TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates; crashes on I-5, 99, 4th Ave. S.

(MAJOR ALERT: Northbound I-5 closed in heart of downtown – see below)

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page. P.S. Sorry about the broken cameras – out of our control)
7:38 AM: There’s a crash on northbound 99 right where it meets the West Seattle Bridge, and that’s slowing traffic in all directions 99-bound, according to SDOT:

UPDATE: A Collision on SR 99 NB at the W Sea Br has 1 lane open to traffic, delay on W Sea Br EB SR 509 NB & SR 99 NB pic.twitter.com/3JZApcjh0d

— seattledot (@seattledot) May 5, 2015

Updates as we get them. Meantime, speaking of 99:

HIGHWAY 99 CLOSURES NORTH OF DOWNTOWN THIS WEEKEND: If you use Highway 99 from the Battery Street Tunnel northward to Valley Street, either direction, please note planned closures this weekend. They’re in phases, with reopenings for sports-related traffic.

7:56 AM UPDATE: Now the blockage on northbound 99 is down to one lane.

8 AM UPDATE: If you are thinking of taking 4th Avenue South as an alternative – note that there is a crash just south of Costco – a car hit a bus – and they’ve just upped the response to rescue so they can cut someone out.

8:10 AM UPDATE: The 4th Ave. S. crash is blocking both northbound lanes, per scanner, but police are diverting NB traffic into a SB lane to get people by.

8:16 AM: Back to the NB 99 crash, “all lanes are open” per SPD announcement monitored via scanner.

8:20 AM: New problem, 4-vehicle crash on northbound I-5 at the Convention Center, with at least one reported to be on fire, per scanner. That could soon affect the WS Bridge traffic headed for NB 5.

8:25 AM: WSDOT now says all northbound lanes of 5 are CLOSED because of the crash/fire. Several people are hurt, at least one seriously. So stay away from NB 5 TFN!

The backup on NB 5 at Olive is about 7 miles. Again, avoid I-5, all lanes blocked with serious collision. pic.twitter.com/4PSusrrEF3

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 5, 2015

9:23 AM: All but one lane of northbound I-5 is open now.

civik May 5, 2015 (8:41 am)

NB I5 is seeing everybody get off on Olive to avoid the wreck. It’s gonna be one of those mornings.

Citizen Sane May 5, 2015 (8:49 am)

Lovely. 3 major NB arterials get shut down in one morning. People REALLY need to stop driving like jackasses.
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(Yes, I know SOMEONE will chime in saying, ‘we don’t know what caused the crash), but get real, in each case, barring interference by Little Green Men, you will find excessive speed, distracted/aggressive driving, following WAY too closely, or a combination of the three to be a primary factor.
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Slow down. Pay attention. Leave five minutes early so you don’t have to drive like an idiot.

WSB May 5, 2015 (9:04 am)

Actually, CS, preliminary info per police radio was that the 4th Ave. person’s brakes went out.

Mel May 5, 2015 (9:03 am)

All but the right lane of I5 are now open. It will probably take some time to clear that congestion, but at least it’s moving now. I hope those involved in the accident will be OK.

trickycoolj May 5, 2015 (9:08 am)

SPD motorcycle is picking off speeders on the bottom of the South Park bridge on the Boeing side. This is the 3rd or 4th time I’ve seen him in a month so check your speed coming down the bridge, it’s easy to pick up speed on the downslope. Not sure if they still consider it a work zone but there were workers on the sidewalk/railings so it could potentially be spendy!

Fun May 5, 2015 (9:17 am)

Not sure if it’s still there but about 30 mnutes ago, a firetruck was sitting in the right exit lane to I 90, making it even worse as it blocked one of the only other routes out of the situation.

Max May 5, 2015 (9:17 am)

Gridlock on 4th heading into downtown by stadiums. Avoid!

WSB May 5, 2015 (9:22 am)

Thanks, Mel. That was fast work by the I-5 crews. Updating.

Fun May 5, 2015 (9:23 am)

True CS. People drive horribly and cause major accidents that we’ve seen a lot of lately. Then they can’t drive during the incidents, not getting out of the way for police and fire, etc.

Alki Guy May 5, 2015 (9:23 am)

Of course, today SDOT’s webcams on WS Bridge are frozen on yesterday’s view, looking off at warehouses or under maintenance. Only clues to current traffic conditions are driver texts — not much help from SDOT…

WSB May 5, 2015 (9:32 am)

Sorry, I didn’t catch the freeze frame on the top left. The broken cameras USUALLY just put up an “out of service” slate (which is why I replaced the main bridge-deck cam with that one yesterday … sigh) …

Fun May 5, 2015 (9:50 am)

Hearing from WSP, that distracted driving is the cause of the I 5 N accident.

WSB May 5, 2015 (9:55 am)

https://twitter.com/wspd2pio/status/595626708344111104

a May 5, 2015 (11:32 am)

Texting and driving/using phones while driving has just changed many people’s lives for the worst today in Seattle. I feel so sad for anyone who has to deal with being the brunt of a collision from a distracted cell phone addict. Shame on anyone who uses a digital device while driving. It’s a terrible habit and it needs to stop NOW. My thoughts are with the families effected today. May you find the strength to not cry when you see drivers on phones as you go to visit your loved one in intensive care.

PangolinPie May 5, 2015 (11:42 am)

I was in the bus that got hit across from Costco. What a bad day to be on the road…still, I’m really glad I was in a bus and not a car.

HighlandParker May 5, 2015 (1:16 pm)

I was also in the bus that got hit this morning. There was a long sound of skidding on wet pavement, followed by us getting rear-ended. Based on the skidding that I heard, I tend to doubt that the driver’s brakes failed.

Sorry, comment time is over.