Traffic alert for bicyclists: New Alaskan Way detour starts tomorrow

| Alaskan Way Viaduct | Transportation | West Seattle news

Among the many ongoing changes related to Alaskan Way Viaduct and Spokane Street Viaduct construction, here’s one that starts tomorrow, affecting bicyclists:

Starting Wednesday, March 30 through Friday, April 8, crews will route bicycles off of both directions of Alaskan Way S. between S. Atlantic Street and S. Royal Brougham Way while they rebuild the entrance into the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 46. Cyclists will need to follow a signed detour route via East Frontage Road S.

Find more information about the detour – including a map – by going here.

lucky chick March 29, 2011 (4:24 pm)

Holy cluster****, how can they fit in another detour? I feel like a pinball bouncing around down there as it is. *sigh* Hope we cyclists all survive that mess.

Ed March 29, 2011 (5:19 pm)

I walk that stretch often from Alki. It is tough to go another 1/2 mile detour or so on foot..not so bad on bicyle.

lucky chick March 29, 2011 (5:30 pm)

What’s tough is riding on the sidewalk, then the street, riding the wrong way on the west side, crossing with no markings or direction, avoiding potholes, crossing truck entrances on the sidewalk, passing other bikes on the incrementally-diminishing fenced path, maneuvering through that weird dog-leg to get back on the path, deciphering often-changing signs… The traffic people have been polite and I think try be helpful, but they seem to have no idea about staying off the narrow bike route or directing bike traffic.

I just look forward to it being done.

Jake March 29, 2011 (5:34 pm)

Does anybody know if that new asphalt mini-bike path on the west side of Alaskan Way at Royal Brougham is going to be permanent? It looks like they may be extending it north in the old railroad bed, but it’s hard to tell.

Al March 29, 2011 (8:19 pm)

Yes, this is not fun but it was predicted. However, back in the early planning stages cyclists were going to be routed to 1st Ave rather than the frontage route. While most drivers have been pretty good, I’m worried about those few that seem to short-circuit due to the delays and drive overly aggressively in this area. I would encourage cyclists to report aggressive driving to SPD (via the online report is easy). Just yesterday I watched a construction truck and a semi-tractor rig decide they didn’t want to wait for the green light at Hanford any longer and drove through their red light even though there was traffic heading into the intersection from the east!

I believe that the new “path” is temporary but it is in the same general location that the new multi-use path will be when this is all said and done.

Jill March 29, 2011 (8:31 pm)

Jake, good question, I kinda like that little bit of detour there. For awhile, though, they also had a barriered path on the east (NB) side, but that’s long gone now.

Ugh, the only redeeming quality to all the construction was at least we didn’t have to deal with the trains blocking the path. Sigh.

Dawson March 29, 2011 (8:32 pm)

I look forward to progress in all its gloriously messy forms and the additional mileage to my circuit of west Seattle to magnolia.

wsgolfer March 29, 2011 (9:57 pm)

How is 1st Ave S to ride on North bound? Does it have a bike lane either/both directions? I’m considering switching to it at Hanford to avoid the mess on Marginal/Alaskan Way.

Al March 30, 2011 (8:09 am)

As of this morning, prior to 7:00 am, the usual construction situation was in place. No detour was taking place at that time. Maybe this will happen this afternoon once the crews get to work?

Bob Anderton March 30, 2011 (9:59 am)

I rode it this morning (3-30) and it was the same passable mess that it’s been the past few weeks.

BAU March 30, 2011 (10:34 am)

I can live with this for a week.

FYI…today’s commute was the same mess it has been for the last month or so.

WSB March 30, 2011 (10:52 am)

Maybe SDOT/WSDOT postponed because of the weather, don’t know but will ask.

wsgolfer March 30, 2011 (12:20 pm)

Ditto, same commute as yesterday when I rode through at 8:45 am.

JAT March 30, 2011 (1:13 pm)

1st Ave S has sharrows that sort of disappear as you enter the Pioneer Sq area. Using 1st Ave S rather than Alaskan Wy/E Marginal was recommended to me by the mechanics at Aaron’s Bike Repair even before the bizarre and horrible route revisions started. Two lanes in both directions give faster motorists plenty of space to maneuver around you and much nicer pavement – there’s a lot to be said for that.

Jake March 30, 2011 (2:37 pm)

As JAT mentions, first avenue itself is great, but the east/west approaches to it near the bridge leave much to be desired. I always feel like I’m going to bend a rim on those potholes and railroad tracks!

I tend to take first avenue when going north, but not south. Because you have to cross the tracks at the south end, it can be a gamble: Once I was stuck there waiting for a freight train for over 15 minutes.

BAU March 31, 2011 (9:20 am)

Today the route redirect was in place and it was a bit of a chaotic scramble. Hopefully no one gets hurt in the week this is in place.

I don’t know why anyone would normally prefer 1st South over E Marginal for the downtown commute from Spokane St and the lower bridge. East Marginal has dedicated bike lanes in both directions and is possible the longest uninterrupted bike lane section in the city.

Going all the way over to 1st is a pretty significant diversion for a West Seattle bicyclist.

Al March 31, 2011 (10:00 am)

I’ve emailed WADOT, Broch Bender, the bike contact for the project about some issues with the detour –

1) The “requirement” that cyclists must use the bike/ped path on Alaskan and, northbound, cross Alaksan twice and Massachusetts once (we all hate that one, no?). Why are we not allowed on the street…not that I don’t take the street anyway.

2) Be careful on the train tracks, it’s easy to hit them at an oblique angle when turning onto Atlantic.

3) Are the signals calibrated to pick up cyclists? I coudn’t get the first light to turn for me.

4) Move the “bike detour” signage on E. Frontage at Royal Brougham further south on E. Frontage so cyclists have a clue they need to move left to use the left turn only lane.

5) Put another “bike detour” sign somewhere along the former ‘ferry holding lanes’ so that we, and motorists, know we are where we should be.

6) Watch out for the pinch point at the end of the ‘ferry holding lanes’ and Alaskan. The lanes merge to one lane then spread to two again – drivers are making sudden lane changes to the right w/out looking before making the lane change. I was almost run off the road this morning by a dufus in a red older compact car doing just that.

I am afraid this is not a route for beginners or for those uncomfortable riding on the road.
It’ll be interesting to see what the reverse, southbound, route is like this afternoon.

Sean April 1, 2011 (8:51 am)

I took the detour this morning and, yes it is inconvenient, but it’s really not that bad. Took a right on Atlantic and left on Utah and was able to quickly relink to the waterfront via Royal Brougham from there.

I was concerned (and admittedly curious) about an accident down there this morning and was wondering if anyone knows anything about it. Fire and EMS were taking care of what looked like a pretty serious accident. I didn’t rubberneck out of respect but was concerned about the safety of fellow bikers.

Al April 1, 2011 (10:17 am)

When I went through there earlier this morning, a blue compact car was pulled to the side of the road and a motorcycle was being photographed from all angles by a police photographer. It must have been a serious collision. I saw no sign of the car driver or the motorcycle rider.

Sorry, comment time is over.