TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch, and previews

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

6:57 AM: Good morning! SDOT reported a collision in the 3100 block of Harbor SW this past half hour; the medic response was canceled quickly, so we don’t know if there’s any aftermath. Nothing else in the area so far this morning. Otherwise:

NO BRIDGE CLOSURE: SDOT canceled the plan for Fauntleroy Expressway closures last night and tonight; no new dates yet.

SATURDAY REMINDERS: We’ve been reminding you about Saturday (July 23rd) road closures and parking restrictions (the signs are out now) for the West Seattle Grand Parade, Kiddie Parade, and Float Dodger 5K; California SW south of SW Admiral Way, to The Junction, will be closed from early morning into early afternoon, and some side streets along the way have parking restrictions, too, posted for 7 am-3 pm. (added) … The bus reroutes for Saturday are now published – see them here.

8:35 AM: Trouble on the westbound bridge:

There is a stalled vehicle blocking the WB right lane Mid Span on the West Seattle Bridge. Use caution. pic.twitter.com/MnYTPBDBLi

— seattledot (@seattledot) July 21, 2016

10:24 AM: Some sort of incident east of the low bridge is causing some truck backup on the westbound side but eastbound is going OK with SPD help.

jen July 21, 2016 (9:21 am)

What the heck is going on today? I can’t see any accidents on the map, nothing mentioned on the radio, no comments here…but both high and low bridges backed up to a standstill to get on 99. Urgh!

Joah July 21, 2016 (9:30 am)

The traffic light at the bottom of the east side of the low bridge seems to be broken. It was solid red for the 10 minutes or so it was in view. People eventually started to run the light instead, as there is very little cross traffic in that intersection.

David July 21, 2016 (9:41 am)

I hear ya Jen – CRAZY!!!!

Laura July 21, 2016 (10:04 am)

Been stuck at the intersection of Spokane and Delridge to get over the low bridge for 20 minutes now. Complete standstill!

WSB July 21, 2016 (10:10 am)

The bridge light seems to def be part of the problem. We are almost there for a look.

newnative July 21, 2016 (10:08 am)

What was going on yesterday? Nothing that was reported but the congestion itself. Weird. Thank Dog for the Water Taxi.

sam-c July 21, 2016 (12:39 pm)

Maybe it was bad yesterday afternoon due to the M’s day game?

Robert July 21, 2016 (10:52 am)

Wtf is the deal lately, especially today?? It’s 11am and the bridge is still backed up to the crest or further?? This is insane. No reports of anything on I-5 that would cause that. 99 is still a parking lot.

I’m over this. Time to pack it up?

WSB July 21, 2016 (10:56 am)

When we checked out the low bridge about half a hour ago, going east was just fine, so if you have to head that way, you might consider it. But I guess conditions can change at a moment’s notice! The link at the top of our daily traffic report, for the city travelers’ map, is really helpful – the live video feeds on the map are a little hard to find the first time but they give you a quick look at the current flow before you go. Lower right of the map, open to “West Seattle” … I wish they were directly linkable but they’re not so the best we can do is point you to the map page. – TR

Robert July 21, 2016 (11:44 am)

Thanks @WSB. Ugh, of course the videos are in Flash. Useless on my phone.

Any idea why the bridge is still so backed up at noon???? Seems kind of ridiculous. I don’t see a single report on the map that could be the cause.

And please don’t say “sunshine”, that’s the worst ;)

JB July 21, 2016 (12:17 pm)

According to WSDOT there was an accident on the Columbia Way ramp. Backed up I-5. I gave up trying to get to I-90 from the WS Bridge.

B July 21, 2016 (12:19 pm)

Traffic today and yesterday was a complete nightmare. Due to the lower bridge being such a mess, I actually had to double back from almost Burien.

It’s really sad when a commute of 6 miles takes 1.5 hours.

SJ2 July 21, 2016 (12:23 pm)

I went over the lower bridge about 9 and the light was solid red. We finally just all treated it as a flashing red light.

twicksea July 21, 2016 (1:54 pm)

Echoing the comments above–from 8:30-9:30 I was in an unbelievable backup this morning on the lower bridge that appeared to be at least largely due to the red light at the east end that never turned green. Since it’s over the crest of the rise you don’t see it for long stretches so understandably people were reluctant to just run it. Once it became clear it was never going to change, and since there isn’t much cross traffic, I ran it too after I saw a Grayline bus do so in front of me. But had to go around a car in front of me that wasn’t going to budge. Has anyone communicated with SDOT about this?

WSB July 21, 2016 (2:08 pm)

I tweeted their contact info at a person who mentioned this on Twitter. The more calls the better, I’m sure. 206-684-ROAD.

watertowerjoey July 21, 2016 (1:57 pm)

Thursday/Friday semi-truck traffic is always heavy. Must be based on ship schedules.

Also, until the express lanes open NB, WB bridge is always slow.

sam-c July 21, 2016 (3:57 pm)

But don’t the express lanes open around 1ish?

Today was a mess, for sure. Both lanes of the eastbound west seattle bridge were backed up to 1st ave today at 2:30ish. what is up with that?

It actually took me longer to get to seward park at 2:30 than it did at 8:20

Nicole July 21, 2016 (9:55 pm)

I was crossing the low bridge eastbound (slowly) around 9:30 & a fire truck went by us all. It stopped at the intersection entering the port just beyond the stoplight at the end of the bridge. I don’t think the light was stuck red because of a malfunction. I think it was triggered because of whatever the incident was that was stopping traffic Westbound at the port entrance.

Sorry, comment time is over.