TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Friday updates, alerts, incidents

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:59 AM: Highway 99 *is* open again this morning; it reopened late last night, 12 hours after the deadly crash on the Aurora Bridge. Right now, no incidents in the outbound area (an earlier crash on the 1st Avenue S. Bridge has cleared).

BUS CANCELLATION: Tweeted by Metro:

Transit Alert – Route 56 to downtown Seattle due to leave SW Admiral Way and 51st Av SW at 7:28 AM will not operate… https://t.co/5TNh6UDHlx

— King County Metro (@kcmetrobus) September 25, 2015

Our followup interview scheduled for yesterday about the ongoing cancellation issue had to be postponed because the Aurora crash required the Metro ops center to focus on reroutes all afternoon and evening; we’re awaiting a new time next week.

7:25 AM: It’s not on the SFD log, so apparently no injuries, but a texter says a crash at the bottom of the Highland Park Way hill is backing up traffic. (Photo added)

Also, trouble on I-5 both ways that could back up those exiting from the east end of the West Seattle Bridge – northbound, a crash on the “collector-distributor” lanes at James St.; southbound, a crash reported at Boeing Access Road.

Cathy September 25, 2015 (7:36 am)

I came through around 7AM coming from the 1st Ave Bridge. Drivers coming down Highland Park Way at that time were having to swing over to the left turn lane to get around the accident, so only one lane getting through.

PW45 September 25, 2015 (8:39 am)

raise your hand if you see people burn through that red light EVERY SINGLE DAY. some of em are easily doing 50, trying to beat the yellow.
The best part was all the people turning around in the back-up…. like there is any alternate available that would save them the whole 3 minutes it took to get through lololololol

Joe Szilagyi September 25, 2015 (8:54 am)

Is there a list of all the Metro cancellations available due to unavailable drivers? As in, explicitly, number of cancellations PER route number?

JayDee September 25, 2015 (5:22 pm)

You would at least think that they would get the streets right. 51st and Admiral Way? 61st and Alki?

Ktrapp September 25, 2015 (5:46 pm)

FYI, some big police activity under the bridge. W Marginal is closed at Spokane St, and it looks like SW Marginal Pl is also blocked off if any one is trying to cycle through there.

Ktrapp September 25, 2015 (5:54 pm)

I should add, it’s southbound West Marginal that was closed. Northbound is open, but backed up

WSB September 25, 2015 (6:30 pm)

Yes, thanks, sorry we didn’t have something sooner, I was offline but our photographer got some texts and checked it out. “Suspicious package” is how police described it. No road closures currently but we’re going back over now to see if it’s cleared yet.

JanS September 25, 2015 (11:20 pm)

Joe Szilagyi…would be interesting to see how many cancellations are the 55/56/57 variety…compared to other routes in the WS Area. Admiral keeps getting the short end of the stick. And they want me to ride their buses? Not on your life. If I have some place to go I want reliable service, and not with 2-3 bus changes just to get over the bridge. Yes, I’ve read the explanations from Metro…that and a buck will get you a sample cup of coffee…words mean nothing. Actions work better. I feel so sorry for those commuters that rely on public transportation in this area to get them to work on time.

Sorry, comment time is over.