Highway 99 traffic alert: Truck crash brings highway to a stop, reroutes buses

11:24 AM: A truck crash on northbound Highway 99 in the stadium zone is causing a major backup, as you will be able to see in the “live” image above from an SDOT traffic camera if it’s pointing north. Responding crews say they’re working to clear it as fast as they can. In the meantime, it’s also affecting buses, according to an alert from Metro. According to a tweet from Seattle Fire, medics were checking one person for possible injuries.

11:50 AM UPDATE: The latest from Metro regarding reroutes:

Hwy 99 Viaduct blocked: NB Routes 54, 55, 120, 125 rerouted 4th Av S, Prefontaine, 3rd Av. Seneca stop for NB service will be missed.

— King County Metro (@kcmetrobus) August 27, 2012

1:13 PM UPDATE: Per both commenters and SDOT, there is barrier repair going on now; the truck’s been cleared. From Peg Nielsen at SDOT:

The truck has been cleared and now the damaged jersey barriers are being replaced. There’s only 1 lane open – southbound. 2 lanes northbound are blocked. Estimated time before roadway opens is at least ½ hour. If you’re expecting someone or planning to go that way, avoid that route if at all possible!

That e-mail was timestamped 12:54 – so at least ten more minutes till opening.

1:24 PM UPDATE: SDOT says it’s cleared. So does one FB commenter. But unless you are a passenger (car, bus, whatever), don’t type – just confirm when you arrive safely at your destination.

sw August 27, 2012 (12:27 pm)

Be warned – this is not a backup, it’s a full stop. Nothing moving as far as the eye can see. People out of their cars milling about.

work downtown August 27, 2012 (12:42 pm)

Traffic is totally stopped northbound now. Think they are moving the semi, so all lanes are blocked.

Danny August 27, 2012 (1:01 pm)

My truck has been in park for the last 45 minutes. Just saw a lady riding her bike down 99 weaving between a parking lot of cars.

S. Joshua Brincko August 27, 2012 (1:04 pm)

They are repairing the concrete barriers between northbound and southbound lanes. One barrier left to go. Should probably be clear by 1:15

Personally I think an orange barrel would suffice until they could fix it later tonight when they typically have the road shut down anyway.

Suck on 99 August 27, 2012 (1:06 pm)

Have not moved an inch for over an hour

work downtown August 27, 2012 (1:12 pm)

Southbound is down to one lane open in that area now too – really bunched up downtown.

Matthew August 27, 2012 (1:16 pm)

This is seriously fuckin stupid

WSB August 27, 2012 (1:24 pm)

Reopened, says SDOT and one FB commenter so far! Everybody else, don’t type while driving, just verify when you get safely to where you are going! – TR

Danny August 27, 2012 (1:23 pm)

Northbound lanes just opened

Mattie August 27, 2012 (1:27 pm)

Um…NOT reopened! Still sitting here!

WSB August 27, 2012 (1:40 pm)

Clearing the residual backup usually takes a long time, sadly. It’s like when you’re sitting at a traffic signal and the light turns green but you don’t move … the first car moves, then a lag till second car moves, then … Or are you right at the start of the lineup? Both SDOT and Metro have now texted/tweeted that they are open again.

Claudia Haynes August 27, 2012 (1:49 pm)

We were 6 cars behind the truck when it flipped onto its side….driver climbed out and seemed okay. It happened so fast :(

West Seattleite August 27, 2012 (6:30 pm)

Semispherical truckers. You gotta luv em…

ws resident August 27, 2012 (8:55 pm)

Imagine what it’s going to be like when there is a crash in the new tunnel. Not going to be easy access to get help in there. Can’t wait it’s gonna be fun :-\

cathyw August 27, 2012 (9:17 pm)

Yes, I was caught in this too. I sat in my car on NB Hwy 99 near Home Depot for an hour an a half. I kept tuning in to KOMO to hear the traffic updates until I started to worry about my car battery getting drained. I’m sure the DOT people know what they are doing….However. It occurred to me that since all the traffic was shut off south of the bridge, they could have let those of us who had been trapped for 1.5 hours escape before they worked on repairing the jersey barrier. No traffic was coming up behind us. I suppose it’s against some safety code to do that. It looked to me as if the truck flipped in the 25 mph zone where the road curves hard to the right, just before the merging traffic from Atlantic Street. Nobody does 25 mph there. More like 40 mph. At least it was a nice day. I saw bicyclists, walkers and some kids throwing a soccer ball around while waiting. The guy in the truck next to me got out twice to pee in the weeds!