenly reporting that bridge traffic is “worse than usual.” So we’re publishing this just to say that if you go in late – you might want to wait a while.

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.

West Seattle traffic alert: Roads, sidewalks slippery in spots

7:39 AM: David DeSiga e-mailed us to sound the alert for East Marginal Way – but we discovered firsthand it’s not an isolated spot; you may encounter a little residual iciness here and there. (P.S. Sidewalks and parking lots too.)

9:01 AM UPDATE: Delridge/Sylvan/Orchard is one spot that folks have warned about. Can’t say for sure if it’s ice-related, but emergency crews are responding to word of a crash there right now.

9:54 AM UPDATE: Short note from SDOT: “This morning between 5 am and sunrise, a sort of ‘flash freeze’ occurred across south Seattle. SDOT used granular salt and salt brine on slick spots.”

Viaduct/99 traffic update: Battery St. Tunnel reopened

(SDOT cam looking north at 99 through SODO, from the WSB Traffic cams page)
7:40 AM: Just got word of the Battery St. Tunnel closure from SDOT via Twitter. If it lasts for long, 99 northbound will be worse than usual – so if you’re heading into downtown, you might want to opt for 1st or 4th exits from the bridge.

7:51 AM: SDOT says it’s now been cleared and reopened.

New bridge-closure alerts, including EB Spokane St. Viaduct

The city’s just out with its weekly update on road work that might affect you – and in addition to more Fauntleroy Expressway closures in the works, the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project will have some EASTBOUND closures (as opposed to the previous set of WESTBOUND shutdowns). From the city’s announcement:

- Jan 12, 16-20 and 23-27, the Fauntleroy Expressway will be closed each night. This is the portion of the West Seattle Freeway west of Delridge on/off-ramps and east of 35th Ave SW.

- Jan 19, all eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed overnight (9PM to 5AM), east of the 1st Ave S off-ramp. Traffic will be detoured to the lower roadway (S Spokane St).

- Jan 27-30, all eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed through the weekend, east of the SR 99 off-ramp. Access to the 1st Ave S and 4th Ave S off-ramps will be closed.

And of course that also would mean you couldn’t get to I-5 or Beacon Hill from the West Seattle Bridge. These closures (and others around the city) should be listed soon on this city webpage, for later reference.

Traffic alerts for West Seattle Bridge, Highway 99, and I-5

If you absolutely have to drive to or from West Seattle in the next few hours or so, here’s a few things you might need to know:

I-5 NORTHBOUND – is likely to be a mess for a while because a tanker overturned at Lakeview on the north side of downtown, and its 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel will have to be pumped out before it can be cleared. 10:57 PM UPDATE: Scanner traffic indicates they will be trying to right the truck WITHOUT emptying it.

HIGHWAY 99 SOUTHBOUND - a spinout crash is reported in the Battery Street Tunnel, and south of there, watch out for puddling in the right lanes, particularly the last stretch before Harbor Island (we experienced this firsthand on a quick run to/from downtown in the past hour).

WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE – the Fauntleroy Expressway closure planned for tonight hasn’t happened yet, if it’s going to happen at all (might be too rainy for crews) – you can keep an eye on the traffic camera above (the signage on 99 may not help; a lit sign on 99 just before the bridge said it WAS closed when we went through around 9:15 pm, but it most definitely wasn’t). 10:57 PM UPDATE: The westbound detour IS in place now, as you can see in the “live” camera view.

Update: City tweaks plan for Fauntleroy Expressway bridge closures

A few changes for the next few weeks of overnight closures for the Fauntleroy Expressway earthquake-safety project – here’s the latest schedule from SDOT:

This week the Seattle Department of Transportation is continuing with a number of nighttime closures to the Fauntleroy Expressway (the raised roadway at the west end of the West Seattle Bridge). These closures are being made to accommodate work that will strengthen and seismically retrofit the structure to better withstand an earthquake. Closures began the week of December 12th and will continue regularly until the project’s completion in June 2012. Future closures may also occur on weekends, though none are scheduled at this time.

Closures will begin at 9:00 p.m. and reopen the next morning at 5:00 a.m. and are planned for the following evenings:

Tuesday, December 27th through Thursday, December 30th
Note – December 30th has been added as a work night since the previous notice
Tuesday, January 3rd through Friday, January 6th

During this week of evening closures the following detours will be in effect:
· Westbound motorists traveling to West Seattle via the West Seattle Bridge will be directed to use the Delridge Way Southwest off-ramp.
· Eastbound motorists on Fauntleroy Way Southwest will be detoured at Southwest Avalon Way and will be directed to the Southwest Spokane Street entrance to the West Seattle Bridge under the Fauntleroy Expressway.

For information on changes to bus service, look for Rider Alert notices at bus stops, visit Metro Online at www.kingcounty.gov/metro or call (206) 553-3000.

Some drivers also have recommended using the Harbor Island offramp if you’re heading westbound, since that will point you toward the “low bridge” and options at its west end.

Plan ahead for bridge closures: More Fauntleroy Expressway dates

The latest (long) list of road closures around the metro area includes more dates for Fauntleroy Expressway closures – the west end of the West Seattle Bridge, which is getting earthquake-safety upgrades. It’s scheduled for closure next Tuesday-Friday, 9 pm-5 am each night (Dec. 27-30), and the same thing the following week (January 3-6). For those who use the east side of the bridge, aka the Spokane Street Viaduct, there are no more westbound overnight closures on the schedule – yet – after tonight.

Reminder: Fauntleroy Expressway & WB Spokane St. Viaduct closed

10:24 PM: Have heard from a few people who apparently missed the previews and reminders about the current abundance of road work and were surprised by the bridge closures last night and tonight. In case you’ve been out of town, or busy, or lost track, this SDOT update from today explains what’s going on. Tonight is the only night the two bridge projects overlap, but if you are trying to get home from points eastward before 5 am or so, it will be tricky – you can’t get onto the westbound West Seattle Bridge from I-5 or Beacon Hill, and once you’re on, Delridge is the last open exit.

10:47 PM: As noted in comments, and in e-mail we received, try exiting at Harbor Island, BEFORE Delridge, for a reduced chance of getting stuck in a backup. One person who e-mailed points out that the detour signs do NOT offer this option (and also, as we’ve noticed, erroneously declare the entire WS Bridge closed).

West Seattle traffic alert: Water-main break on Alki Avenue

Just east of Alki Point, a section of Alki Avenue SW – from about 63rd SW to the point – is closed so crews can fix a water-main break. Thanks to Kenna Klosterman for the tip, and the photo above. We just went over to check it out; crews aren’t sure yet how long it’ll take to fix, but they say it was a relatively small plastic water pipe, and it’s affecting service to the homes on the water side of the street (north).

7:02 PM: That’s our photo from the repair site; on the WSB Facebook page, you can see a video Kenna shot earlier, while the crew was pumping water out of that section of the street.

Another West Seattle road-work alert: 48th SW in Seaview

Just in from SDOT:

Crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation will repair a concrete panel in the 6500 block of 48th Avenue SW [map] between December 21 and 29, with a pause for the holiday weekend. The crews will work from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Wednesday to Friday, December 21 to 23, and will continue during the same hours from Tuesday to Thursday, December 27 to 29.

The roadway will be reduced to one lane except during the holiday weekend when both lanes will be open for traffic. While the road is restricted to one lane, traffic flaggers will assist drivers through the area from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. When the crew is not working, flashing stop signs will be located at either end of the construction area from 3 p.m. to 8 a.m. to warn drivers of the roadway restriction and to travel through the area one car at a time.

More West Seattle road work: Repaving one block of 35th SW

From SDOT:

Crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation will pave 35th Avenue SW from Southwest Othello Street to Southwest Myrtle Street next week [map]. They will start on Monday, December 19 and work through Wednesday December 21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting. All sidewalks and crosswalks will remain open. At least one lane of traffic in each direction will remain open, and on-street parking will be restricted. A police officer will assist traffic at the intersection of 35th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Myrtle Street.

No Spokane Street Viaduct closure tonight; new schedule

SDOT has just changed the schedule for westbound Spokane Street Viaduct overnight closures – starting with tonight, when it will be OPEN after all. The new schedule calls for two more overnight closures, next Wednesday night (9 pm-5 am) and Thursday night (10 pm-5 am). Reminder that the closures mean the I-5 and Beacon Hill ramps to the West Seattle Bridge are closed; the 6th Avenue S. detour from southbound 5 isn’t easy to navigate, so plan your route beforehand.

West Seattle traffic alert: Emergency response on the bridge

(Thanks to Dana Rambo, first car behind the roadblock just after 8 am)
If you haven’t left yet, note that traffic is worse than usual right now. Fire units have a medic-response call on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge parallel with Admiral. And at the east end of the bridge, if you are heading to southbound I-5, there might be some distraction from an emergency call on the northbound side right at the bridge exit. (Thanks to everybody who tipped us on this)

8:48 AM: As far as we can tell, the medic units have cleared.

12:36 PM: We asked SFD about the incident. From spokesperson Kyle Moore: “At 7:58 we received a 911 call reporting a female in her late 60’s who was unconscious but breathing. She was inside a black car on the right side of Eastbound West Seattle Freeway in front of the steel plant. At 8:14, Medic 32 transported the patient to Harborview Medical Center.” He didn’t have information on her condition, though.

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).

Update: Fauntleroy Expressway will NOT close Tuesday, Wed. nights

We’ve just confirmed a change in plans for this week’s work on the Fauntleroy Expressway Seismic Retrofit Project – which is entering a new phase as the contractor gets ready to lift the bridge deck to add special quake-resistant pads. SDOT had announced that the expressway – the southwestern end of the West Seattle Bridge, between Delridge and 35th – would be closed three nights this week for that phase of the job to begin, starting tonight. But when we checked in with SDOT communications consultant Josh Stepherson, who has briefed more than a few local community groups about the projects in recent months, he told us there was a late-breaking change in plans: “A couple of hours ago the contractor made the decision not to raise the Expressway this week. They still intend to close the Expressway tonight to survey the structure. They will not close it this Tuesday or Wednesday. Their current plan is to raise the Expressway, for the first time, Monday the 19th. They also plan to close the Expressway on Tuesday and Wednesday the 20th and 21st.” Look for more information from SDOT later this week; meantime, tonight’s closure, again, IS still on – scheduled roughly 10:30 pm to 5 am. (We’ll check on its status once that time frame kicks in.)