West Seattle traffic alert: Icy morning

8:37 AM: The temperature is still below freezing and there are scattered reports of problems with icy roads, including this from Jennifer:

There is a bad patch of ice on 46th, the little street that goes down to Marine View Drive from 100th – right after you go around the corner in the right lane there are large, thick patches of ice. Myself and the car in front of me both almost slid through the intersection. Marine View drive right there is also covered in a thick frost that no one seems to suspect – saw quite a few cars and a scooter (!) go slippy-sliding for a few seconds.

And Walter e-mailed to say there is (or was) a bus blocking people from going down Manning to Admiral. We’re also checking out a crash report on California Way (the street heading down the hill from Hamilton Viewpoint to Harbor).

9:14 AM UPDATE: The crash scene on California Way is cleared – no injuries, but police are not allowing drivers to go downhill (northbound) while the shaded side of the street remains icy/frosty. Thanks to the commenters who are reporting other trouble spots.

Denise January 27, 2012 (8:47 am)

If you can, avoid the area around AllStar. Extremely icy this morning.

gina January 27, 2012 (8:55 am)

Saw the car on its side on California Way–very frosty until the sun hits it later in the day.

Westie January 27, 2012 (9:03 am)

Ok. Thank you for posting. I slid on ice on Monday and went over a median and landed in an irrigation ditch at sw Morgan and sylvan wy. I chickened out this morning and decided to wait for it to warm up a bit. Glad I did.

Maddy January 27, 2012 (9:05 am)

Multiple accidents in 1900 block of SW Dawson at foot of the hill since 5 a.m. due to black ice. Street appears now to be blocked off by SPD at the top of the hill (21st) going east. Vehicles having trouble getting up the hill – skidding out.

JanS January 27, 2012 (9:09 am)

confused…Manning doesn’t cross Admiral..It’s the 51 route that goes through the Belvidere neighborhood…Manning goes from Calif. Ave. to 35th SW…..am I missing something?

WSB January 27, 2012 (9:13 am)

Jan, that’s how Walter reported it. I hoped it would make sense to somebody. There is no public log of stuck buses. Meantime, California Way is closed going northbound/downhill at the scene of the earlier crash.

Phin January 27, 2012 (9:36 am)

The Manning reference is to that neighborhood on the hillside between 35th Ave above and the area where Admiral, Avalon, and the freeway all come together. It’s a lot of steep, twisty, one-lane roads that seem to thaw slower than other roads. I got caught there this morning and it was only because of the friendly neighbor warning people off that I didn’t get stuck or crash there myself. The bus was right around a corner so you couldn’t see it until it was almost too late. Scary.

Diane January 27, 2012 (2:17 pm)

Jan, thanks for the question re Manning; couldn’t understand it myself, as I live on 37th, at Hinds; Manning is next street to the south (very long block) and I watch the 51 go by every 30 mins
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so sounds like the area being referenced is the super steep downhill shortcut from 35th to Admiral, which is accessed off 35th at Spokane, such a narrow street that if you didn’t know, it looks like a driveway, only room for 1 car; I take that shortcut ONLY in super dry weather, and only down hill; my car is old and can barely make it up most hills; I would never try that one up or down in any kind of slipper weather, but it’s fantastic shortcut in good weather, takes you right down to Avalon stop sign @ Admiral turn to get on WS bridge
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oops, now the secret is out

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