New bridge-closure alerts, including EB Spokane St. Viaduct

The city’s just out with its weekly update on road work that might affect you – and in addition to more Fauntleroy Expressway closures in the works, the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project will have some EASTBOUND closures (as opposed to the previous set of WESTBOUND shutdowns). From the city’s announcement:

– Jan 12, 16-20 and 23-27, the Fauntleroy Expressway will be closed each night. This is the portion of the West Seattle Freeway west of Delridge on/off-ramps and east of 35th Ave SW.

– Jan 19, all eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed overnight (9PM to 5AM), east of the 1st Ave S off-ramp. Traffic will be detoured to the lower roadway (S Spokane St).

– Jan 27-30, all eastbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct will be closed through the weekend, east of the SR 99 off-ramp. Access to the 1st Ave S and 4th Ave S off-ramps will be closed.

And of course that also would mean you couldn’t get to I-5 or Beacon Hill from the West Seattle Bridge. These closures (and others around the city) should be listed soon on this city webpage, for later reference.

work downtown January 12, 2012 (2:13 pm)

Man, plan to stay in WS the weekend of the 27th! That could be a major mess.

chas redmond January 12, 2012 (2:22 pm)

So it’s true: SDOT really does have a bullseye on the Director’s office wall with the words West Seattle in the middle. SDOT couldn’t make life for West Seattleites more difficult, more inconvenient, more frustrating, more bureaucratic, and more disruptive if they actually planned to do all these things. And don’t forget this has been going on for 3 years now. And what’s with the destruction of California Avenue in/around Morgan Junction?

Brian January 12, 2012 (3:35 pm)

It’s funny how people complain about projects that are designed to help them. Sure the whole Spokane Street viaduct thing has been going on for a long time now, but ultimately it will make getting in / out of WS easier. Maybe the tunnel shouldn’t be built because traffic will be heavier during construction.

I work in Georgetown and when the bridge project started and they tore down the on ramp to the bridge I had to find a new way home. I started going down airport to Corson then to Michigan over the 1st ave bridge and up HP Way. Now the bridge over the train tracks on Airport Way is closed and I have to find a new way home. Sure it sucks because traffic is worse but I (we) chose to live in WS knowing there are only so many ways in and out. I wonder if the people on Mercer Island have any sympathy for us in WS? Probably not.

Passive Aggressive January 12, 2012 (4:11 pm)

I hightly doubt that the current road construction will make getting in and out of West Seattle any easier. Seattle transportation planners are extremely short sighted and only build to current capacity levels, neglecting to consider future population growth.

Look4wrd January 12, 2012 (4:18 pm)

@chas redmond: a few weekend closures hardly makes WS a target. SDOT is completely renovating/adding to an existing elevated roadway. Seems entirely reasonable closure duration to shift traffic to temporary alignments. The cheaper option would have been to close the whole thing for the duration of the upgrade, which really would have screwed WS.

Brian M. January 12, 2012 (9:28 pm)

These are nightime and weekend closures … hardly an inconvenience when you consider the capacity improvements.

chas redmond January 12, 2012 (10:44 pm)

So everyone is happy we’re paying a 100 percent time premium – bus, truck, car, anything but bike and biking in/out of WS is – as the Seattle Times recently noted in a video – not for the feint of heart. Since these projects have been underway we’ve lost 50 percent of the north-south roadway capacity for destinations south of Dearborn and the time to travel anywhere (including Southcenter with the work they had going on there) via any means has doubled or more. And you all are pleased or accepting of this. Somehow I have higher expectations of my transportation authorities.

But you’re correct. I chose to live in West Seattle, based on the expectations that a Green Line monorail would be built. I moved here in 2003 from a location in the District of Columbia where I had lived for 23 years and which was between the Friendship Heights and Tenleytown Red Line stations. So, yes, my expectations might be somewhat higher than others.

WSB January 12, 2012 (10:57 pm)

On a tiny bit of good news, we toured the Fauntleroy Expressway work zone tonight and learned it’s ahead of schedule. The process of actually raising the bridge deck to replace the rubber quake cushions is very different in person than what I imagined after hearing months of community-group briefings. They also have cleared out of some of the park-ride zone under the bridge. Doesn’t make anything better – just a bit less inconvenience – but pending our full story .. TR

redblack January 13, 2012 (6:27 am)

chas – you’re right that the city doesn’t know how to knuckle down and ram a project through. but those north/south corridors and access to them will be restored eventually. the target date is late july.
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yes, i’m pleased that this project will finally be birthed, and i accept that it was complicated and involved a lot of utility relocation. the new SSV – and access to/from – will be a vast improvement over the old.
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i’ve been as frustrated as everyone else with the pace of the project, especially when you see what WSDOT and skanska have accomplished in 12 months with highway 99. and i, too, wanted to be on the green line by now; it would have stopped 3 blocks from my door.
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so i’m not sure what you’re advocating here. that we all complain? i, too want a real transit authority here that has the power to tell big developers to go pound sand if they try to obstruct public transportation projects or squat in rights-of-way.
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yeah, i want in-city light rail, and i want west seattle on that system. and in 5 minutes, metrognome will come in here and tell you why it can’t be done or won’t be done or whatever. mayor mcginn pledges to advance in-city light rail – and to make DBT a sensible project for seattle citizens, not just WSDOT – and is attacked by people from his own party. the people voted 4 times for a monorail, yet a fifth vote killed it, and its grave was danced upon by a business-friendly democratic mayor and downtown property owners.
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yeah, we have transportation problems. but they’re political. it’s what happens when we don’t get involved and pay attention to what big money is doing with our transportation dollars and our politicians. watch carefully what’s said about mike mcginn – and who’s saying it. he’s the only seattle pol who’s talking any sense right now when it comes to transportation. everyone else is overwhelmed, mute, or willing to let private big-money “think tanks” and “consultants” tell them what to advocate and how to vote.

ghar72 January 13, 2012 (8:37 am)

For the 27-30th closure, what time does it start on the 27th and end on the 30th? Couldn’t find anything on the link. Thanks!

RobertSeattle January 13, 2012 (12:17 pm)

“Jan 27-30” What Year? :-)

WSB January 13, 2012 (1:13 pm)

They haven’t announced specific times – but generally it’s late Friday night till no later than 5 am the following Monday, for any all-weekend road closure. – TR

DelridgeV January 15, 2012 (11:27 am)

MIke McGinn? Really? The guy may have some good ideas, but he’s clueless when it comes to getting people on board. His penchant for slamming/ignoring/dismissing others’ ideas and perspectives makes it hard for people to trust him and that means another year of ineffective leadership coming from the mayor’s office. I can’t wait to start contributing to his competition.

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