TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:01 AM: Good morning. No incidents or traffic alerts in West Seattle or on the outbound routes so far.
7:21 AM: At 7:19 we got the Metro alert that the 7:19 Route 56 wouldn’t run today.
7:40 AM: And at 7:38 we got the alert that the 7:32 Route 56 didn’t run.
7:56 AM: Thanks for the tips. Crash in the outside eastbound lane of the West Seattle Bridge. SDOT just tweeted an alert too.
8:36 AM: Bridge crash cleared.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch; bridge crash
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:59 AM: Good morning. No incidents or traffic alerts in/from West Seattle so far.
Later today:
STUDENT WALKOUTS: If you’re going to be near a middle/high school at 10 am, remember these are expected to happen, as previewed here. The only plan we’ve heard of that’s likely to affect traffic is at Chief Sealth IHS/Denny IMS, where participating students say they’ll be walking to Southwest Athletic Complex across SW Thistle.
ENCAMPMENT CLEANUP: The city and WSDOT are expected to be working on the slope over Highway 509, east of Myers Way, which could mean vehicles on the shoulder of the southbound side.
8:59 AM: Via scanner, police are on their way to check out a collision reported “eastbound, mid-span” on the West Seattle Bridge.
9:04 AM: One person is reported to be hurt.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:57 AM: Good morning! We just checked around – no incidents are reported so far on the routes in and from West Seattle. No transit alerts in the area either.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday updates; weekend reminders
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:53 AM: Good morning. Metro has sent out a multitude of transit alerts so far this morning. Two are for this area – the 7:15 am Route 55 from Admiral will not run, and the 7:39 am Route 113 from Shorewood will not run (that one skipped its 6:27 am run too).
This is all one day before Metro’s periodic “service change,” which includes some changes to local routes – here’s our original preview with details.
Also this weekend, Daylight Saving Time arrives early Sunday – at 2 am, we “spring forward” an hour to 3 am.
Otherwise – we’ve just checked around, and no traffic incidents are reported in/from West Seattle so far.
7:23 AM: Add to the bus list, the 8:22 am Route 56 won’t run, Metro says.
NEXT VIADUCT CLOSURE: March 24th and maybe March 25th too
WSDOT won’t send out a notice until it’s closer, but for your advance planning, we’ve confirmed that – as listed on the city’s weekly Construction Lookahead – the next Alaskan Way Viaduct inspection closure is set for Saturday, March 24th, 6 am-6 pm. The state also reserves the right to close it again the same hours on Sunday, March 25th, but recent closures haven’t needed that second day. In confirming this with AWV spokesperson Laura Newborn, we noted that many people are likely to be on the road on March 24th getting to and from the March For Our Lives; she says they set the date before the march was planned, but hope it won’t be too much of an impact since the march route is from Capitol Hill to Seattle Center.
P.S. The most recent estimate for the permanent closure of the AWV is September – that’s what County Councilmember Joe McDermott told the West Seattle Transportation Coalition last month.
Harbor Island power outage; wires down at 1st/Spokane
10:45 AM: Thanks for the tip about a power outage on Harbor Island. The City Light map confirms 200+ customers out both on Harbor Island and east, around Spokane St. east of Highway 99. SDOT reports downed wires in 1st/Spokane vicinity.
11:01 AM: Eastbound Spokane is blocked west of 1st; stoplights are out on E. Marginal at, and north of, Spokane. The light on Spokane east of the low bridge is out too, though the bridge itself appears to be operating normally.
12:04 PM: Texter says they have power back, and the SCL map confirms the outage is partly resolved.
12:39 PM: The map shows Harbor Island is all back on except for a few spots south of the low bridge.
4:28 PM: Added above, a photo of the power pole that was hit, causing the outage. About two dozen customers are still shown as out, along Spokane between 99 and 4th Ave. S.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:02 AM: Good morning! No incidents currently reported in/from West Seattle.
8:25 AM: Just heard via scanner – police are being sent to Delridge/Edmunds to help with traffic because of a truck that’s having some kind of trouble turning.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: March’s first Tuesday
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:58 AM: Good morning! Getting ever brighter at this hour … but remember that’ll change for a while after Daylight Saving Time arrives at 2 am next Sunday (when we “spring forward” an hour).
So far, no transit alerts or incidents reported.
UPDATE: Crash at Fauntleroy and 36th
10:08 AM: Emergency responders are closing northbound Fauntleroy at 36th because of what’s reported to be a collision involving a motorcycle rider.
10:30 AM: This cleared quickly – police and SFD already gone. We’re checking with SFD on the rider’s condition
UPDATE: Olson reopens after crash investigation; passenger hurt, driver arrested
6:10 PM: If you are heading to the east end of the Roxbury corridor, be forewarned that traffic is being diverted off Olson because of a crash investigation. Eastbound is going onto 4th; westbound, onto Myers Way. The crash was more than 2 hours ago and didn’t sound huge at the time, but one person was seriously hurt and the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad was called out.
7:54 PM: SDOT promises a Twitter update when the scene’s clear. We’re monitoring (via scanner too) but if you see that it’s cleared and we haven’t updated yet, please let us know – thank you!
9:11 PM: Still closed.
9:52 PM: Now open again, per SPD via SDOT.
ADDED MONDAY 10:51 AM: We followed up today with SFD and SPD. SFD said a 45-year-old woman was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. And SPD has just posted this:
Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) were called out Sunday afternoon to investigate a serious injury vehicular assault hit and run incident in West Seattle.
On Sunday, March 4th, at about 3:30 pm, a Nissan Pathfinder, occupied by a 54-year-old male driver and a 45-year-old female passenger, was traveling westbound in the 9400 block of Olson Place Southwest. At about the same time, a utility van towing a large trailer was traveling eastbound on Olson Place Southwest. The Nissan crossed over the center line and collided with the utility van. The collision caused the Nissan to spin around and face eastbound. The driver of the van was not injured. The driver of the Nissan then drove approximately a quarter of a mile away from the scene of the collision, finally stopping on 1st Avenue South, just west of the Highway 509 on-ramp.
The female passenger in the Nissan was seriously injured and transported to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) via Seattle Fire medics. The male driver of the Nissan was also transported to HMC, and evaluated at the hospital by a Drug-Recognition Expert officer and it was determined that he was impaired. After the driver was treated at HMC, he was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of vehicular assault. The female passenger remains in the hospital. TCIS detectives will continue to handle the follow-up investigation.
UPDATE: Flipped-car crash on westbound West Seattle Bridge; dog rescued, reunited
11:59 AM: Thanks for the tip about a flipped-car crash on the westbound West Seattle Bridge. SDOT – which tweeted the image above (from this camera) – says it’s just west of the Highway 99 overpass and that it’s currently blocking all westbound lanes. Per scanner, one person is hurt.
12:33 PM: SDOT says all lanes are now open.
1:14 PM: Via comment and e-mail, we heard that a dog was loose on the roadway after the crash. Just got a call from someone who says the dog was rescued by a man in a Southwest Plumbing truck. So if anyone’s looking for it – that might be a place (the company is based in North Delridge) to start.
1:26 PM: This commenter says they have the dog. We’re crossposting to the Lost/Found Pets page in case someone looks there.
8:56 PM: As also noted in this comment, Max the dog is back home, and reunited with owner Christa!
TRAFFIC ALERT REMINDER: Battery Street Tunnel closure Sunday morning
If you are headed out of West Seattle tomorrow morning, remember that – as we’ve been mentioning in our weekday morning traffic coverage – the Battery Street Tunnel and part of Highway 99 north of it will be closed for several hours because of the Hot Chocolate 15K/5K. The BSTunnel will be closed both ways between 6 am and 11:15 am; north of it, NB lanes will be closed to North 45th Street until 11:15 am, and SB lanes will be closed from N. 38th southward until 10:25 am. See other downtown closures here.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: March’s first Friday; downtown protest on 4th Avenue
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported in or from West Seattle so far this Friday.
WEEKEND REMINDER – 99 CLOSURE SUNDAY MORNING: The Battery Street Tunnel and part of Highway 99 north of it will be closed for several hours Sunday morning during the Hot Chocolate Run.
7:30 AM: Crash reported at 25th/Barton.
7:38 AM: Transit alert – the 8 am Route 116 from Fauntleroy “will not operate” today.
8:59 AM: If you are headed into downtown, protesters are blocking 4th Avenue at James.
9:58 AM: The “no new youth jail” protest is continuing and that’s also affecting traffic on I-5 and I-90, per SDOT/WSDOT. A reader stuck in downtown traffic sent this photo:
The Seattle Times reports on the reason for the demonstration.
11:02 AM: Per SPD via Twitter and scanner, the protesters left 4th/James and headed north on 4th, currently approaching the Westlake area.
2:44 PM: As of less than half an hour ago, SPD tweeted that the demonstrators had moved out of the road at 5th and Stewart and all downtown streets should be reopening.
TRAFFIC ALERT UPDATE: Vehicle fire backs up southbound I-5
6:44 PM: What’s described on the SFD log as a vehicle fire near the West Seattle Bridge interchangehas all lanes of southbound I-5 closed right now – so if you’re headed this way, don’t take SB 5. More to come.
7:17 PM: Now one lane open, still way backed up.
7:26 PM: Two left lanes are now open.
8:04 PM: All lanes now open, but the southbound backup is several miles.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:04 AM: Good morning and welcome to March 2018. Just checked around – no incidents reported in/from West Seattle.
WATER TAXI FARE INCREASE: Today’s the day it takes effect – details here.
METRO CHANGES AHEAD: March 10th is the next “service change” date and it’ll bring changes and additions on some West Seattle-serving routes – here’s that info.
99 CLOSED SUNDAY MORNING: Reminder that the Battery Street Tunnel and part of Highway 99 north of it will be closed Sunday morning during the Hot Chocolate Run.
7:34 AM: Transit alert – Metro just tweeted that the 8 am Route 116 from Fauntleroy ‘will not operate this morning.’
8:03 AM: As mentioned in a comment, there’s a stalled vehicle blocking a lane on the offramp from EB West Seattle Bridge to 1st.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: End-of-February Wednesday
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:59 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far on this final day of the month. No transit advisories so far this morning, either.
9:31 AM: Another relatively quiet morning commute is concluding. We monitor throughout the day and also appreciate tips – 206-293-6302, text or voice, 24/7 – thank you!
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: February’s final Tuesday
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:56 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far this morning.
WATER TAXI: Last week’s damage to the Vashon vessel Sally Fox is now fixed and as of the Monday pm commute, KCDOT tells us, it was back on the island run, with Doc Maynard returning to the West Seattle run.
SUNDAY MORNING HIGHWAY 99 ALERT: The Battery Street Tunnel and points north will be closed for a while Sunday morning because of the Hot Chocolate run – details here.
10:08 AM: Report of a semitruck stalled on one northbound lane of the South Park Bridge. Otherwise, quiet morning until now – we always appreciate your traffic and breaking-news tips 24/7 at 206-293-6302, text or voice.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Back-to-school Monday
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:59 AM: Good morning! Seattle Public Schools‘ mid-winter break is over. The cold weather isn’t over yet, though – 32 degrees out there right now. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle.
7:30 AM: Crash reported at Spokane/Klickitat.
Also, the state ferry Issaquah will be taken off the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth run after the morning commute for emergency maintenance; some sailings will be canceled.
10:26 AM: WSF has changed the plan – Issaquah will continue running, but at half-power, while the work is done.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT/WEATHER TODAY: Frosty Friday updates
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
5:42 AM: Good morning! No snow yet but the forecast says it’s likely this afternoon. Temperatures are in the mid-20s now so watch out for lingering ice on sidewalks and streets. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle so far this morning.
8:31 AM: It’s been a very quiet morning. Still no incidents. Reminder that school will be back in session for everyone on Monday – this is the last day of mid-winter break for Seattle Public Schools (and independent schools that follow its schedule).
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