Reminder: Spokane Street Viaduct lane closure starts Monday night

Many of the traffic-alert signboards that are now up in and around West Seattle say simply “Lane closing 9 pm Monday on the West Seattle Bridge” – and since that doesn’t tell the whole story, as evidenced by a couple notes on our Facebook wall, here’s another reminder: Starting at 9 pm next Monday, and continuing for up to six weeks, the outside lane on the eastbound side of the Spokane Street Viaduct – aka the West Seattle Bridge between Highway 99 and I-5 – will close, roughly between 1st and 4th Ave. South, so that work can be done to connect the new 4th Ave. offramp. But the eastbound lower roadway will reopen along that stretch – so you potentially can skip the whole thing by getting off at 1st Avenue South. It’s all explained here. 3:15 PM NOTE: We told SDOT many of the notes we’d received indicated some confusion with the signs’ terminology; they indicate it’ll be changed to say “Upper Spokane” rather than “West Seattle Bridge.”

bsmomma July 15, 2010 (8:21 am)

Uuuuugggggghhhhhhh!!!!! The one lane closed on the 1st Ave. Exit already added minutes to my (suposed to be) short commute! I’m afraid…….

GenHill July 15, 2010 (10:17 am)

This is so not good. I feel like West Seattle is slowly and deliberately being shut off from the ‘mainland’! It’s like secession in reverse!

JTK July 15, 2010 (10:30 am)

“so you potentially can skip the whole thing by getting off at 1st Avenue South”…. yeah with the REST of the WORLD!… when that is already backed up because of a hole in the middle of first ave that has been there for two months…..I agree… is West Seattle being cut off from the “main land”.. i thought the bridge was suppose to help with that…. I would love to know who thinks up the timelines for these construction processes… everything seems to be shut off at once…. or they are just trying to condition us for when we are really screwed with the 99 coming down soon…. either way… say it with me….. “GRIDLOCK”….

WSB July 15, 2010 (11:54 am)

JTK – actually they’ve been rushing to finish the 4th Ave offramp in hopes that will help a bit as a 99 alternative, depending on where you are going downtown – and the overall Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project, of which the ramps are part, will increase the capacity on that stretch. The bulk of that is supposed to be done (and the 4th ramp is ahead of schedule, so there’s hope the rest of it will be on schedule too) before the bulk of the South End Alaskan Way Viaduct work really gets revving. There’s no question it’s going to be difficult to get through … but having covered a variety of presentations and briefings, I can say the overview is that things aren’t supposed to be as completely horrible as they may sound. All the same, for anyone whose job would lend itself to telecommuting … now may be the time to start twisting your boss’s arm ..

BlairJ July 15, 2010 (12:13 pm)

Anyone who drove though here during the construction of the high level West Seattle Bridge knows this ain’t nothin.

dhg July 15, 2010 (12:45 pm)

West Seattle used to be the bedroom community for Boeing for a reason: Heading south is not so bad. But density is way up and demands for I-5 and I-90 are way up. Shutting down one lane will backup traffic to the top of the bridge, to the point where only those who illegally take the bus lane will be able to exit onto 1st avenue.

Clifton July 15, 2010 (2:54 pm)

DOT needs to improve their signage.. there is a sign that says LANE CLOSED or lane to be closed … but it’s between the right hand lane that takes you northbound onto 99 and the exit lane than takes you down onto 1st Ave … and it seems it’s not for either of those lanes… Could they tape up a word on the sign to explain which lane?

sam July 15, 2010 (4:37 pm)

not only will traffic be slow, but what do ambulances do in emergency when people can’t pull over to the right and traffic is stopped?
for instance, what did people do ‘during the construction of the high level bridge’? just curious. I am going to remind myself not to have any morning time life threatening emergencies.

Cat July 15, 2010 (8:06 pm)

I totally agree and am more than a little frustrated that our options are quickly dwindling. I find it disconcerting that exits and entrances have been removed with little improvements. If any of those representatives lived in W. Seattle, we would most certainly be treated with a bit more respect. I love West Seattle but I’m very concerned at what is going to happen with 99 coming down and being cut off from the rest of the City. Who the heck thinks about infrastructure with any forward thinking around here… This city is so back-asswards in comparison to other lesser cities with great transportation options (Portland, Chicago, New York, etc). Making this a “bike-friendly” city isn’t solving a much bigger issue of supporting an ever growing population who DO USE CARS.

WSB July 15, 2010 (8:20 pm)

For anybody who has not followed the coverage of the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project here over the past 2 1/2 years – here’s what the work (and I am only referring to the SSV, not to the Alaskan Way Viaduct, though we are covering that as well) will result in, in the big picture: Most of the stretch between 99 and I-5 is being widened with the construction of an entirely new elevated structure on the north side of the current one. On the eastbound side, the 1st Avenue South exit stays, and the 4th Avenue South exit is being added – as soon as the lane-closure period is over, it’s done and will be opened, months ahead of schedule. On the westbound side, the 4th Avenue exit that was removed months ago will not be replaced at that spot, but the new 1st Avenue South ramp that is under construction as part of the widening is an ONRAMP as well as an OFFRAMP, so you still will be able to get off the structure going westbound, between I-5 and 99. The lower roadways are being improved as part of all this. If you want to check the project overview and timetable, the latest from the city is here (scroll down)
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/spokanestreet.htm

Tom Walters July 15, 2010 (8:35 pm)

Never realized I lived around such cry babies here in West Seattle, thought they all settled down in Ballard with the rest of the pretentious whiners.

flynlo July 15, 2010 (9:16 pm)

WSB – The new 1st Ave So. ONRAMP will work great for those coming from down town. How do people North bound (say from south of Spokane st)on 1st ave access that new ramp? Make a U-turn? How do people North bound on 4th Ave access the hi-rise bridge? (They get to drive north of spokane street and then wait at the train crossings to get to the new 1st ave onramp! The new “design” effectively forces all west seattle traffic from south of spokane street to use the low level bridge! It’s not even clear whether or not left turns will be allowed on either 1st or 4th ave to west bound low level spokane street!

austin July 15, 2010 (9:46 pm)

Why not complain a little more then Tom? “When in Rome..”

J.L. Anderson July 16, 2010 (12:47 am)

Though I’m nervous about the commute while they close that lane I’ll be happy when it is finished. I’d rather be inconvenienced for a little while rather than have the bridge stay as it was. Extra lanes will be super nice.

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