(East-facing camera on the West Seattle Bridge; see other cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:14 AM: We’ve already had one texted warning that the bridge is slick this morning. The usual eastbound camera does not appear to be working, so we’re using the westbound view instead.
ALERT – HIGHWAY 99 CLOSURE THIS WEEKEND: From midnight tonight until 5 am Monday, a section of 99 will be closed from the Battery Street Tunnel northward:
SR 99 will be fully closed to traffic between Valley Street and the southern end of the Battery Street Tunnel. Traffic traveling through Seattle via SR 99 will be directed to I-5 in northern Seattle at 85th Street or in southern Seattle at E Marginal Way and Spokane Street. More information about alternate routes during construction may be found (here).
6:24 AM: We have two reports of a problem on northbound 99 right now in the stadium zone. (added) A vehicle is visible pointed south in the northbound lanes right by the rise to the remaining Viaduct:
6:39 AM: The 99 crash is now on the 911 log; the camera view does not show the pointed-the-wrong-way vehicle so clearly, with responders at the scene. The right lane is getting by. (added) One texter says that it’s a total stop further down 99, though.
7:11 AM: Camera view indicates northbound 99 is still one lane at that spot. So delay your departure if you can!
7:45 AM: No change. No info on what’s taking so long, either. Bridge approaches, it almost goes without saying, are all backed up too.
8 AM: Metro has just now texted that C Line is rerouting and will have a different stop at 3rd/Seneca as a result.
8:24 AM: The camera view at the crash scene finally shows a tow truck.
8:46 AM: Finally clearing – at the scene; backups will take a while longer. We have asked SDOT what took so long, since this did not appear to be a major crash – one wrong-way car. Will update when the reply is in. We are also asking the county about the delay in reroute instructions for Metro drivers.
9:44 AM: Commenters say it’s still slow out there. Especially 4th Avenue South – here’s the “live” cam from there:
Meantime, on the southeast side of West Seattle, a crash is reported at West Marginal Way S/S. Holden. No details, just a heads-up in case you go that way.
12:44 PM: We have one reply in so far, from Jeff Switzer, speaking for Metro/King County Department of Transportation, to our question of why buses didn’t get a reroute order until an hour and a half after the crash:
RapidRide buses were initially getting by the accident scene, slowly, but still getting by. Once we heard the lane was completely blocked by emergency responders, about 7:47 am, our buses started rerouting. Notice went out to riders at 7:57 am.
Buses exited at Spokane Street and traveled via Fourth Avenue, which also can be congested. Which appears to be what happened today. A reported four-car collision on I-5 northbound at Mercer also appears to have added traffic to Fourth Avenue. Everything was slow coming into town from that direction, and the buses were only able to go as fast as the rest of traffic.
It wasn’t an easy commute for anyone in these corridors and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we shifted our routes to get people downtown as swiftly as possible.
Still awaiting SDOT word on what held up getting the scene cleared until 2 1/2 hours after the crash.
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