Update: SDOT says West Seattle Bridge entrance has reopened

(Photo by Christopher Boffoli, added 3:19 pm, showing where Fauntleroy is blocked by police)
Take alternate routes. Police tell us this is because of a series of crashes. No word yet how long the bridge approach will be closed there. 3:34 PM UPDATE: Via Twitter, SDOT says the bridge entrance has been reopened. And the department’s communications director Rick Sheridan explains why we also noted some heavy equipment heading onto the bridge before it reopened:

A Jersey barrier was knocked out of alignment in the eastbound lanes of the West Seattle Freeway just east of 35th Ave SW. SDOT crews responded to the scene and restored it to its normal position. Traffic was detoured from the roadway while the work was underway. The road just reopened to traffic a short time ago.

cburns October 23, 2009 (3:10 pm)

Drove westbound through there about 20 minutes ago, a number of police cars but didn’t see crash residue, so seemed near opening soon — layperson’s perspective.

WSB October 23, 2009 (3:16 pm)

Thank you – I will be traveling back from downtown shortly and will hopefully be able to visually verify, if we don’t get word from police/SDOT soon on its status – TR

christopherboffoli October 23, 2009 (3:50 pm)

Wow. I wonder fast you have to be going and how big a car you have to have to knock a Jersey barrier out of place!

soosan October 23, 2009 (5:47 pm)

I drove by a little after one pm. A sheriff’s car was there and an SPD car was pulling up. There were three disabled cars–a Prius, a small silver car (maybe a Jetta), and then an SUV further down the hill. The Jetta ended up closest to the Jersey barrier, and it was facing the wrong direction–my guess would be that one was that moved the barrier. People all seemed OK.