VIADUCT CLOSURE, DAY 7: What we’ve found out about today’s traffic trouble spots and tunneling progress

| Alaskan Way Viaduct | Highway 99 tunnel | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:58 AM: As of less than an hour ago, the Highway 99 tunneling machine is close to the halfway point of the 385-foot stretch from one side of the Alaskan Way Viaduct’s underside to the other. The latest tunneling tally is 182 feet, as shown on the updated WSDOT graphic above. Meantime, we’re just off today’s conference call for media. Participants today: Dave Sowers, WSDOT’s tunnel-project administrator; Jon Layzer from SDOT; and Travis Phelps from WSDOT (regarding regional traffic).

We asked Layzer about the two traffic situations that dominated discussion in our channels this morning.

Regarding the truck backup on East Marginal, Layzer said, “The port had been opening the gate at Terminal 46 at 3 am, an early opening instead of 7 am – but (for) today, they had evaluated projected volumes of containers … and decided not to open early – that obviously had a significant impact. We are in communication with the port, asking them to strongly consider opening at 3 am for the duration of the Viaduct closure.” (We are now checking with the Port to see how they’re handling this request.)

ADDED 4 PM, PORT’S RESPONSE: The reply to our inquiry, from port spokesperson Peter McGraw:

A number of factors with traffic this morning. I understand there was a train loading that blocked traffic longer than usual, along with heavier traffic.

We will continue to work with the terminal operator on traffic issues.

There will also be truck holding areas adjacent to T-46, along with additional gates for trucks to access the terminal.

The terminal opens at 3 am on its busiest days of the week: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. The operator already added one day this week and will do so again next week—at their own expense.

It also operates a regular day shift on Saturdays. So there are four additional shifts to take trucks off the road during commute hours.

Unfortunately, truckers are not using the early shifts to the full extent possible, and it’s not always possible to open the terminal at 3 am five days per week.

We will send out a request to the trucking community to use the 3 am gates for the duration of the closure.

(BACK TO ORIGINAL 11:58 AM REPORT) Regarding the clog at Avalon, Layzer said, “We did send Metro and SDOT folks out to observe performance yesterday and this morning … we do have parking-enforcement officers lined up to do a sweep of that corridor. We evaluated a request to extend the bus lane further south, but didn’t feel that was needed. We’ll continue to monitor that. (Also), we spoke to someone yesterday about the left turns (onto Avalon from the exit off the bottom of the Admiral Way hill) and don’t have a status on that.” But he did say they’re also evaluating the pavement markings. (He also expressed appreciation for the community collaboration here on WSB sussing out some of the West Seattle-side trouble spots – so thanks again to everyone who’s been reporting in.)

Layzer also was asked about train traffic in SODO leading to delays of motor-vehicle traffic, and replied that SDOT has “reached out to Burlington Northern and asked for their assistance to avoid peak periods for their train-building activities in particular” but they “don’t have any confirmation that (the train line) will adjust.” He said SPD officers also have been dispatched to 1st Avenue S. in SODO to monitor the situation.

Back to tunneling progress, it was repeated twice that it’s still “too early for us to start speculating when they’re going to open,” said Sowers. Also, they are close to going under the spot where the machine will be within 15′ of the underside of a Viaduct column.

sw May 5, 2016 (12:17 pm)

Thanks for the coverage.

Would be nice for “Officer Shades” to make an appearance on the down side of the high bridge. Lots of bus lane cheaters that get on at Delridge who don’t intend to merge into the right lane of traffic until well past the crest of the bridge.

Joe Bags May 5, 2016 (12:38 pm)

He was there on Mon or Tues but yeah would be nice for him to be there everyday.
- Blinkyjoe May 5, 2016 (1:11 pm)
  
  “Officer Shades”, LOL!!
  
  My wife calls him “Ponch”
JC May 5, 2016 (2:00 pm)

AGREED. Some of the behavior there (and in other spots, obvi) is making it even harder to get over if your destination is 1st or 4th AVE exits.

MLL May 5, 2016 (12:26 pm)

Thanks for the ongoing coverage! Do you know if they have considered (or will consider) allowing traffic on the bus lanes on the WSB east-bound? The two lanes alone just can’t handle the traffic, and for those of us that are exiting at 1st Ave (or 4th Ave) it’s so frustrating that a 10-minute drive has become 45-minutes even at 6:30am.

Sevenless May 5, 2016 (3:29 pm)

That won’t improve anything and will make transit significantly worse. There’s already a bottleneck on 1st Ave and 4th Ave (and their off-ramps), so allowing general purpose traffic into the transit lane will just cause buses to get stuck in traffic far earlier since those cars will still be stuck with nowhere to go. Transit lanes (and HOV lanes) work specifically because general purpose traffic can’t use them.
JanS May 5, 2016 (4:50 pm)

so buses can’t get through either? Yesterday morning the bus I was on sailed through a little after 10am…why should that change? I vote no on cars on the bus only lane. It’s just another week +…I think everyone is adult enough to handle it by planning…

Robert May 5, 2016 (12:27 pm)

What we need is a transit-only ramp from Avalon to the EB WSB onramp. Would skip all the merge-unmerge there. When does the bake sale start?

trickycoolj May 5, 2016 (12:45 pm)

Any word on requesting limited openings on the South Park bridge during the same hours they requested on Spokane St and the Ship Canal bridges? I was really surprised it was opened before 9am today, especially considering there isn’t heavy port traffic this far down the river. Caused tons of congestion up into South Park where 2 lanes are closed for road construction. It’s only going to get worse down here as people start detouring further south from the high/low bridges and the 1st ave bridge which seems to be having more accidents lately from what I assume are drivers unfamiliar with the nasty 509/99 interchange.

Robert May 5, 2016 (12:52 pm)

A little levity…

ELLY May 5, 2016 (1:00 pm)

Good question Mil! Some of us are trying to go SOUTH to East Marginal Way. We have to wait for all of the traffic (mosly single occupancy vehicles!!) to inch their way to I-5. This morning I gave up waiting on Avalon, turned around and got on the WS Bridge, totally clear once the First Avenue Exit was in site but took me FOREVER to get there – then you can’t turn right so you have to wait for the light, take the U-turn (blind corner between those piles – you have to poke out into traffic to see around them – scares me every time) to get onto Spokane going the opposite direction, wait for 3 lights and a train, then take a left (almost a complete circle!) to go over the new and mostly useless overpass in order to get onto East Marginal Way going south (and I work 5 minutes from there). Not everyone is trying to get into Seattle but all road point that way!!

trickycoolj May 5, 2016 (1:27 pm)

East Marginal Way northbound has been largely quiet so you might consider going down to the South Park Bridge and heading north on East Marginal, since it seems most traffic is diverting away from East Marginal since they can’t go straight through to the viaduct. I work on East Marginal at the South Park Bridge and only today was the commute really bad because the bridge opened at 8:45am when I was trying to make a 9:00 meeting and hadn’t had traffic last that late as of yet.
JanS May 5, 2016 (4:52 pm)

Elly…you had others in your car? or were you single occupancy yourself? The reason I don’t drive right now(have a car) but take public transpo, is because I don’t want to sit in that traffic…yesterday, the bus sailed through,…no need to change that…

Blinkyjoe May 5, 2016 (1:15 pm)

Thanks for the update TR. You reported the Port agreed to add a Hoot Owl shift before the closure. I’m glad they saw the result of going back to a 0700 opening!

Alex May 5, 2016 (1:37 pm)

I have no idea what the problem was on Avalon today. Much worse than earlier in the week. There was even a cop parked at the bottom, he just watched the long line of illegal left turners from Admiral, then drove off.

It’s really quite a mess with most of the cars in the bus lane (trying to wait in line), then the buses (and some line cutters) passing them in the car lane trying to get to the front, and having to merge with the illegal left turners. It was like a 4-way merge, with cars using both lanes of Avalon, the illegal left turn from Admiral, and the cars coming from Alki, all 4 trying to get into the one lane on Spokane street.

It’s particularly frustrating for those of us just trying to head southbound on West Marginal having to be stuck being a massive cluster of cars, 90% of which are jostling to find ways to cut each other in line for a way to get northbound.

Joe Bags May 5, 2016 (3:03 pm)

Wow. The cop just observed and didn’t write any tickets?
Chris May 5, 2016 (3:37 pm)

I’m also trying to get southbound on W. Marginal to get to 509 south.

Today I took 35th south to Sylvan, and then turned onto Holden from Delridge and then left on Highland – down the hill. It was good. The only slow part is turning left from Holden to Highland.
- JanS May 5, 2016 (4:55 pm)
  
  is it possible to take Delridge north, don’t get on the viaduct, but stay in the left lane under the bridge, and then use the turn lane to West Marginal South? I don’t commute in the morning, so have no idea what the traffic is like there in the early AM
H May 6, 2016 (10:31 pm)

Why are people who are illegally lining up in the bus lane accusing people who are legally driving in the traffic lane of line-jumping? Just because a bunch of people decide to ignore a law doesn’t make it right. Right? Am I missing something?

newnative May 5, 2016 (1:44 pm)

It’s so frustrating to read the non-answers, “We’ll continue to monitor that” when you are asking very direct, basic questions. SDOT is asking the public to keep the course, while agencies are not (the Port opening later, lack of traffic controls).

WSB May 5, 2016 (1:48 pm)

They have traffic controls at many places around the city – I hear it via the scanner every morning, as they ratchet up, check in, move around. I think what may be going on here is a miscalculation of where chokepoints can happen. A lot of focus on 1st and 4th and some intersections in the heart of downtown – but once you get further out, like, oh, say Avalon/bridge, that may have been out of the original scope. The parking-enforcement promise sounded promising. I think tomorrow morning we’ll have to go observe Avalon (without contributing to it!) instead of the Water Taxi, at least starting around 7. No traffic cameras in the area so no way to see firsthand otherwise. Maybe we can Periscope it or something :)
- Sam-c May 5, 2016 (1:57 pm)
  
  I bet that people will react to today’s problems on Avalon, and some other choke point will show up tomorrow.
  - sw May 5, 2016 (2:31 pm)
    
    Bingo. Normally, people use their usual route to work and just deal with what the day brings. During the closure, many people are using different routes and trying something different each day. That’s why there are such unpredictable swings in traffic density one day to the next. There isn’t the consistency as with a normal commute.

watertowerjoey May 5, 2016 (1:56 pm)

So has it been 100% confirmed that you cannot turn left onto Avalon from “Admiral”?

There was a back-and-forth the other day and I didn’t see that it was determined.

Sorry if I missed it.

John May 5, 2016 (2:23 pm)

I see what you’re talking about. I just jumped on Google Earth and drove down Admiral towards Avalon. I see that you can veer right off Admiral and end up at a stop sign on Avalon. At two spots it clearly says ‘Right Turn Only’ onto Avalon.

Why would someone turn left here? Why not just continue straight on Admiral over Avalon?
- AJ May 5, 2016 (3:11 pm)
  
  @ John – I think the left turns from Admiral on to Avalon are drivers who want to access the low bridge or head south via West Marginal Way, rather than taking the high bridge.
- watertowerjoey May 5, 2016 (3:42 pm)
  
  I believe the sign actually says “right lane must turn right”, which is a much different message than “right turn only”. There appears to be a left turn arrow in the “left” lane too – in addition to a “sharrow”. It should simply be one land and/or state no left turns. A ticket would not hold up in court, IMO.
newnative May 5, 2016 (2:28 pm)

“ (Also), we spoke to someone yesterday about the left turns (onto Avalon from the exit off the bottom of the Admiral Way hill) and don’t have a status on that.” But he did say they’re also evaluating the pavement markings. “

From WSB’s report up there.

Bellamay May 5, 2016 (2:00 pm)

The Seattle PI is reporting no significant impacts on commute times due to the viaduct closure. I wonder who’s promoting that nonsense.

WSB May 5, 2016 (2:07 pm)

Bella – There are a couple of companies who make their living off traffic analyses who are promoting such things – sending to all media (including us). Not having seen the seattlepi.com coverage, I don’t know for sure if that’s what they’re using, but we generally steer clear of third-party stuff. Our job is to stick to reporting what’s actually happening, and what we are hearing firsthand in the official briefings (seattlepi.com has had a staffer on those calls, fwiw – they open with a roll-call of all of us who RSVP’d and that’s how I know).
- Mike Lindblom May 5, 2016 (2:25 pm)
  
  There is just so much BS floating around, and Tracy is wise to stick with the information that WSB can either observe or verify through its own neighborhood sources and readers. I got the same news release this morning about “no significant impacts” and chose not to repeat it in the Seattle Times. Anybody out there could see how gummed up I-5 was all the way into the city.
- Sam-c May 5, 2016 (2:48 pm)
  
  Thank you WSB and Mike Lindbloom for sticking with the facts.

Chris May 5, 2016 (2:32 pm)

This chaos should be a lesson to those who supported knocking down the viaduct only and not building the tunnel. The idea that the surface streets could just absorb this traffic was and is total nonsense…

Brian May 5, 2016 (2:35 pm)

lol are you just making up people to argue with? virtually no one supported a “knock down the viaduct and provide no solution” option. What people DID support was knocking down the viaduct and installing a surface street level boulevard that would have handled this just fine.
- Chris May 5, 2016 (6:35 pm)
  
  Huh? And where would this “boulevard” appear? Re-striping an existing street and calling it a “boulevard” doesn’t achieve a thing. You clearly are playing Sim City and living in an imaginary world. Alaskan way will be turned into a “boulevard” plus we’ll have the tunnel to get through downtown.

Fiz May 5, 2016 (2:45 pm)

We left the Junction at 9:10 this morning, arrived at Swedish at 10:15 using WS Bridge, Columbian Way and 15th S. I-5 was parked.

No traffic impact?! Thanks for that laugh, Seattle P.I.

WestJess May 5, 2016 (2:52 pm)

Lucky for everyone, there WILL be a surface street boulevard option, with exits to downtown, AND an underground tunnel, for cross city travel. It will be done and it will be great.

workdowntown May 5, 2016 (2:55 pm)

Back in the good old days, there was a back road that you entered by the 7-11 on Harbor Avenue that took you under the Spokane street bridge by the old Blew Eagle. It would be nice to have that option again – maybe linking it to the special truck road onto the lower level bridge? Just a thought.

Andy Silber May 5, 2016 (3:51 pm)

Why is SPD not enforcing the bus only lane on Avalon?

H May 6, 2016 (10:41 pm)

Exactly!! If you have to turn right off of Avalon to get onto the bridge, people in the bus lane do all they can to not let you “budge,” when they’re the ones in the wrong lane to begin with :\

North Admiral Commuter May 5, 2016 (3:59 pm)

I hope the port continues the additional 3 a.m. shift at T-46 even after the viaduct reopens. The port traffic on East Marginal is a frequent hassle – sometimes once a week, sometimes three days a week, depending on container ship schedules. It hasn’t been as bad as today in several months, but there are a couple of days a month where we have similar traffic conditions on East Marginal, south of the terminal. It causes commuters to weave into the bicycle lane heading NB at S Hanford / E Marginal Way. Commuters who are familiar with the port traffic back-ups will bail onto 1st Ave S or underneath the raised highway to continue their NB journey. Others wait, confused (I see drivers throwing their hands up in a frustrated “what in the heck” gesture), in the port traffic, apparently not realizing that they are in the line to get on to the terminal.

GM May 5, 2016 (4:17 pm)

Why do I keep seeing people say ‘illegal left turns onto Avalon’ from Manning/Admiral. That’s not illegal. It’s a legal left turn. There’s in fact a left turn lane on Manning for those turning onto Avalon. If there was a cop watching this….of course he didn’t give out a ticket. This is LEGAL.

rpo May 5, 2016 (6:16 pm)

There is a right turn only marking for cars halfway down that block covering the entire lane along with a sign. At the stop sign, the right turn only is repeated in the lane and on a sign. There is a bike only lane just a few feet wide that is separate from the traffic lane which is NOT a left turn lane for cars. It couldn’t be more obvious.
- Willistheclown May 6, 2016 (6:13 am)
  
  That is incorrect. The sign reads “Right lane must turn right”. And – as previously mentioned – there is a left turn arrow in the “left” lane. It is a thin lane but it is a lane.
  
  If they want to not allow a left turn then the sign should read as you suggest.

JanS May 5, 2016 (5:00 pm)

(He also expressed appreciation for the community collaboration here on WSB sussing out some of the West Seattle-side trouble spots – so thanks again to everyone who’s been reporting in.) Of course…that’s what we do :) TR…you run a good ship :D

WSB May 5, 2016 (5:08 pm)

We’re just grateful that, with online discussion scattering like dandelion seeds in the wind in recent years, there’s still value in a centralized, visible-to-all (including the powers-that-be), no-login-required gathering place.

Amy May 5, 2016 (5:13 pm)

Is there a temp bus stop for the C line at 4th and lander heading back to west Seattle? Tried to get off there this morning and driver kept going.

WSB May 5, 2016 (5:17 pm)

Supposed to be – see the second page of this: http://wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/Media/Default/-NewDocuments/99closure/99Closure_Metro.pdf
- Ron May 5, 2016 (7:16 pm)
  
  Incorrect, the extra stop is on Lander just west of the busway: http://metro.kingcounty.gov/alerts/pdf/16-AWV-01__Rts21X_55_56_57_120_125_RapidRideCLine__AWVFullClsr_2Weeks_Apr29-TBD.pdf
  
  That notice is for 113 and 121-123 only.
  - WSB May 5, 2016 (7:29 pm)
    
    What you mention are the routes on the first page. I said, see the **second** page of the link, which is for the West Seattle routes (at the top of the second page, “Routes: 21E, 37 (southbound), 55, 56, 57, 120, 125, RapidRide C” – thanks! – TR
    - Ron May 6, 2016 (1:11 pm)
      
      Why is the important stuff always on the second page?! Sorry, I totally missed your reference to page two and read “4th and Lander” as a stop on 4th, as if it were a baseball score with the home team mentioned first.
      
      Since there was a stop for the other routes just after the left onto 4th and the driver blew it, I think Amy should have raised a stink. We tend to stew quietly instead of saying anything, hence our incessant abuse at the hands of outsiders who think courtesy is for rubes. They can’t understand why anyone would wait patiently for anything, form a queue, use a turn signal, keep a safe distance, stop walking at a “don’t walk” sign, etc., etc. ad nauseam.
      
      Hopefully courtesy is a pendulum that swings like politics and education.

John Eric May 5, 2016 (5:29 pm)

I have in fact gotten a ticket for making a left turn onto Avalon from the Manning/Admiral spur road. I challenged it before a magistrate and he in fact let the infraction stand. It is a very confusing intersection and very poorly marked. I still believe it is legal to make a left turn from the left lane despite the bicycle sharrow,

West Sea Neighbor May 6, 2016 (10:53 am)

So if you were ticketed, and it was upheld by a judge (i.e., you were given due process to argue your point), you can maintain that you are correct ’till the cows come home, but it ain’t necessarily so…

dsa May 5, 2016 (7:39 pm)

Odd, so I google Luna Park Cafe and click on the street view. Then I “cruise up and down Avalon looking for the arrow to drive up Manning so I can drive back down to see the signs. It was not easy like it usually is, but eventually after several passes I slip onto Manning and “drive” and turn around. There is a No parking any time sign, and a couple of painted bikes and chevrons. There is nothing on the stop sign except the octagonal stop. Nowhere in this dated view is it not legal to turn left.

rpo May 5, 2016 (9:09 pm)

You must be missing the “Right Lane Must Turn Right” sign under the stop sign and the fact there is only a right turn lane.

Azimuth May 5, 2016 (9:28 pm)

I hope everyone affected by that Avalon & Manning turn controversy complains to SDOT about it! After looking at it google street view, I think the intention is for no left turns but the markings are so dumbly designed I don’t blame people for turning left.

dsa May 5, 2016 (11:21 pm)

RPO, the sign of which you speak is not in the tape I saw. Neither is the Avalon marked for the bus only lane, so I suspect I picked up an old tape. I suspect they added the “right only” stuff when they did the bus lane biz. That would explain why people are used to turning left there.

GM May 6, 2016 (9:37 am)

There’s definitely a ‘right turn only’ lane, AND a left turn lane, with an arrow and all. Not illegal.

West Sea Neighbor May 6, 2016 (10:54 am)

Go check it out in person. The left lane is only a third to a half width with a smaller arrow. It looks intended as a bike only, but the wording is unclear. Maybe it is addressed in seattle municipal code somewhere.

Sorry, comment time is over.