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West Seattle traffic alerts 4652 results

CLOSURE UPDATE: New projected reopening date for 35th SW in Arbor Heights
June 22, 2018 9:44 pm
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 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

While high-profile closures like the West Seattle “low bridge” and SB Highway 99 get all the attention, they’re not the only closures people are dealing with right now. For example, 35th SW between 104th and 106th remains closed for a fourth week in Arbor Heights, because of drainage work in the first phase of the 100th-to-106th sidewalk project. Today, the project team sent this update:

This week, our crews completed concrete pour at driveways and curbs along 35th Ave SW, between SW 104th St and SW 106th St. We tested the newly installed detention pipe and conducted any pipe repair work necessary to begin operation. We then backfilled and repaved the street surface.

Next week, our crews will begin sidewalk construction on the west side of 35th Ave SW, between SW 104th St and SW 106th St. We will coordinate with Puget Sound Energy to schedule for their crews to relocate the gas main at SW 106th St. We hope to complete the sidewalk construction for this segment of 35th Ave SW by the end of next week.

Since that didn’t include a progress report on the 35th closure, we asked about the latest estimate on when it’ll be over. The reply from project spokesperson Ching Chan: ” Assuming the sidewalk construction work on 35th goes smoothly next week, we are hoping to reopen the closed segment of 35th (between 104th and 106th) by first week of July.” An update is promised around the middle of next week.

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CLOSURE UPDATE: West Seattle ‘low bridge’ repair work continues
June 22, 2018 4:14 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

4:14 PM: As you’re hopefully well aware by now, the West Seattle “low bridge” – officially, the Spokane Street Swing Bridge – is closed to non-maritime traffic so repairs can be made after a hydraulic-fluid leak. No new estimate for when it’ll reopen – it’s been closed since Wednesday night, with an estimate of “at least a week” – but SDOT has provided another update on the work, with photos, including:

Today, crews repairing the West Seattle Lower Bridge are pulling electrical conduit and casings from the western bridge support machine room.

They need to reach and replace damaged hydraulics that move the west side of the swing bridge – work that will take several days.

The city-provided van shuttles for bicycle riders continue until 7 pm tonight at both approaches to the low bridge, departing approximately every 20 minutes. Riders who would rather try the detour – across the 1st Avenue South Bridge – have two new ways to check it out, thanks to fellow riders:

1. Don Brubeck of West Seattle Bike Connections sent a RideWithGPS map that he and Bill Gobie created, complete with cue sheet – see it here.

2. Robert Sverci made this video with a first-person view of the ride:

The Water Taxi runs 7 days a week this time of year – you can see the West Seattle schedule here. And whatever mode you’re using, you can check area traffic cameras including the high-level bridge on the WSB West Seattle Traffic page.

P.S. Thanks for all the extra tips on traffic problems during the closure – the best way to get info to us instantly, 24/7, is 206-293-6302, text or voice.

ADDED 8:50 PM: The bicycle shuttle is NOT running on the weekend, SDOT clarifies, adding that usage has been fairly low so far. It will resume Monday morning. Meantime, here’s another repair update.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Truck breakdown on eastbound bridge
June 22, 2018 11:55 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

11:55 AM: Thanks to Jeff for the tip – confirmed by SDOT, which tweeted the image above: A broken-down truck is blocking the left lane on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge just past 1st Avenue S., and that’s extra trouble given the unavailability of the “low bridge” as a detour. So if you have to head east, you might want to wait a while.

UPDATE: SDOT says this was cleared just before 1 pm.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday watch, with low-bridge closure continuing and SB 99 closure starting tonight
June 22, 2018 6:51 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:51 AM: We again start our morning-traffic watch with a reminder that the “low bridge” remains closed to all non-maritime traffic:

SDOT says the “low bridge” emergency repairs will continue until the middle of next week. The commute-times shuttle for bicycle riders has been extended to last the entire closure. Meantime, if you are riding the West Seattle Water Taxi instead, here’s the schedule.

Our other regular cameras:

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links)

No incidents reported so far otherwise, in/from West Seattle.

SB 99 CLOSURE: Tonight at 9 pm through Sunday at 6 am, southbound Highway 99 will be closed between the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel and the West Seattle Bridge, for tunnel-related work. We’ll take a closer look at that later this morning.

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: Final day of classes for Seattle Public Schools, with one-hour-early dismissal.

7:13 AM: Transit alert just texted/tweeted by Metro:

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch, with low bridge CLOSED for at least a week
June 21, 2018 6:43 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:43 AM: We start our morning-traffic watch with a reminder that the “low bridge” is closed to all non-maritime traffic and expected to remain so for at least a week:

While the “low bridge” undergoes emergency repairs, SDOT’s detour advice is here. Some bicycle riders who usually use that bridge are riding the West Seattle Water Taxi instead; no early line, Scott reports. Here’s the schedule.

Meantime, our other regular cameras:

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links)

No incidents reported so far otherwise.

6:58 AM: Ann reports that the “use the high bridge, not the low bridge” sign on Delridge was NOT flashing when she went by.

9:32 AM: Problem-free commute. We’re checking with the King County Water Taxi to see how/if bike usage increased – Kevin reported this along the way:

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TRAFFIC ALERT: West Seattle ‘low bridge’ now closed for at least a week
June 20, 2018 10:32 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Just a reminder – that’s what you’ll see at the west end of the West Seattle “low bridge” across the Duwamish River, officially the Spokane Street Swing Bridge, now closed for at least a week of emergency repairs. SDOT’s sudden shutdown of the 27-year-old bridge – one of a kind – was announced just a few hours in advance. Discussion following our first story published this afternoon includes some helpful information and reader-to-reader Q&A about getting around; SDOT advises bicycle riders to use the 1st Avenue S. Bridge:

From West Seattle:

Detour signs are placed at the West Seattle Bridge Trail, to head south along West Marginal Way; crossing SW Michigan St onto 1st Ave S

From SODO:

Detour signs are placed along 1st Ave S to continue south, to SW Michigan St

If you are on foot or on two wheels, the West Seattle Water Taxi also will get you across the bay – here’s the schedule.

TRAFFIC INFO DURING THE CLOSURE: We track traffic/transit every morning and will be keeping even closer watch during this closure, starting earlier in the morning as of tomorrow. And as we’ve been mentioning since last weekend, remember that SB Highway 99 will be closed between downtown and the West Seattle Bridge from Friday night until Sunday morning. And you can check West Seattle-relevant traffic cams on this WSB page any time.

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CLOSURE ALERT: West Seattle ‘low bridge’ closing for at least a week, starting tonight, for ’emergency repairs’
June 20, 2018 3:38 pm
|      72 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

3:38 PM: Thanks for the tip. SDOT has finally just confirmed that the West Seattle “low bridge” will close starting tonight for emergency repairs. So far, just a tweet – we’re seeking more details – sources from whom we heard say it could last for days.

4:03 PM: SDOT has just provided more information, confirming that the closure is expected to last a week or more:

During a routine inspection, our bridge operators discovered a hydraulic fluid leak on the Spokane St Swing Bridge (aka West Seattle Low-Level Bridge).

To protect the safety of travelers and mitigate potentially costly cumulative damages, we will be conducting emergency repairs starting at 8 PM tonight, 6/20/18. The bridge will swing out of commission for a week or more and will be closed to vehicle traffic but open to marine vessels.

The leak is in one of the cylinder seals, shown above. To determine the extent of the damage, the bridge must be swung out in its open position and remain there during repairs.

… It’s hoped the repair will be complete by the middle of next week, but that cannot be confirmed until the cylinder is opened and more thoroughly investigated for damage.

Detour information is here, including word of van service *tonight only* for bicycle riders, to get them across the Duwamish, and detour maps for tomorrow and beyond.

6:07 PM: The detour points are now listed as text bullet points in the SDOT post:

Vehicle Detour Routes will begin at 8 PM and be clearly marked at the following locations:

Chelan Ave SW
1st Ave S
E Marginal
Harbor

✔ Bike Riders:

From West Seattle:

Detour signs are placed at the West Seattle Bridge Trail, to head south along West Marginal Way; crossing SW Michigan St onto 1st Ave S

From SODO:

Detour signs are placed along 1st Ave S to continue south, to SW Michigan St

6:44 PM NOTE: Since we’ll be heading back from downtown (light-rail meeting coverage) around the time the bridge is scheduled to close, we’ll be going that way for an update on whatever’s happening.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch
June 20, 2018 7:02 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(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.

SCHOOL YEAR ENDING: Most if not all independent/parochial schools are out already. Today is the last day for Highline Public Schools, just south of here; Friday is the last day for Seattle Public Schools (with one-hour early dismissal).

WEEKEND ALERT: Another reminder – southbound Highway 99 will close between here and downtown from 9 pm Friday to 6 am Sunday, for tunnel-related work.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Two West Seattle crashes, one with a flipped car
June 19, 2018 10:05 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

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.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch
June 19, 2018 7:06 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(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.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Crash on westbound West Seattle Bridge
June 18, 2018 5:58 pm
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC ALERT: Crash on westbound West Seattle Bridge
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

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.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday watch
June 18, 2018 7:02 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(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.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Another crash at Highland Park’s problem intersection
June 17, 2018 10:22 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(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.

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CLOSURE ALERT: Southbound 99 to be closed part of next weekend
June 16, 2018 4:54 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

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.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday watch
June 15, 2018 7:00 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(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.”

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Seen under the bridge: Harbor/Spokane work begins (with new detours ahead); new signal-box art appears
June 14, 2018 1:26 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts | WS culture/arts

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].

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch
June 14, 2018 6:59 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(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.

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ROAD CLOSURE ALERT: Seattle City Light work to close section of Marine View Drive for more than a week
June 13, 2018 5:11 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

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.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch
June 13, 2018 7:06 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(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:



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HARBOR/SPOKANE PROJECT: New info, with work starting as soon as tomorrow
June 12, 2018 8:13 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

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 biking

Construction 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 work

Looking 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).

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch
June 12, 2018 7:06 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(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.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday watch
June 11, 2018 6:57 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(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).

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HIGHWAY 99: Open again, post-marathon
June 10, 2018 3:13 pm
|    Comments Off on HIGHWAY 99: Open again, post-marathon
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

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.

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