Viaduct traffic alert, courtesy of the mayor

Just back from the big Gatewood Elementary event about the speed-camera van (photo above; much more on the van show-and-tell shortly, including the ballot-initiative underscore to the whole thing) – while speaking at the news conference, the mayor announced that the Seneca offramp from the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct is currently closed because a “20-foot chunk of concrete fell.” TV report says it was a guardrail section, knocked down by a truck. (Speaking of The Viaduct, SDOT is still checking for us on why the closure-warning lights didn’t work for hours on Saturday morning.) 1:17 PM UPDATE: SDOT’s Rick Sheridan clarifies, the Seneca ramp “is soon to be closed. SDOT will need to close it for 6-8 hours to safely conduct the repair work.” We’ll let you know when we get the exact time frame. 4:25 PM UPDATE: The ramp’s open again, says SDOT.

ian October 20, 2008 (9:58 pm)

Anyone else concerned that big massive chunks are falling off the Viaduct?

I mean, a truck hit it. But that’s bound to happen.

I’ll be looking up from now on when I’m walking around down there…

WSB October 20, 2008 (10:18 pm)

There have been numerous incidents like this – seems sometimes that all you have to do is nudge the “guardrail” and part of it crumbles away. It’s always interesting to walk the Viaduct during the annual Race for the Cure (or the other walk/run events for which it’s closed) and look at the patchwork. I seem to recall something during my TV years involving falling concrete doing some serious damage … will try to look that one up.