TRAFFIC ALERT: Crash on eastbound West Seattle Bridge
7:55 PM: Thanks for the tip. Avoid the Fauntleroy entrance to the eastbound bridge for a while – SFD and SPD have responded to a crash.
8:42 PM: No major injuries – the log shows that SFD closed out of the call relatively quickly.
TRAFFIC ALERT: More SDOT work this weekend at Olson/1st
(SDOT crew working at Olson/1st this week)
SDOT says the work at Olson/1st, on the east end of the Roxbury corridor, continues this weekend:
This weekend we are repaving the busy 1st Ave S and Olson Place SW intersection, at the east end of the SW Roxbury corridor. Our crews worked 12-hour shifts every weekend in August to complete installation of new wiring and bonding underground, across about 70 feet of travel lanes. The trench was covered in steel plates to await asphalt.
What you can expect:
Crews from SDOT Roadway Structures will move and reset steel plates during asphalt work, then remove the steel plates the following day and clear the area.
September 15 | 9 AM – 8 PM
September 16 | 9 AM – Noon
Closure | Expect lane closures on Olson Pl SW and 1st Ave S.
General | 2 Uniformed Police Officers will be on site to guide traffic.
The 1st/Olson location was prioritized for a Levy to Move Seattle major maintenance rebuild, to enhance reliability and function where underground wiring/materials had degraded. The failing existing conduit system had caused repeated maintenance issues. The new conduit connects to our Traffic Operations Center and Intelligent Transportation System, which helps enhance safety and mobility remotely.
The project includes new LED traffic signals and new signal support poles — better aligned with the current roadway configuration, for optimal visibility. These are scheduled to be installed in October.
More background on the project, including a history-related side note, is in this WSB report from three weeks ago. P.S. Thanks to Craig for sending the 1933 Seattle Municipal Railway map relating to that!
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday watch; weekend reminders
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:06 AM: Good morning! We start with word of a crash on NB 99 blocking the right lane at the Battery St. Tunnel. Speaking of 99:
HIGHWAY 99 CLOSURE REMINDER: WSDOT will close SB 99 between the Battery St. Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge from 11:59 pm Friday night to 11:59 pm Sunday.
COSMO 7K: This race will close Alki Avenue for a few hours Sunday morning.
7:13 AM: WSDOT says the 99 crash has cleared.
7:18 AM: Inbound alert – crash reported on the westbound high bridge at Delridge.
7:56 AM: SFD has closed that incident. More Battery St Tunnel trouble – a spinout on the SB side has closed the tunnel per SDOT.
8:19 AM: Cleared.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch; weekend reminders
(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 REMINDER: WSDOT now plans to start the SB 99 closure (between the Battery St. Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge) at 11:59 pm Friday night and end it at 11:59 pm Sunday.
8:10 AM: WSDOT reiterates that the SB 99 closure is still on but a lot of work it planned on other routes is off, including the ramp/lane closures on NB I-5.
CLOSURE: New hours for southbound Highway 99 shutdown this weekend
The SB Highway 99 closure for this weekend, first noted here last weekend has new hours. From WSDOT:
The contractor working for the Washington State Department of Transportation has shortened the amount of time needed for paving work this coming weekend, so the closure of southbound State Route 99 through Seattle will start a little later and end a little earlier. The southbound viaduct will close at 11:59 (pm) Friday, Sept. 14 and run through 11:59 (pm) Sunday, Sept. 16.
Southbound SR 99 will be closed between the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel and South Spokane Street so crews can pour concrete near Atlantic Street. This will help advance some of the work needed to open the new SR 99 tunnel.
Looking ahead: Before the new SR 99 tunnel can open, WSDOT will have to close the viaduct for approximately three weeks. The lengthy closure is unavoidable as it is the only way crews can #realign99 into the tunnel and complete eight new entrance and exit ramps.
WSDOT does not yet have a date for the start of the three-week closure, but will give a minimum of one month’s advance notice to help travelers plan ahead as much as possible.
Back to this weekend – WSDOT has just postponed plans for lane/ramp closures on NB I-5. But the 99 work is still on as of right now.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch; alerts ahead
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:29 AM: Getting a late start on the traffic report because other news has been breaking. We start with word of a stalled semitruck blocking a lane on NB I-5 on the south end of downtown, so if you’re headed for 5, be forewarned.
WATER TAXI: The smaller Spirit of Kingston continues on the West Seattle run, per WT alert, until this evening.
STADIUM ZONE: Mariners host the Padres at (corrected) 3:40 pm.
99 CLOSURE REMINDER: Remember that southbound Highway 99 is scheduled to close between the Battery St. Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge from late Friday night until early Monday.
ALKI ALERT FOR SUNDAY MORNING: The Cosmo 7K run on Sunday morning will close Alki Avenue for a while. The run starts at 9:30 am.
7:38 AM: Transit alert from Metro:
8:31 AM: Now reporting “live” from bridge traffic while headed on an errand. More backed up than usual from the Fauntleroy end (at least compared to our other departures in the same timeframe) – the near-stop started close to the bridge entrance.
8:51 AM: 20 minutes to cross the bridge to the I-5 exit. Things moved a bit faster starting around the crest.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:06 AM: Good morning! No incidents reported so far in/from West Seattle.
STADIUM ZONE: Mariners host the Padres at 7:10 pm.
99 CLOSURE NEXT WEEKEND: As announced last week, southbound Highway 99 is scheduled to close between the Battery St. Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge from late Friday night until early Monday.
TRAFFIC ALERT UPDATE: Deadly collision at 2nd/Spokane
4:34 PM: SPD has just warned that 2nd/Spokane and roads “in the area” will be closed for hours – a pedestrian died after being hit by a train, and detectives are investigating.
5:42 PM: Still closed – the image above was taken a few minutes ago from the nearest SDOT camera, showing where Spokane is taped off at 2nd.
6:54 PM: The road has now reopened.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday watch
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:06 AM: First full week of school, last full week of summer … no incidents reported so far in/from West Seattle.
SMALLER BOAT ON WEST SEATTLE WATER TAXI RUN: As announced last week, the Spirit of Kingston is filling in today for Doc Maynard.
99 CLOSURE NEXT WEEKEND: As announced last week, SB Highway 99 is set to close between the Battery St. Tunnel and West Seattle Bridge from late Friday night until early Monday.
7:45 AM: If you are near the bus stops by Easy Street or on a C Line bus, keep an eye out for a stuffed Curious George monkey lost by a child on the spectrum. 206-681-7309
TRAFFIC ALERT: Crashes on eastbound West Seattle Bridge
9:56 PM: If you have to head out any time soon – heads up, there’s a crash on the eastbound high bridge. Just got two reader reports, plus we heard SPD dispatching, describing the location as near the 99 exit. So far no SFD dispatch so there’s no indication of serious injuries.
11:20 PM: No updates on this, and the camera pointing that way on the bridge isn’t working, so we are hoping no news is good news.
11:57 PM: Now there’s a dispatch – SFD *is* being sent this time – for another crash on the eastbound bridge at 99. (added) Two people are reported to be injured.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday watch
(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: The Mariners open a series vs. the Yankees, 7:10 tonight at Safeco Field.
7:18 AM: Joanne reports a big backup on SB I-5, with lanes closed at Michigan.
No SB Highway 99 closure THIS weekend – but one IS planned a week later
(WSDOT photo: Tunnel’s south portal)
The decision’s in. No Highway 99 closure this weekend, but WSDOT says one IS on the horizon. The announcement:
This weekend’s scheduled closure of southbound SR 99 through Seattle has been canceled. The viaduct will be open all weekend.
There is another full southbound closure scheduled for the following weekend. The road will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14 through 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 17 between the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel and South Spokane Street.
Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will be completing pavement work needed for the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program. Drivers are encouraged to plan their trip before they go, and expect delays.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Schools-in-session Thursday watch; bridge crash
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:39 AM: Good morning! Day 2 with just about everyone back to school; no incidents reported in/from West Seattle.
POSSIBLE HIGHWAY 99 CLOSURE THIS WEEKEND: WSDOT says they’ll decide today whether to go ahead with tentative plans to close SB Highway 99 between the Battery Street Tunnel and the West Seattle Bridge from Friday night until early Monday. We’ll have a separate update when that word is in.
6:56 AM: Remember that EC Hughes on 34th SW between Holden and Kenyon is now back in service as a school, home to Roxhill Elementary. Just heard a scanner dispatch for people speeding in the area despite the “presence of children.”
7:06 AM: Scanner – crash response for Fauntleroy/35th end of eastbound West Seattle Bridge. Awaiting further details. (added) Police say 1 person has minor injuries – the crash is closer to where the bridge passes by Nucor.
7:16 AM: If you have to get to the bridge, avoid the Fauntleroy end, as this response is blocking all EB lanes at that end.
7:35 AM: One lane’s now open, per both a reader and SDOT. Photo added – showing the crash scene is closer to the overpass.
7:47 PM: SDOT says the crash scene is now clear. But of course, be mindful of residual backups.
UPDATE: Fauntleroy blocked for 7+ hours after driver hits pole by Trader Joe’s
5:12 PM: Thanks for the tips. A crash at 38th and Fauntleroy is at least partly blocking the road. No SFD callout so apparently no injuries but SPD is on the scene. One driver apparently hit a streetlight pole.
5:20 PM: Texted photo added. The texter says at least two vehicles were involved. This is on the westbound/southbound side of Fauntleroy. (Per SDOT, those lanes have since been blocked by police, along with one lane going the other way.)
5:26 PM: Metro says Routes 116, 118, and 119 are rerouted off Fauntleroy because of this. And per scanner, this is going to be “shut down for a while” because City Light can’t get a crew there quickly.
5:40 PM: That photo is from SDOT, which reports all lanes of Fauntleroy are now blocked at the crash scene.
5:52 PM: Another photo added, tweeted by @michaelkmason. S/WB traffic is being diverted up Oregon.
7:02 PM: The live camera on the city map shows the closure continues; City Light doesn’t appear to be on site yet.
7:42 PM: SDOT camera shows that City Light is now on scene to repair the pole.
9:04 PM: Just went by. They’re still working.
11:00 PM: Live SDOT camera shows still closed, SCL still working.
12:18 AM: Fauntleroy has just reopened, more than 7 hours after the crash.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday watch; Labor Day preview
(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 TONIGHT: Zac Brown Band concert, 7 pm at Safeco Field.
LABOR DAY TRANSIT: Advance alerts – On Monday (September 3), Metro buses will be on a Sunday schedule … The West Seattle Water Taxi will be on an extended Sunday schedule … Washington State Ferries‘ Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route will be on its summer-weekend sailing schedule … Sound Transit Route 560 will be on a Sunday schedule.
7:20 AM: Metro just sent an alert saying the 7:15 am Route 55 bus “did not operate.”
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Pre-holiday Thursday watch
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:29 AM: Good morning! The holiday weekend getaway starts in earnest today. So far this morning, no incidents in/from West Seattle.
STADIUM ZONE: Seahawks at home tonight, 7 pm, vs. Oakland. That means extended West Seattle Water Taxi service.
8:01 AM: Trouble on NB 35tb SW in Arbor Heights – stuck 21X bus blocking at 98th, just 2 blocks north of the sidewalk-project closure.
(Added – photo sent by Eric)
No tow truck yet.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:02 AM: Good morning. So far, no incidents reported outbound from West Seattle.
8:38 AM: Police activity is reported in The Junction. We’re on the way to find out more and will have a separate story once we do.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:06 AM: Good morning. No incidents outbound from West Seattle so far. But a texter says the signal at Delridge/Juneau seems to be malfunctioning – cycling through too quickly – and traffic there is backing up.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday watch
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:25 AM: A stalled vehicle is blocking the center lane on I-5 NB “just north of Columbian Way,” per WSDOT. That’s it for current issues on outbound routes.
8 AM: That has cleared.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday watch; Harbor Island SFD response
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:05 AM: Good morning. So far, no incidents reported in/from West Seattle.
CLOSURES CANCELED: Just in case you hadn’t yet heard – the planned weekend closures for Highway 99 and I-5 have both been canceled, to be rescheduled at a TBD date.
8:47 AM: SFD hazmat response has closed WB Spokane at Klickitat, just east of the low bridge.
9:53 AM: Per scanner, a broken-down vehicle on the eastbound high bridge by Delridge might be there a while – the estimate for a tow is 45 minutes.
9:58 AM: SFD says the incident in the 1100 block of SW Spokane was a “small spill of hydrofluoric acid” and that it’s “finishing up.” One person was taken to the hospital “as a precaution.”
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