(UPDATED 4:41 PM with new post-incident info from SPD)
11:51 AM: The traffic backup on the southbound Alaskan Way Viaduct looks more like afternoon commute right now than lunchtime. SPD says it’s because of a lost load – reportedly a “12-foot spool.” SDOT says it’s at Seneca Street and blocking the right lane. WSDOT describes it as “a truck striking the Seneca St. overpass.” More to come.
11:59 AM: Now SDOT says the southbound Viaduct is closed at the Battery Street Tunnel.
12:04 PM: Update from SFD:
Forklift being brought in to reposition the load from SB SR99 Ax @ Seneca. SB Lanes shut down at Battery St Tunnel. @seattledot @SeattlePD
— Seattle Fire Dept (@SeattleFire) April 29, 2015
Here’s a picture from the scene. (Added: Alan sent this photo looking southwestward toward the trouble spot, taken in the early going:)
12:16 PM UPDATE: The Columbia Street onramp to 99 remains open, per SDOT. And they’ve just announced they’re opening a lane beyond that.
12:29 PM: Southbound 99 is being closed again from the BSTunnel and Western – but again, access from Columbia Street is *not* affected. WSDOT now says, “Forklifts from the Viaduct project are going to the semi on the SB 99 Viaduct to help secure the large spools of wire.” (Added: Photo sent by Ben:)
750-1,000 lb spool precariously perched on truck on viaduct. Battery tunnel & Elliot will be intermittently closed pic.twitter.com/ZigTOvVj76
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) April 29, 2015
1 PM: They’re still working to clear the situation.
2 spools on the truck. Authorities working to secure them and get everything moving again pic.twitter.com/HEZgYDhC7x
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) April 29, 2015
1:52 PM: SPD says the semitruck driver will be cited. They’re close to clearing the scene.
1:57 PM: Reopened!
2:18 PM: It did not go unnoticed that all this happened one day after a City Council committee was debriefed on the 9-hour fish-truck crash closure – also on SB 99 – last month (here’s our coverage of the debrief). The mayor’s office just tweeted this:
Thank you @SeattlePD, @SeattleFire & @seattledot for working together to resolve a difficult accident on SR99 & to reopen the highway.
— Ed Murray (@MayorEdMurray) April 29, 2015
We’re adding, above, some additional images that came in during the operation to clear the spools. Thanks to everyone who sent photos!
4:41 PM: Just in via SPD Blotter, including an update on the Viaduct’s structural status and the fine faced by the trucker:
olice received 911 reports at 11:34 AM that a semi-truck had lost a load of two 12-foot spools—each weighing between 700 and 1,000 pounds—on the southbound lanes of the viaduct, near Columbia Street. At least one of the spools struck the underside of the upper level of the viaduct, dislodging the massive load from the truck’s flatbed trailer.
Officers blocked traffic onto the viaduct between the Battery Street Tunnel and Stewart Street while officials from the Washington State Department of Transportation, Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Fire Department and Seattle City Light worked to bring in heavy equipment to remove the spools.
Crews were able to use a bulldozer to re-load and secure the spools back on the semi-truck, which was moved to a construction area. Officials reopened the viaduct shortly before 2 PM. Today’s efforts to clear SR99 were significantly aided by planning and partnerships developed after another incident involving a semi-truck in March, which led to a nine-hour closure of the viaduct.
The Seattle Department of Transportation Commercial Vehicle Enforcement team cited the semi driver for “no oversized permit,” a violation of a state permit, and for “hitting a structure with impaired clearance.” The driver received $482 in citations, and could potentially face fines totaling thousands of dollars to cover the costs of the efforts to remove the spools. Oversized loads are not permitted on the portion of the viaduct where today’s collision occurred.
Officials have confiscated the driver’s commercial transportation permit, which he will need to reapply for before he can transport the load anywhere.
State officials say the spools—which were reportedly headed for Alabama—appear to have only caused minor damage to the viaduct. They will conduct a further assessment later this evening.
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