West Seattle, Washington
20 Wednesday
10:05 PM: Two crashes affecting traffic right now – one at 36th/Fauntleroy/Avalon, one in the 1600 block of Harbor SW. We’ve heard via scanner that the latter has police routing traffic off Harbor/Alki, up onto California Way/Lane. No other details so far.
10:14 PM: The photo above is from Carolyn Newman, who says southbound traffic is what’s being diverted. Scanner traffic indicates this is a single-vehicle crash, while the other one involved two. No serious injuries reported in either incident.
10:19 PM: Above, another view just texted to us.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:06 AM: Good morning. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far.
HIGHWAY 99 CLOSURE THIS WEEKEND: If you’ve missed our early alerts, time to start including this in morning traffic – southbound Highway 99 will close between here and downtown from 9 pm Friday to 6 am Sunday, for tunnel-related work.
Thanks to Bill and Katja for the tips via Twitter – there’s a backup on the westbound West Seattle Bridge because of a crash. Bill says a motorcycle went down but it doesn’t look like any serious injuries; to underscore that, no SFD medical callout. No SDOT traffic alert yet so we’re not exactly sure where on the bridge this happened.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:02 AM: Good morning. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far.
ROAD WORK REMINDERS: The Harbor/Spokane project continues, and detours for those biking/walking on the Alki Trail start today, as reported here … Also scheduled to start today, a closure of a section of Marine View Drive because of a City Light project.
(WSB photo)
No major injuries but two cars are damaged after colliding at Highland Park Way and Holden. The Highland Park Action Committee continues trying to get traffic calming for this intersection and took a mayoral assistant on a walking tour earlier this week for a firsthand look.
Looking ahead to next weekend, one major closure you might want to plan for if you’re heading off-peninsula: Southbound Highway 99 is scheduled for a full closure from 9 pm next Friday night (June 22nd) until 6 am next Sunday (June 24th), between Battery Street and Lander Street (functionally, that means all the way to the West Seattle Bridge), as part of tunnel-related work. No overlapping major I-5 closures that weekend, according to the WSDOT list.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7 AM: Good morning. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far.
STADIUM ZONE: Home game again tonight, and the first fireworks show of the year, for the Mariners, vs. the Red Sox, 7:10 pm.
ROAD WORK REMINDERS: The Harbor/Spokane project has begun, and detours for those biking/walking on the Alki Trail start next Monday, as reported here … Also set to start next week, a section of Marine View Drive will be closed as part of a City Light project.
8:25 AM: Hannah reports via email: “Our Microsoft Connector is broken down on Fauntleroy just before 35th, blocking the right lane. We’ve tried closing all the windows and restarting, but no luck yet.”
Seen on our way back from low-low tide photos:
HARBOR/SPOKANE WORK BEGINS: As previewed earlier this week, work is now under way on the Harbor/Spokane project. That lane – westbound Spokane to north/westbound Harbor – will be kept open during peak pm commute hours, 3 to 7 pm weekdays, per SDOT, but remember that continuous work is planned this weekend.
ADDED THURSDAY EVENING: More info on upcoming Alki Trail closure/detours:
Starting Monday, June 18, crews will close part of the Alki Trail in order to remove sections of the sidewalk and road in preparation for the safety improvement work at the intersection. This phase of work is expected to take 3 weeks (construction dates and duration are subject to change). We wanted to share with you the Alki Trail detour information for people walking and biking.
People walking and biking will be detoured around the work zone as appropriate. The detour routes are:
Eastbound bikes on the Alki Trail
Continue south, past SW Spokane St, to SW Avalon Way
Left onto SW Yancy St
Left onto 28th Ave SW
Right onto SW Andover St
Continue east, across Delridge Way SW, and onto the trail
Detour signs will be posted along this route. A temporary crossing will be added for people biking to cross from the Alki Trail to the west side of Harbor Ave SW. Once on Harbor Ave SW, people biking will merge with traffic and continue following the detour to SW Avalon Way.Westbound bikes on the Alki Trail
Detoured south toward 22nd Ave SW
Right onto SW Andover St
Left onto 28th Ave SW
Right onto SW Yancy St
Right onto SW Avalon Way
Continue north onto Harbor Ave SW to reconnect with the Alki Trail
Detour signs will be posted at the east end of the trail, directing people biking toward 22nd Ave SW.People walking eastbound and westbound on the Alki Trail
A uniformed police officer will direct people walking at the intersection of Harbor Ave SW and SW Spokane St
Please note: Bikes will not be able to access the walking detour route and must follow the signed bike detour route.
(back to original story) Nearby, under the bridge, along SW Manning, we noticed this:
NEW SIGNAL-BOX ART: The rose-covered signal box is signed by Desmond (aka Graves) Hansen. It’s not mentioned on his Instagram page or elsewhere that we’ve found, so we don’t know yet if this is the finished work or, like the box at California/Graham, another tribute portrait might eventually be painted onto it. As mentioned here earlier this week, he’ll be painting a mural of and at the Morgan Junction Community Festival this Saturday, starting at 1 pm, at Morgan Junction Park [map].
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:59 AM: Good morning. So far, no incidents reported in/from West Seattle.
STADIUM ZONE: Home game tonight for the Mariners, vs. the Red Sox, 7:10 pm.
Received from Seattle City Light, as its year-and-a-half-plus project in South Arbor Heights/The Arroyos continues:
During the week of June 18, Seattle City Light crews will be working at the intersection of 39th Avenue SW and Marine View Drive SW to install a new electrical vault. As a result, a portion of Marine View Drive SW will be temporarily closed for construction.
ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION
June 18-27: A portion of Marine View Drive SW will be temporarily closed for construction. This closure will occur both during and outside of construction work hours.
Traffic through Marine View Drive SW will be restricted to local access only.
Crews will work with affected residents regarding driveway access to homes.
Detour routes are available on 39th Avenue SW, SW 108th Street and SW 110th Street during the closure.
Signs will direct drivers toward these detour routes as they approach Marine View Drive SW.
Trenching for the vault will occur within the public right-of-way (e.g. street and planting strips).
Some sidewalks, driveway approaches and vegetation will be affected by construction activities.
Trenches will be covered with steel plates or fenced off outside of construction work hours.
All affected areas will be restored and repaved, in accordance with SDOT guidelines.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:06 AM: Good morning. So far, no incidents reported in/from West Seattle on this rainy Wednesday.
STADIUM ZONE: Day game for the Mariners, hosting the Angels again, 1:10 pm.
7:57 AM: Two after-the-fact transit alerts just in from Metro via Twitter and text:
Transit Alert – Route 56 to downtown Seattle due to leave 61 Av SW & Alki Av SW at 7:49 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro🚏🚎🌈🏳️🌈 (@kcmetrobus) June 13, 2018
Transit Alert – Route 55 to downtown Seattle due to leave SW Atlantic St & 44 Av SW at 7:15 AM will not operate this morning.
— King County Metro🚏🚎🌈🏳️🌈 (@kcmetrobus) June 13, 2018
New construction/detour info for the Harbor/Spokane safety project from SDOT:
>As soon as tomorrow, Wednesday, June 13, crews will begin construction of the Harbor Ave SW and SW Spokane St Intersection Improvements project. This Neighborhood Street Fund project will increase the visibility and safety for people walking and biking across Harbor Ave SW and SW Spokane St. We expect construction to last about 6 weeks.
Nighttime and weekend work
One of the first construction activities will be pavement breaking at the intersection of Harbor Ave SW and SW Spokane St in preparation for safety improvement work on the Alki Trail. This work will be done at night and over the weekend to reduce impacts to people driving. For details about what to expect, please see below.
Traffic impacts:
Westbound SW Spokane St will be reduced to one lane of traffic at Harbor Ave SW, except during peak hours (3 PM to 7 PM, Monday through Friday), when it will remain fully open
A uniformed police officer will direct right turns onto northbound Harbor Ave SW from SW Spokane St during work hours
Crews plan to work continuously from 7 PM on Friday, June 15, to 5 AM on Monday, June 18
Sidewalks will be maintained for people walking and bikingConstruction impacts:
Noise, dust, and vibration from breakers and heavy equipment
Increased truck activity, back-up alarms, and workers communicating in the field
Additional nighttime and weekend work may be required at this intersection
Crews have a noise variance for this workLooking ahead:
Starting as soon as Monday, June 18, crews will begin safety improvement work on the Alki Trail. Crews will begin by replacing segments of the jersey barrier along the trail. Please note: This work may require a partial closure of the Alki Trail at the intersection of Harbor Ave SW and SW Spokane St. We’ll share more information on detour routes for people walking and biking as the work approaches.
What you need to know during construction:
Typical construction hours are Monday – Friday, 7 AM – 5 PM
Occasional night and weekend work
Temporary lane, crosswalk, and sidewalk closures
Detours for people walking and biking
Possible parking and loading restrictions
Please expect typical construction impacts such as increased noise, dust, truck activity, and vibration
Impacts and schedule are subject to change
Here’s the official SDOT construction notice (PDF).
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:06 AM: Good morning. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far.
STADIUM ZONE: Mariners play the Angels again, 7:10 pm, and that means another night of extended West Seattle Water Taxi service.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:57 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far this morning.
STADIUM ZONE: The Mariners are back home starting tonight, vs. the Angels @ 7:10 pm. That means extended Water Taxi service tonight.
8:45 AM: Emergency response at the south end of the 1st Avenue South Bridge – a reported motorcycle/car collision.
8:56 AM: That incident is closed out already. Meantime, if you are traveling the California SW corridor in Fauntleroy, between the church and old schoolhouse, police are responding to a report of a man behaving bizarrely, in and out of the road, and having tried to board a bus (but the driver wouldn’t allow him to, per the scanner).
A bit later than projected, northbound Highway 99 has just reopened, post-Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon.
P.S. You can always check our collection of SDOT and WSDOT traffic cameras here.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:03 AM: Good morning and welcome to Friday. No West Seattle incidents reported so far.
WEEKEND 99 CLOSURES: If you’re leaving the peninsula this weekend, note the plan for Highway 99 lane closures on Saturday (tunnel-related work) and a full northbound closure from early morning to mid-afternoon on Sunday (Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon) – details here.
OTHER WEEKEND ALERTS: Here’s the full SDOT roundup.
Just received from WSDOT, word of Highway 99 lane closures Saturday and a full northbound closure part of Sunday:
Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will reduce both directions of SR 99 to one lane on Saturday, June 9, so they can dig large sign foundations for the future SR 99 tunnel.
On Sunday, June 10, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon will close all lanes of northbound SR 99 between the West Seattle Bridge and Green Lake, along with off-ramps on Interstate 5 and SR 520.
Saturday, June 9
3 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Northbound SR 99 traffic will be reduced to one lane between South Lander Street and Holgate Street.
3 a.m. to 10 p.m. – Southbound SR 99 traffic will be reduced to one lane between Holgate Street and South Lander Street.
Sunday, June 10
4:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
All lanes and ramps of northbound SR 99 between South Spokane Street/West Seattle Bridge and West Green Lake Way will be closed.6 to 11:15 a.m.
The northbound I-5 off-ramp to Lakeview Boulevard will be closed.
Two left turn lanes on the I-5 off-ramp to Mercer Street will be closed.
The westbound SR 520 off-ramp to Roanoke Street/Harvard Avenue will be closed.
Seattle city streets are also closing for the race.
Thanks to Samantha for noticing the “no parking” signs east of Seacrest, at Harbor and Fairmount, and asking what we knew. We checked them out yesterday and could only tell that the impending project involved SDOT, so we checked back today and the sidewalk’s being dug up.
So if you’re walking/riding in the area, you’ll have to detour. The signage indicates the work could last into next week.
P.S. If you see “no parking” signs or other hints that some kind of road/sidewalk work is on the way, please let us know! Very few projects bring advance advisories, but if we get word, we can share the news with others.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:01 AM: Good morning. One incident to report so far:
That’s Bonair in upper Alki, where a tree/limb has fallen and is blocking the road. Thanks to those who sent photos and tips (206-293-6302 any time)!
8:16 AM: If you use East Marginal Way S., note that it’s currently blocked between 14th Ave. S. (the South Park Bridge) and Ellis, because of a police response.
8:20 AM: The suspect who police were trying to get out of a car after a collision is now reported to be in custody and East Marginal will be reopened, per scanner.
11:04 AM: Caller says city crew is on Bonair now cleaning up the tree trouble.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:02 AM: Good morning. We just checked around and so far, no incidents reported in/from West Seattle.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:02 AM: Good morning. No incidents reported so far in/from West Seattle. But there’s been one transit alert – the 6:41 am Route 55 didn’t run.
TONIGHT: As previewed here, two of tonight’s major events in West Seattle involve transportation – a public hearing on Highway 99 tunnel tolling, and an informational open house on the current proposal for SW Avalon Way rechannelization/repaving.
7:29 AM: Another Metro alert, though after-the-fact “Metro Transit Alert -Route 113 to downtown Seattle due to leave 26 Av SW & SW 116 St at 7:04 AM will not operate this morning.”
7:34 AM: If your destination is downtown, note that SDOT reports a street protest at 2nd/Madison.
8:57 AM: Thanks for the text. A #57 bus is stuck at 49th/Charlestown after going up over the curb.
9:08 AM: Meantime, back at the downtown protest, police say they’ve ordered those in the street to disperse, and are working to remove those who didn’t. According to a Twitter photo, the protest is aimed at ICE.
9:23 AM: SPD says the downtown streets have reopened after they arrested protesters who didn’t disperse.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:02 AM: Good morning and welcome to the first full week of June. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far this morning.
7:20 AM: Crash reported on NB I-5 at the bridge.
7:55 AM: That’s finally cleared.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:06 AM: No incidents of note reported in our area so far this morning. Reminders:
WEEKEND I-5 CLOSURES: Remember that NB I-5 has two sets of major closures starting tonight, south and just north of here – here again are the details and maps.
STADIUM ZONE: Mariners’ home stand this weekend vs. Tampa Bay, with a 7:10 pm game tonight.
7:11 AM: First incident of the morning. Crash reported at Fauntleroy/Brandon.
7:18 AM: Also an Alaskan Way Viaduct problem – SDOT reports a stalled semi blocking the offramp from Western.
7:51 AM: Ramp problem cleared.
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