(Latest “live” picture of the northbound Viaduct, looking south from the tunnel vicinity)
Multiple reports that the bridge is much worse than usual this morning – and we’ve finally seen one possible explanation for current trouble: Via Twitter, SDOT says there’s a stalled vehicle blocking lanes on northbound 99 at the Battery Street Tunnel. Not much help if you’re already out in the middle of it but if you tend to commute later, maybe best not to leave for a while.
SDOT and WSDOT have really dealt WS a crippling blow with the traffic messes they’ve created on 99 and WS bridge/I5 connection. And Springtime seems to be the soonest we’ll see any reprieve, if in fact the WS Bridge/I5 connection proves to add any noticible capacity.
I suspect WS will soon begin to see it’s residents begin to leave the area and property values begin to drop because of this debilitating mess. SDOT to West Seattle -> “sorry folks, but you’re just 1/2 a step more important to us than the South Park residents.”
seattle times also showed that all but 1 lane were closed on I-5 NB near Mercer Street. (semi and 3-car accident) but it’s clear now.
Yes, I mentioned that in an earlier Facebook discussion …
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http://www.facebook.com/westseattleblog/posts/10150387305530292
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it “closed” on the fire log very quickly but those things can have residual backup far beyond the impact of the actual event itself. However, when SDOT tweeted about the 99 stall, that escalated things…
Traffic information sign above Admiral said 45 Mins to I-5NB. I turned around and headed back home.
@ mark- yes, this traffic stinks. But I’m racking my brain as to where I’d move in the PS area and get around any easier. East side- no. South end- no. North- no way. Suggestions?
Is it just me, or is the traffic sign on Fauntleroy often incorrect? WSB: can you find out why the information on the sign frequently is not correct? I’ve also noticed that the travel times displayed on their website is never in sync with the times displayed on the street sign.
In addition, why they can’t rotate the messages that are displayed – for example, if it alternated between the drive times and the message “Battery Street Tunnel” closed, many WS folks would not have continued past that point. Seems like they are putting in many tools that are not being used as effectively as they could be.
It took me about 45 minutes to get to I 5 from 35th, beginning around 7:45. It’s usually about 30 minutes. It’s just insane. My commute is 20 miles and takes an hour or an hour and 15 minutes BUT … the first half hour is just going the 2 miles to I 5!
Does anyone know if the section of road between I 5 and the West Seattle bridge will be repaved?
It is one of the worst roads that I have been on.
A big porthole on the westbound side, just after the I5 off ramp has been there for at least 6 months.
It took me 35 mins to get from Admiral to 99, then another 35 mins to get from 99 to South Lake Union. Left my house at 8:36, arrived at work at 9:46. An hour and ten minutes to travel 8 miles- double time of last week, and I don’t even like to think how long compared to a year ago….
Thanks local government! Thanks for giving a big F you to West Seattle residents. Our commute times are over double what they used to be. I feel like I am trapped here because I don’t want to leave the west because I know traffic will be horrible. We can only do what we can do and that is stop voting these same idiots into office. Overhaul the whole political system. Vote for new people and demand change. I’m for voting for someone I have never even heard of just to get the same idiotic person off their fat a*s and out of their seat on city council. Vote for the unknown. I’m serious, I think it’s the only way to change things. It can’t get any worse. Our country and our city is going in a horrible direction and we need to stand up to government and change the system before this country falls apart.
Stalled vehicles and accidents should carry a fine of $2000 per mile of vehicle backups they cause. That oughta make people take better care of their vehicles and pay more attention.
How did a stalled car block the entire tunnel? The sign on 35th said it was closed. And by the way, why is it they put those signs only a block or two before the bridge? Would make a whole lot more sense to put those further south so I could decide which way to take before I’m sucked into either the high or low bridge. I tried to escape by taking the low bridge and it still took me 30 minutes to get to the 4th street exit.
don’t know. this is what SDOT tweeted:
http://twitter.com/seattledot/status/138663632446824448
I commuted to downtown from WS for over 15 years and these kinds of back-ups happened long before some of you were born. If you can explain in a rational, detailed manner how SDOT is supposed to improve roads and WSDOT is supposed to replace the viaduct with any option (deep bore, another viaduct, cut-and-cover) without causing traffic problems, please do so … what’s that?? Can’t hear you …
Feel free to move to any other part of King, Pierce or Snoho county and drive your car to/from downtown during rush hour. It may surprise you that Americans’ insistence on driving has many other roads over capacity and yet ‘we’ don’t want to change our behavior or pay more taxes.
@ metrognome, the issue is that it’s not OUR jobs to come up with the solution, I’m busy figuring out the solutions at MY job, for MY clients, for the people I’m responsible for. We all have tough problems to solve, and it’s our responsibility as WS residents to call foul when irresponsible, poorly considered decisions by elected officials and city staff negatively impact our community.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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