Alaskan Way Viaduct closure, longterm lane reductions ahead

As part of the south-end Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project – the major work that’s under way now and is proceeding regardless of whatever happens to the Central Waterfront section – weekend closures and longterm lane reductions are coming up starting in less than two weeks. They’ve long been part of the plan, but with two weeks to go, the alarm was sounded this morning by the state Department of Transportation, which is summoning media to a briefing in a few hours.

The closures will happen during the weekend of May 14-15. Longterm lane reductions kick in right after that. WSDOT announcement highlights ahead:

During the closure, crews will set up the new lane configuration and test the new automated viaduct closure system. …

· Friday, May 13 through Saturday, May 14
All lanes of SR 99 between the West Seattle Bridge and the Battery Street Tunnel will close from 11 p.m., Friday to at least noon Saturday.

· Northbound SR 99 will reopen between S. Royal Brougham Way and the Battery Street Tunnel at noon Saturday, May 14

The remaining sections of SR 99 between the West Seattle Bridge and the Battery Street Tunnel will reopen by 5 a.m. Monday.

Then:

In two weeks, the State Route 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct corridor will be reduced from three to two lanes both directions between the West Seattle Bridge and Seattle’s sports stadiums.

This work is a critical step toward taking down the seismically vulnerable southern mile of the viaduct within the next year. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has invested $125 million in alternative routes, transit service and traveler information to prepare for this work.

The southern mile of the viaduct corridor will remain two lanes in each direction through 2013 and possibly longer, until the central waterfront portion of the viaduct is replaced. WSDOT is delivering its commitment to keep SR 99 open during construction; however, lane closures have always been a key part of the plan. The lane reduction provides crews working for WSDOT with the space they need to continue construction of the new southbound lanes.

“These long-term lane closures will enable us to take down the seismically vulnerable southern half of the viaduct within the next year,” said Ron Paananen, WSDOT Administrator for the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program. “We ask drivers to plan ahead and make use of the investments we’ve made in transit, alternative routes, and traveler information to prepare for this construction.”

Approximately 87,000 vehicles use this stretch of SR 99 each day, with the heaviest volumes during the morning and afternoon commutes. If traffic volumes in the SODO area remain at current levels, drivers can expect increased congestion and delays on SR 99 during the morning and afternoon commutes. Spillover traffic could also affect alternate routes, including I-5, the West Seattle Bridge and city streets.

WSDOT adds, “Northbound SR 99 will have a dedicated transit-only lane between Spokane Street and S. Lander Street.”

We’ll be at the 11 am briefing for more details on exactly how this will affect commuters and what authorities advise as alternatives.

Amie May 2, 2011 (9:07 am)

Guess I picked the worst time in history to buy a house in W Seattle while working downtown. Ugh.

WSB May 2, 2011 (9:09 am)

Amie – I’m sure these points and others will all be made at the event we’ll be attending in a couple hours but depending on where your downtown gig is, do give the 4th Avenue offramp from the Spokane Street Viaduct a try. Sometimes if I have to go in for a morning court hearing, I’ll go that way instead of getting in the endless queue for 99, and the trip down 4th is fairly fast. – TR

Pat May 2, 2011 (9:32 am)

Arnie – I live in southern West Seattle, and even from here it’s just a 20-minute bus ride that drops me off right downtown. Easy schmeezy!

There’s never a bad time to buy in West Seattle. :-)

JoB May 2, 2011 (9:34 am)

and so it begins…
i wonder how many days commute to Fremont it is going to take for my husband to ask if i have begun house hunting?

BeReal May 2, 2011 (9:50 am)

This is going to be a disaster!!! If I had known all this was going to go on before I bought a house in Top Hat (2004), I would have moved north or right out of Washington, for that matter. I don’t trust that any of this will go smoothly. And forget Metro Transit. The service in this area has been slaughtered. If I want to keep my job, I drive to work…because I’m reliable.

bsmomma May 2, 2011 (10:14 am)

Anyone hiring in West Seattle!? Seriously! It’s becoming less and less worth working in Sodo. Between the cost of health insurance, cost of gas and the 35 minute commute to Sodo………..and the commute is only going to get worst. *sigh*

Neighbor May 2, 2011 (10:33 am)

Gee, imagine if we had a monorail in place….

Not_So_New_Now May 2, 2011 (10:37 am)

I was working on Phinney Ridge and just started a new gig downtown to avoid this mess. Yay! The water taxi makes me very happy :) Even in the rain…

Jim May 2, 2011 (10:57 am)

Any idea when they are going to open an onramp from SODO back onto the West Seattle Bridge?
I only take 99 to get back to West Seattle from Pioneer Square, an onramp to the bridge other than 5 or 99 would be great.

Matt May 2, 2011 (10:58 am)

If you work downtown and live and West Seattle, there is a great alternative to all this congestion and $4/gallon, that is called bike to work. I live in West Seattle and work in Bellevue and often bike to work, I would dream to work in downtown or Sodo, so I could bike everyday. There has never been a better time to start biking, it is bike to work month.

DF May 2, 2011 (11:22 am)

Yeah and these *&^$@S want to keep building condos and apartments in WS. Man alive already!!!!!

WS Steve May 2, 2011 (11:25 am)

WSDOT adds, “Northbound SR 99 will have a dedicated transit-only lane between Spokane Street and S. Lander Street.”

So, Northbound SR99 will be down to ONE lane for general traffic? If so, please shoot me now.

WSB May 2, 2011 (11:41 am)

Re: Steve’s question, the WSDOT briefing, such as it was (more like Q/A opportunity with Viaduct Project director Ron Paananen in the rain with a road backdrop for the TV folks), just ended. No, the transit lane will NOT be part of the 2-lane stretch. Stand by, highlights to come.

Al May 2, 2011 (11:35 am)

If anyone has the ability to ride a bike to/from work (SODO/Downtown/Eastlake/Freemont/QA, etc) I am sure if you post in the forums for help/ride partners you will find someone.* A surprising amount of people ride to work to/from West Seattle. And it only takes about 30 minutes, tops, to downtown. Even if motor traffic is backed up. The trip home may be a bit longer due to hills (about 10 min longer), but it’s still worth it.

*I am not forcing anyone, nor am I saying that everyone can or should ride a bike. Just suggesting that if one is interested there is help out there…and another way to get around.

PBaer May 2, 2011 (11:42 am)

I think they should close the downtown and Western/Elliott on ramps and off ramps as well. This will give the city a sense of the mess they will create after the completion of the tunnel. It is in our best interest to see the impact now, verses after it is too late.

PJB May 2, 2011 (11:50 am)

Sigh! I wish the monorail had not been politically killed!

Richard May 2, 2011 (11:56 am)

Better get used to it. If the tunnel is ever built, or the mayor’s surface solution is used, traffic to/from West Seattle will forever be a worse nightmare than it already is. Just picture creeping along at 5mph getting to the bridge with Admiral Way and Alki/Harbor clogged from 63rd to the on-ramp.

The only reasonable, cost effective solution, is to reinforce or rebuild the existing Viaduct. But noooooo, that is too logical. So, we taxpayers will not only have to fork over big bucks for the inevitable cost overruns (a la the Boston big dig) for these crappy ideas, but will forever endure 30-60 minute, five mile commutes to get downtown or to I-5.

I suppose the only good news is that no one in their right mind will want to move to our community. Although there should be some great bargains for anyone crazy enough to buy here as property values plummet.

Thanks to all of you who voted for the current State, County and City regimes.

WS Steve May 2, 2011 (12:15 pm)

Hear, hear, PJB.

james May 2, 2011 (12:18 pm)

Take the water taxi and skip all that madness.

JayDee May 2, 2011 (12:22 pm)

Granted, I ride the bus to work, and appreciate the bus-only lane, but what good is a bus-only lane that changes into a construction zone at Lander? That ought to be an interesting experience in road-rage as the buses merge to the left, causing a ripple that could backup the West Seattle Fre…Bridge even more. I bet the WT ridership experiences a surge.

Dee May 2, 2011 (1:18 pm)

At least West Seattle is easy to get to with easy access to I-5. Ballard will be cut off unless one wants to do the 45 minute trip to i-5 traveling either on 45th, 50th. Ballardites are huge users of the viaduct.

Mags May 2, 2011 (1:43 pm)

I don’t understand the bus line right after the bridge curves into NB 99. Won’t that create a severe bottleneck/dangerous conditions as people try to merge left over onto the left hand lanes ? I am not against bus lanes, just don’t see how this one would work well since all the cars would need to get over mach schnell on a busy busy roadway. Too bad this “phase” could not wait until June when schools are out and there is less traffic on the roadways during rush hour. Thanks WSB for the excellent coverage. What would we do without you?

MAH May 2, 2011 (1:45 pm)

I am soooooo sick and tired of the “bike to work” people around here. Nice idea, unless you actually have to be dressed up in order to do your job. Then you can add the fact that you need a place to shower and get dressed & most offices don’t have that amenity. Or has been suggested to me, I can pay more money to join a gym downtown so that I can shower and dress – something I can do at home. Yeah! And then, of course, someone needs to convince me that riding my bike home, often with laptop and files, at 10 pm is safe and viable. Same thing with riding a bus – standing alone at a bus stop in downtown Seattle and especially in Pioneer Square late at night is taking your life into your own hands. So, for those of us who don’t work 9 to 5 for the government or a big company which accomodates bike riders and bus riders – we’re screwed. Oh – and none of this stuff will change that fact that our property values are going to plummet because – guess what? – people buying homes don’t want to have their lives constricted by cutting off options. It’s great if you can bike or bus it, but for those of us who can’t, we shouldn’t have to be paying a massive price to have our choices taken away. It is a disgrace that the City Council continues to collect our taxes and simultaneoulsy is screwing us out of our property values. This is essentially an eminent domain issue, except the government isn’t even proposing to pay us anything at all for the decrease in value.

MAH May 2, 2011 (1:56 pm)

Oh yes – and the water taxi shuts down relatively early so what good is that for someone not working 9 to 5? Or someone who has to leave downtown during the day for work and then get into downtown. The fact is we are tax paying citizens in West Seattle (and in Ballard for that matter, which is also being screwed over in this mess) and NONE of the proposals that were made about this tunnel really ever considered the impact on these parts of the City. Instead, there was lots of nonsense about more people riding the bus, biking, etc. as if that would solve the problem and it was done with an attitude that somehow people who drive should be forced into some other alternative. It was done by a bunch of people with good intentions who simply denied the existence of real problems with this plan – like the fact that lots of people would like to use public transit but that’s it not always a viable option – and then charged ahead full of good intentions and well meaning attitudes. Everyone would like less people driving but guess what? Lots of people have to drive, in spite of high parking charges and fuel prices, etc. And they shouldn’t have to bear the financial burden for everyone else. And again, every homeowner in WS and Ballard is paying the price with our property values. Not mention all the people in South King County who are getting similarly screwed over. Basically, downtown tourist oriented businesses will win to the detriment of the rest of the citizens of this City. Shame shame on the City Council, the County, Gregoire and everyone else involved. Unfortunately, none of them will ever really feel the pain that the rest of us suffer.

WSB May 2, 2011 (2:20 pm)

FYI we have published our followup on this with added info from WSDOT briefing plus some info I procured from Metro, for interested bus riders:
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https://westseattleblog.com/?p=71716
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TR

JAT May 2, 2011 (2:27 pm)

MAH, that’s a pretty long pair of essays to tell us that you’re committed to driving yourself everywhere and that people who suggest alternatives are stupid-heads.

What’s your position on the aggressive driving enforcement that’s been going on lately?… (rhetorical question; I actually don’t want to hear it.)

2wheels a-go-go May 2, 2011 (2:42 pm)

@MAH: A gym membership will cost you less per month than parking or bus fares. My gym is $60/month. Monthly bus fare runs about $90/month. And driving would cost me about $60/month in gas between WS and downtown PLUS parking (most likely more than $100/month for that). Plus by showering at the gym I save a little money on my home water bill and the energy used to heat that water.
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My 8 mile bike ride between the Alaska Junction and downtown takes me about 40 minutes at a very easy pace. This is a guaranteed travel time every day regardless of traffic conditions (save for the lower bridge being open, but that is rare and only adds 5 minutes to my time when it happens), and will be completely unaffected by the construction work going on. This is faster than taking a bus (including being stuck in rush hour traffic and time waiting at a bus stop for a late bus) or driving (being at the whim of traffic congestion, and hunting for parking).
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Your incredulity at bicycle commuting as a viable transportation option dooms you to several years of despair living with the insanity that will soon become the WS-to-downtown drive. Whining in the comments section of the WSB isn’t going to change your fate. But you *do* have the power to make some basic lifestyle changes and avoid these problems altogether.

WS Steve May 2, 2011 (2:45 pm)

MAH has listed all the reasons why people prefer light rail to buses. And more. A reliable rail system that runs to the wee hours is the answer to our transit problems, expensive though it is to construct. If we had begun the system in the 1970’s when he first had the chance we would be so much better off now.

What’s frightening is how bad traffic will be if/when the economy really recovers. That’s been the biggest ease on the commute since 2008 — unemployment.

GiveMeLiberty May 2, 2011 (2:52 pm)

The only thing I look forward to is retirement in a few years so I can leave this lousy state!

Marge May 2, 2011 (3:29 pm)

I ride my bicycle to work, and I live near the Ferry Terminal.

AJP May 2, 2011 (4:00 pm)

What a bunch of whiners. Change is a part of life and you have to make do with it, even when it comes to your commute. While you whine about traffic jams, people in places with traffic jams you can’t even conceive of are trying to get enough food each day to survive.

PS–MAH, if you are coming home at 10 pm at night you aren’t going to have any trouble with traffic.

Paul May 2, 2011 (4:04 pm)

solution?…buy a boat!
Seriously I agree with what Richard posted

JN May 2, 2011 (4:09 pm)

@MAH, have fun inching along through the viaduct construction mess. I’ll wave to you as I ride by.

Peter on Fauntleroy May 2, 2011 (4:17 pm)

@MAH: Do you have a proposal for a replacement for the viaduct without massive construction work? I’d love to hear it. This is NOT some kind of conspiracy by the city to harm West Seattle property values or force everyone onto bicycles; it is about maintaining safety while a replacement is being worked on.

Alex May 2, 2011 (5:06 pm)

I’m glad to see that most people are finally realizing that this is a serious problem. Yes, our property values are going down, and our commute times are going up, simple as that. We can’t all fit on the water taxi… I’m with you MAH: all the idealistic talk of bicycling in the world isn’t going to help us… I drive over the bridge as the start to a 25 mile commute (that’d be a long bike ride). Most of that commute flies by (35 minutes total), but I waste 15 minutes of that crawling across the bridge every am… And now soon it will be 30 min on the bridge… So what’s the solution? Quit my job? It’s not always so easy to find work just anywhere.

People here should be outraged by what’s going on.

Watertowerjoey May 2, 2011 (5:36 pm)

Time to switch to the 7:00-4:00 shift!

Richard May 2, 2011 (6:02 pm)

@ Alex……we should be outraged. Some of us are outraged especially when we aren’t allowed to vote to stop construction even though more than 29,000 signatures were gathered to put it on the ballot. It just another example of corrupt, power hungry politicians telling us to STFU because they know what is best. Not surprising however, when you consider the libs we elect here in North San Francisco. I’m sure Nickels is glad that he doesn’t have to go the office anymore. Thanks for looking out for the rest of us, Greg.
I say again, stop this tunnel madness and reinforce/rebuild what we have. It is a viable option. That way, the bikers, busers, boaters and drivers can all be served equally!

Peter on Fauntleroy May 2, 2011 (6:41 pm)

@ Richard: Zero sigmatures were collocted to stop this construction. You’re referring to the tunnel project. This is not part of the tunnel project.

Peter on Fauntleroy May 2, 2011 (6:44 pm)

@Alex Richard and MAH: still waiting for you proposals to fix 99 without construction. Starting to think you don’t have anything to offer but self centered whining.

Richard May 2, 2011 (7:54 pm)

@ Peter, you are correct, I was referring to the tunnel and this construction and the tunnel ARE part of the entire 99 project. Yes, I am self centered and whining about it……expressing my opinion which, so far, is still legal. You miss my point. There was a viable option to fix what we have but it was overridden. As I recall, we the people were not allowed to put it to a vote. http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Voters-will-not-have-a-say-on-viaduct-replacement-1215326.php At any rate, it is far too late now to stop it. My hat is off to all you bikers, boaters and busers; better you than me. For us drivers, let’s try to be patient and kind to each other as we are about to be collectively screwed. And I guess we should keep the whining to a minimum to be Politically Correct here in NSF.

Peter May 2, 2011 (10:44 pm)

Richard, you’re still attacking something that is not within the scope of the tunnel project because if your opposition to the tunnel. So let’s see: you don’t like the tunnel therefore you oppose all work on 99. Makes perfect sense. Not.

SaraJ May 3, 2011 (12:03 pm)

I’m moving this summer.

I work south (not downtown), so there’s no reason I should be privy to this mess of a situation. Getting across the bridge is ALREADY horrendous, wtih the long lines of cars waiting to get onto 99-N or I-5 N. By the time I’ve finally escaped all the lane changers, I’m exhausted.

Scott May 3, 2011 (12:15 pm)

So I guess the WSB is out removing comments they don’t like (Mayor McBike, et al), well done WSB! You’ve lost my support.

WSB May 3, 2011 (12:48 pm)

Excuse me? We have the right to not approve for publication ANY comment that breaks our rules (and once in a while something arises that breaks a rule we never dreamed we’d need to have because we didn’t dream anyone would ever be that outrageous). And you certainly have the right not to be here if you don’t agree with our rules. That said, I don’t know which comment you are referring to. I see one by “Scott” including that term which was approved for publication earlier today in this same thread. Calling the mayor “mcbike” doesn’t break our rules; people usually use “McSchwinn” and if you pulled a site search you would probably come up with dozens such references – TR
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*added – If you are having trouble finding it, here’s the direct link:
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https://westseattleblog.com/2011/05/followup-more-details-on-looming-alaskan-way-viaduct-squeeze/comment-page-1#comment-783900
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Maybe you missed it because that comment was published following our SECOND Viaduct story from yesterday; your complaint is here on our FIRST Viaduct story from yesterday.

WS commuter May 4, 2011 (9:44 am)

Richard,

You don’t seem to understand that no matter what option was selected, the work and related lane closures we’re about to get would happen no matter what. For those “just build another viaduct” whiners … do you not understand that to accomplish that (if it were a seismically-advised choice, which it is not) would mean going through several years of the existing viaduct being demolished while the new one was built – and we would all be on surface streets the entire time? That is only slightly less insane that McGinn’s silliness in wanting a surface only option.

Herman May 4, 2011 (5:30 pm)

You guys don’t remember the bridge back in 1997? This was back when it had three eastbound lanes instead of four. Typical time to cross the bridge was 45 minutes. Coming down Fauntleroy hill you were stop and go all the way. That was considered normal, and we’re going to be back to that kind of congestion.

WS property values caught up with the rest of Seattle when the bridge was re-striped and traffic unclogged. Now you should expect to drop 10% of your property value immediately as things revert to those days.

redblack May 4, 2011 (8:56 pm)

ws commuter: gotta keep punching on anyone who doesn’t think DBT is the best solution, huh?
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petty.
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have you looked at WSDOT’s plans for access to the still-standing central waterfront section of the viaduct while the magic tunnel is bored?
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i’m really interested in hearing how you think that choking 99 down to one or two lanes for the next 5 years is a sensible solution.

denbol May 5, 2011 (7:57 am)

MAH~ you are my hero! Thank you for taking the time to send us your thoughts

Bill May 11, 2011 (8:09 am)

I hope the games will be scheduled at times that will not conflict with 5:00pm rush hour traffic during this project. Traffic id bad enough on the viaduct during game times when all lanes are open.

Sorry, comment time is over.